Bursitis

Bursitis refers to acute or chronic inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a sac-like space in connective tissue, a closed sac composed of endothelial cells, lined with synovium and containing a small amount of synovial fluid. A few communicate with the joint and lie between bony prominences near the joint and the tendons, muscles, or skin. Wherever friction or pressure is high, a bursa may be present; its main function is to facilitate gliding, thereby reducing or avoiding friction and pressure between bony prominences near the joints and the soft tissue. Many joint lesions can cause this disease.

Common Symptoms

Lateral foot pain; rice-sized masses of the wrist; tenderness near the hamate; pain when extending the arm and shaking hands; weakness of finger extension; severe pain; cellulitis; muscle atrophy

Causes

Bursitis can be caused by injury, some by direct violent trauma, and some by excessive joint flexion, extension, abduction and external rotation movements; repeated, long-term and persistent friction and pressure strain the bursa and cause inflammation, and the bursa may thicken from wear, such as prepatellar bursitis in people who work in a kneeling position, ischial tuberosity bursitis in thin elderly women after prolonged sitting, and retrocalcaneal bursitis caused by overly tight shoes. In addition, pathogenic bacteria carried by infectious foci can cause purulent bursitis. Gout is a metabolic disease caused by abnormal purine metabolism that increases uric acid synthesis; abnormal renal function also raises uric acid levels due to decreased renal uric acid clearance. When uric acid in plasma becomes saturated, monosodium urate crystals deposit in the relatively avascular tissue around distal joints. These crystals can cause acute inflammatory synovitis of one or multiple joints. Gout is more common in men, and the big toe is the most commonly affected area, with 50%~70% of first attacks occurring there. 90% of gout patients experience first metatarsophalangeal joint involvement at some time in their lives. Local invasion and distant metastasis are the most important features of malignant tumors and the main cause of death from them; a tumor is formed by the continuous proliferation of a single transformed cell.

Treatment

Supportive treatment, rehabilitation therapy

Prevention

1. Pay attention to hygiene: strengthen labor protection and develop the habit of washing hands with warm water after work. 2. Rest is the best method: rest is the primary way to relieve any joint pain, so the joint should be well rested. 3. Ice: if the joint feels hot to the touch, use ice packs, alternating 10 minutes of ice with 10 minutes of rest; as long as the joint is still hot, do not use heat. 4. Alternating ice and heat: once the acute swelling and pain subside and the heat is gone, ice and heat can be alternated, i.e. 10 minutes of ice followed by 10 minutes of heat, repeated. 5. Swing the painful arm: if the pain is in the elbow or shoulder, doctors recommend freely swinging the arm to relieve pain. 6. Avoid prolonged sitting and kneeling work; when walking long distances, the elderly should not wear overly tight shoes. 7. Prevent bursal injury and infection, and reduce friction of the olecranal, prepatellar and retrocalcaneal bursae.

Recommended Department

It is recommended to visit the orthopedic surgery department; before the visit you may first book an appointment and connect with experts through this platform.

Warm reminder: The above information is provided for health education reference only and cannot replace professional medical diagnosis. If you have related symptoms, please seek care at a regular hospital in time.