Healthy bursae create the perfect surface for these muscles/tendons to slide over. However, in providing this function, they are often put under severe pressure from tight muscles/tendons and they become swollen and painful. Naturally this perpetuates the problem.

Bursitis is often caused by repetitive motion and excessive pressure or traumatic injury but may also be caused by conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, gout or even infection. Bursitis from infection needs further investigation and most probably antibiotics. This article, however, deals with mechanically inflamed bursae. The shoulders, elbows, knees and hips are common sites for bursitis.

The symptoms may vary from local joint pain and stiffness to a sharp, stabbing pain surrounding the joint. The pain peaks during and after activity while joint stiffness is a common symptom in the mornings.

As with most forms of inflammation, bursitis responds well to rest, ice, elevation,Physiotherapy and medication but compression is contraindicated in this instance as the extra pressure simply adds to the problem. The goal with treatment is to ease the inflammation that has developed and  to correct the bio-mechanical imbalances that caused the initial irritation.