 By Elena Voropay Muscles and bones are a team of muscle-building pros. Even though they consist of different cells, these like to stay friendly with each other. How can they communicate and work as a unit without irritating each other? Here comes the best liason – Busa. Bursa (pleural – Bursae) is a slippery sac found in connective tissue between loose skin, bones, muscles and tendons. These little sacs are lined with membranes containing synovia, lubricating fluid which “cushions” your moving joints reducing friction and irritation. Normally, the bursa is flat and it's hard to tell it is even there. Even though most think that Bursae exists only in elbows and knees, it has found a place to live in more than 150 places on top of bony prominences in your body.
If you expose your joints to prolonged stress, pressure, friction, or injure the surrounding membrane, you may get Bursitis, or inflammation of the Bursa. Your bones and muscles are familiar with constant repetitive rubbing of the tendons, especially if you do the same exercises day in and day out. The formula is simple – just come to the gym a few times a week, train intense and you increase your chances of getting some kind of sports injury, and Bursitis may even top the list. Any physical activity requires joint movement, and the most active joints are your knee, hip, ankle, heel, elbow, shoulder and wrist No wonder these are the ones that get Bursitis. Causes of Bursitis Same as with Tendonitis, you can damage the Bursae by heavy lifting or repetitive training. But as everything in the world of human body, Bursitis may have many other causes which you would never suspect about. At first, you may want to know that each injured joint gets its own name and may have its own cause. Enjoying a bench press? Get to know your Shoulder or Subacromial (just above the rotator cuff) and Elbow or Olecranon Bursitis. Also known as “frozen shoulder” and “student's elbow” respectively, the joints of the upper limbs may get irritated just by prolonged pressure applied to your arms. If you haven't impinged or overused your shoulders but something is still bothers you in your shoulders, you may have got some calcium deposits, gout, rheumatoid arthritis or some sort of infection which are also common causes of Bursitis. Squats and leg presses for lower body to balance your overdeveloped V-Taper? Do you run and walk a lot to burn some body fat? Introduce your legs to Prepatellar and Pes Anserinus (knee), Retrocalcaneal (back of the heel) and Calcaneal (sole or bottom of the heel), Trochanteric and Ischial (hip) Bursitis. Chances are that you haven't worried about your legs as much up until now, but your strong muscle-up legs happen to be quite fragile units. Wearing Even sitting in one position for long hours at a time may lead to “weaver's bottom”,or “tailor's seat”, swelling of the ischium bone Bursae in the hips making sitting, crossing legs, standing up and lying down, climbing stairs almost impossible. Here, the pain may travel from the inside of your upper legs to your back. And if you wear uncomfortable shoes, your ankles, feet and knees will let you know by developing Bursitis right in these most used joints. Don't even think about moving around or sleeping on the side where the knees are touching. Symptoms of Bursitis Pain and tenderness are the main symptoms. Both are obvious if you feel that your limbs are not moving as easily as they normally do. Oedema, inflammation, swelling and redness are also common, particularly if the affected joints are close to the skin, as with the shoulder, knee, elbow, or Achilles tendon. The area may also feel warm to the touch. Bursitis may be a tricky one to diagnose as it will not always show up on X-rays, unless there are calcium deposits in the joint which are visible on the X-ray. However, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) will reveal the enlarged Bursa. For the most accurate reading of what happened to your joint, some invasion is necessary. If the inflammation is present, your doctor may inserting a thin needle into the affected Bursa and remove some of the synovial fluid for examination. The fluid, which is usually not clear, may be tested for the presence of microorganisms indicating an infection, and crystals as in gout. In some difficult diagnostic case, a local numbing anesthetic is injected into the hurting spot and if the pain temporarily stops, then it must be Bursitis. Treatment of Bursitis First, the doctor must determine what is the cause of Bursitis. If it is infection, removing fluid may relive some symptoms. But depending on the results of the test, your physician will decide if a specific antibiotic is needed to fight the infection and stop its progression or it may move into the bloodstream and spread to other parts of the body causing serious illness.  If the cause is not an infection, surgery to remove the Bursa may be needed with follow-up casting or prolonged immobilization. It doesn't disturb any muscle, ligament or joint structure, so don't worry about the changing shape of your muscles. However, you may not be able to move the limb for a while, which is an all-times great treatment for any injury anyway. That way, you will also give your muscles some time to rest and recuperate after all the brutal damaging lifting you've been doing. Unless you rest, expect an array of continuing symptoms. - Ice may help to reduce inflammation and pain.
- Ultrasound and assage by a Physical Therapist may be of benefit.
- If the injury involves your feet, Orthotics, adaptive devices placed in the shoe, may be required to reduce the stress at the ankle or within the foot.
- Anti-inflammatory medications may assist in removing some of the symptoms if the pain and swelling are unbearable.
Prevention As you may already know, prevention is the best cure for anything. So, give your Bursae, Muscles, Bones, Tendons, Ligaments what they need and you are sure to avoid any future potential injuries.
- Stretching your muscles regularly lengthens the tendon connections around the Bursa and minimizes friction Limit compression on the joint to keep the natural lubrication
- Sleeping on a softer bed lessens the compression placed on joints when you rest
- Use cushioned chairs and foam kneeling pads if your joints already give you trouble
- Wear only the most comfortable shoes you can find for your activity
- Strengthen muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue in all body parts by cross-training
Nutritional Support Joints, just like every other tissue in the body, need good nutrition for optimal health. Athletes with strongest muscles have never underestimated the power of supplementation. So, join their club of mighty bodies by taking these: - Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate
- MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane)
- Inositol
- Collagen Hydrolysate (Gelatin)
- Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) from fish, flax, primrose and borage oil
- Green Tea Extract
- Calcium and Magnesium
- Bromelain (enzyme from pineapple) and Proteolytic enzymes
Most Common Bursitis Spots Shoulders Elbows Knees Hips Ankles Hills and Soles of the Feet |
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