What Is Bursitis and What Is Tendinitis?
Bursitis and tendinitis are both common conditions that involve inflammation of the soft tissue around muscles and bones, most often in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle.
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between a bone and other moving parts: muscles, tendons, or skin. Bursae are found throughout the body. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes inflamed (redness and increased fluid in the bursa).
A tendon is a flexible band of fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon. Tendons transmit the pull of the muscle to the bone to cause movement. They are found throughout the body, including the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Tendons can be small, like those found in the hand, or large, like the Achilles tendon in the heel.
What Causes These Conditions?
Bursitis is commonly caused by overuse or direct trauma to a joint. Bursitis may occur at the knee or elbow; for example, from kneeling or leaning on the elbows longer than usual on a hard surface. Tendinitis is most often the result of a repetitive injury in the affected area. These conditions occur more often with age. Tendons become less flexible with age, and therefore, more prone to injury.
People such as carpenters, gardeners, musicians, and athletes who perform activities that require repetitive motions or place stress on joints are at higher risk for tendinitis and bursitis.
An infection, arthritis, gout, thyroid disease, and diabetes can also bring about inflammation of a bursa or tendon.
Many individuals suffer from bursitis each and every year. Fortunately, there are treatment methods to help the pain and allow the sufferer to live a fulfilling and high quality life. Reviewing the following information on bursitis should answer most of your questions and help you better understand the condition.
What is Bursitis?
There are fluid filled sacs located throughout the body in areas of friction. These friction areas are generally between bone or tendon and skin. The fluid filled sacs are called bursae together and one is called a bursa. Approximately 160 bursae are located throughout the body and they secrete a fluid that provides lubrication to these body parts. When one of these bursae is injured either through consistent activity or from a direct trauma then bursitis results. There are two types of bursitis which may be a result of an infection of the synovial fluid or from too much movement. This is obviously painful and bursitis sufferers are always in search of pain relief.
Bursitis Symptoms
The symptoms of bursitis are painful. This is because the tendons and bones that are affected by bursitis swell and cause pain for the individual. Movement becomes difficult and painful when the bursae sacs swell as well. The foot, shoulder, hand and wrist, knee, and elbow are the joints that are most often affected by bursitis.
Causes of Bursitis
The most common causes of bursitis include crystal deposits, trauma, and infection.
Crystal Deposits
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis, gout, scleroderma, and other similar problems experience crystal deposits in and around their joints because the body is unable to metabolize uric acid properly.
Trauma
There are two types of trauma that may cause bursitis. These are chronic and acute. With chronic traumas repetitive motions cause the inflammatory bursitis. For example, throwing a baseball is a repetitive motion that over time can cause inflammatory bursitis. Acute trauma is a direct trauma to any part of the body that results in blood filling up the bursa. The immediate collection of blood causes swelling and pain, i.e. bursitis.
Infection
Septic bursitis occurs when bacteria or organisms infect the bursae near the skin''s surface. Some individuals are more prone to developing septic bursitis than others. For example, diabetics, alcoholics, those with specific traumas, kidney diseases, and those on steroids are at a higher risk for developing septic bursitis.
