84 Burnett St Bundaberg
Has your GP diagnosed you with bursitis, or perhaps you suspect it based on your symptoms? Bursitis can range from uncomfortable to severely painful. But like any type of pain, you don’t have to grit your teeth and bear it! Here's how to manage your bursitis, naturally.
Bursitis is when a fluid-filled sac known as a bursa becomes irritated or inflamed. These bursas are located throughout the body in joints that would otherwise be prone to friction between the bones, muscles and tendons in the area.
The most common location for bursitis included the hip, elbow and shoulders. You’ll often experience pain, swelling and stiffness in the joint. The pain is usually worse at night, and be exacerbated when you move or use that particular joint.
There is no one cause of bursitis – but there are many factors that can increase your risk of bursitis occurring. Common factors in bursitis can include:
Bursitis can be diagnosed by imaging such as ultrasound or MRI, or it may be diagnosed by case history and physical examination. Your doctor may also order an aspiration to check whether there is infection present in the bursa.
The treatment of bursitis depends on the cause and factors involved. For example, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if there is infection present in the bursa or suggest taking anti-inflammatory medications. But in most cases you will be referred to a manual therapist to help alleviate pain and reduce the pressure on the bursa.
In a small percentage of people with bursitis, surgery may be recommended if they are not responding to standard treatments.
Looking for ways to manage your bursitis without medical intervention? Or perhaps you’re looking for steps that can complement your current treatment plan? There are a few options to consider when it comes to natural management of bursitis pain.
Reduce your overall inflammation
Inflammation is a huge factor in bursitis – in fact, the ‘itis’ in the name means inflammation. While inflammation can be useful in the healing process in the short-term, it can cause more issues if it continues for too long.
The good news is that there are ways you can reduce your overall inflammation levels. Many of these could help with the local inflammation in the joint as well!
To get started on reducing your inflammation naturally, give these tips a try.
Consider hydrotherapy
Movement is important for your musculoskeletal system, but bursitis can make it uncomfortable or even impossible! That’s where hydrotherapy may be a useful part of your plan.
Performing your rehab exercises in warm water can help to reduce pressure on the sore joint. This makes it easier and less painful to stick to.
Avoid activities that aggravate your symptoms
There’s a good chance you already know what types of movement and activity make your pain worse! While working on the underlying causes, it’s best to avoid these whenever possible. Otherwise, you’ll continue to irritate and inflame the joint, making your pain worse.
Once you’ve made progress with your management plan and your pain has reduced or even stopped, you may be advised to slowly reintroduce these types of movements.
Work with a health professional
While there are ways you can reduce your bursitis symptoms at home, the best results always come from working with your health team. Remedial massage and acupuncture are some of the modalities that could help to manage your condition.
Our acupuncturist Jamie regularly works with clients who have bursitis or symptoms that suggest bursitis. Jamie will assess the painful joint for any pain, inflammation, swelling and reduction of movement. From there, he will tailor a treatment plan based on these findings. This can include:
To book an appointment with Jamie at our Bundaberg clinic, book an appointment online here or call us on (07) 41522372
