How to Get Rid of Bursitis

Bursitis is a painful joint condition that is caused when the bursa that allows the muscles of your body to move over the joints of your body smoothly become stressed and inflamed. Under normal conditions this bursa provides a protective barrier to your muscles from the sharp and hard bones of your joints. Whenever the small sacks of fluid known as bursa become inflamed then the muscles cannot glide smoothly and this causes extreme pain whenever the affected joint is used.

Generally you suffer from the condition of Bursitis when you overuse one of your joints and cause the bursa to become inflamed. This overuse is commonly see in shoulders, knees, and elbows. A lot of our daily tasks require us to get on our knees and we tend to lean on our elbows frequently. Both of these things can cause Bursitis. Traumatic injury to a joint can also cause the condition. Of course activities like raking, tennis, swimming, skiing, and fishing all involve the shoulder muscle and can all result in Bursitis symptoms.

Generally Bursitis is no real cause for concern it is just an annoying condition that you must deal with until it heals. There are some things you can do to help the healing process go a little faster and to reduce the amount of pain you have during the ordeal.

Cold Compresses

Cold compresses or ice packs placed on the joint that is experiencing the Bursitis will help to reduce the swelling and will thus help to alleviate some of the pain. Ice should never be applied directly to human skin without a towel or protective barrier. A plastic freezer or storage bag does not count as a protective barrier. Place a towel or some other dry cloth between your skin and the ice pack.

Anti inflammatory Drugs

Over the counter medications like Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium will provide you with some pain relief. Both of these pain relievers help with the swelling that can occur around joints and they are both readily available at most stores.

You should always take these medications as prescribed and never mix medications or mix medications with alcohol. There can be serious and even deadly side effects when you combine alcohol and pain relievers of any type.

Respiratory failure, elevated heart rate and blood pressure are just some of the dangerous side effects of mixing alcohol and other drugs.

Apply Heat

Once the swelling has been alleviated you may use a heating pad or hot water bottle to apply heat to soothe the discomfort in the joint. Do not apply heat while the swelling is still present because heat will make the joint swell even more. You also want to use heat applications with caution. If you apply heat directly to your skin you can cause a burn. Use a cloth barrier between the heat source and your tender skin to prevent this from happening.

Prevention

The best way you can treat Bursitis is to prevent the condition from occurring. Whenever you are engaging in an activity that can apply some stress to your joints make sure and do some warm up movements first. You also want to make sure that you do not over use any joint. Nothing is worth the weeks of pain you might suffer from the overuse of your joints