Bursitis

Symptoms

Symptoms of bursitis can include:

• Pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, and/or swelling near the inflamed bursa. Pain may increase with activity or pressure. Symptoms of bursitis may:
  • Radiate out from the joint area, unlike arthritis pain, which tends to be confined to the joint.
  • Affect the precise area where the inflamed bursa is located.
• Pain and stiffness that may be worse during the night or when getting up in the morning.
• Stiffness in the joint near the affected area. Movement or mild exercise of the joint usually reduces the stiffness. (Too much movement may worsen existing symptoms or bring back the pain and stiffness.)

See illustrations of bursitis of the knee and bursitis of the hip.

Bursitis typically gets worse if the affected bursa is not allowed to rest and heal.

Symptoms of bursitis may be similar to those of tendon injuries. Tendon injuries are also known as tendinopathy. For more information, see the topic Tendon Injuries (Tendinopathy).

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Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated: December 19, 2006
Medical Review:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Nicola Maffulli, MD, PhD - Orthopedics
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