Bursitis Symptoms

        Bursitis symptoms include pain, pressure sensation, warmth or increase in volume of the area near the affected bursa. Pain can be increased by activity or pressure. During the night, pain is more acute and this can happen in the morning too. Stiffness can be reduced with exercises. Your condition will not improve if you make abuse of exercises. Bursitis symptoms range from joint pain in the immediate vicinity of bursa to a burning sensation that encompasses the whole joint around the inflamed bursa.

       There are bursitis symptoms that are very similar to the symptoms of arthritis, but some subtle differences help distinguish between these two diseases. Bursitis causes inflammation and redness of the affected area, accompanied by a dull pain symptoms. Joint becomes stiff and painful and can be moved very little or not at all. Pain is more intense at night and when you try moving that joint.

There are two types of bursitis:

• Acute disease is detected when the affected joint takes on a reddish color when the touch has a temperature above the rest of the body. It is painful and is usually caused by infection.
• Chronic: it may be the result of having suffered an acute bursitis in advance. Another cause is that the patient has had joints injuries on several occasions.

       The most characteristic clinical sign is the presence of a spherical swelling. The intensity in the pain is variable and largely dependent on the etiology. The inflammation of a bursa may be due to different causes such as trauma, chronic friction (overuse), crystal deposits (gout and pseudogout), infection, and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma, lupus erythematosus, pancreatitis, Whipple disease, oxalosis.

       One of the most common bursitis symptoms is the pain localized around the affected joint. This pain is usually aggravated by unusual movements. It is important to consult a health professional in order obtain a correct diagnose. The bursae that are near the surface of the skin, such as knee and elbow, can cause reddening and visible swelling when they are inflamed. The presence of crystals or a bacterial infection can cause extreme pain and make the skin very red.

       A very serious or lasting bursitis of the shoulder, may cause limited use of the joint that will result in muscle atrophy (muscle wasting). Permanent changes in the appearance of the bursa, such as thickening or enlarging can occur and the surrounding tissues can become chronically inflamed.

Diagnosis

       Before a bursitis diagnosis, it is important to eliminate a number of possibilities. A muscle or joint injury, internal bleeding local, synovitis, and cellulite can cause symptoms similar to those of bursitis. Your doctor may ask you to perform tests that will reveal the presence of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

       If the joint is hot, red and swollen, your doctor will want to detect the presence of bacteria. It's vital if the bursa is infected, because the standard treatment against non-infectious bursitis does not cure the infection and can cause in some cases the suppression of the immune system. If you feel a sudden intense pain in the hip while you walk or run, you should know that it is a first sign of trochanteric bursitis appearance. Pain may remain concentrated in the hip or can spread throughout the foot. If the situation worsens, it will be difficult even to stay sitting or lying. A local anesthetic injection, will make the pain go away, if you have trochanteric bursitis.