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How is bursitis treated?
The best treatment for bursitis is to rest and protect the
joint from pressure and repetitive movements. However,
don't stop moving the joint completely unless your doctor
or physiotherapist tells you to. If you don't move your
joint at all, you could lose muscle and end up with scar
tissue that could cause long-term stiffness in the joint.
Use pads or cushions to protect the painful joint – for
example, use knee pads if your job involves a lot of
kneeling.
If the bursa is infected you might need antibiotics.
Your doctor may decide to drain the bursa if it is very
swollen and stops you from moving. Unfortunately, the
fluid is likely to come back, and it's not good to keep
draining the fluid, as this increases your chances of
getting an infection.
Applying ice and heat can help to reduce the swelling and
ease the pain. Ice tends to help more for hot, red, swollen
areas. Put crushed ice in a damp towel and hold it against the bursa for 20 minutes. If you have
sensitive skin, smear it with oil before applying the ice pack.
Heat can help with deeper bursitis, for example if it is in your hip. Use a hot water bottle or wheat
bag, and be careful not to burn your skin.
Your doctor or physiotherapist may suggest that you take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medication (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen for a short time, but will first check that you
can take NSAIDs. You should not take an NSAID for more than a couple of days without your
doctor’s advice, and not at all if you have heart, kidney or stomach problems.
Some types of bursitis can be treated with a steroid injection, which helps to settle down the
inflammation. However, this doesn't work for all types of bursitis. Your doctor or physiotherapist
will know if this will help you.
A physiotherapist can also give you exercises that can help to stop or prevent injuries in the
nearby tissues that might be causing the bursitis.
What happens next?
Most types of bursitis will get better and the bursa will heal when whatever is causing the
inflammation gets better.
HealthInfo reference: 256056
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Issued: 5 July 2016
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How is bursitis treated?
www.healthinfo.org.nz
However, you may be more likely to get bursitis in this area in the future. Avoid any further
irritation around this area to stop the bursitis from coming back.
Being overweight can put more strain on your joints and make bursitis more likely, so try to lose
some weight if this is the case.
If you have a long-term injury, such as a damaged rotator cuff in your shoulder that cannot be
fixed with surgery, you may develop a chronic (longer lasting) bursitis. Usually this can be helped
with steroid injections, changing the way you hold that joint, and exercises from a
physiotherapist.
Very rarely, a surgeon might remove the bursa if it is causing a lot of pain and problems.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. July 2016.
256056
HealthInfo reference: 256056

Issued: 5 July 2016

Page 2 of 2