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By William R. Beach, MD Limb and joint pain can occur at almost any age for a number of reasons. Bursitis and Tendonitis: What They Have in Common Two types of inflammation of soft tissue are bursitis and tendonitis. Tendonitis: How They Differ Bursitis In areas of your body where structures come into contact — bone, muscle and tendon — fluid-filled sacs known as bursae are present to allow those parts to glide smoothly over one another.
Tendonitis Your body has many cord-like structures called tendons, which connect muscles to bones to create motion. Bursitis or Tendonitis: Diagnosing the Cause of Your Pain As with any injury, your doctor will begin with a medical history and physical exam. Learn more about your own bursitis or tendonitis symptoms by scheduling an appointment with an orthopedist at Tuckahoe Orthopaedics today. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Our practice is committed to the health and safety of our patients and staff and therefore, have taken the following steps and precautions: We are asking that patients and visitors wear a mask inside our offices.
We are sanitizing between patients and all surfaces throughout the entire office. Loading Comments However, not every tendon has a bursa as bursa are located only around bony prominences, like in the kneecap or in the shoulder.
Bursas are tiny sacs filled with fluid, which create a layer of cushioning between bones and certain moving components, including tendons and muscles. When the bursa is injured or irritated, the sacs can fill with more fluid causing pain and sensitivity in the joint. Bursitis is usually caused by direct joint trauma or overuse, but can also be the result of an underlying condition such as arthritis, gout, a thyroid condition or a reaction to certain medications.
Tendons are the flexible fibrous tissue strips whose job is to ensure a continuous connection between bones and muscles. Tendinitis is a condition caused by the inflammation of tendons due to injury or an arthritic condition. Tendonitis may be the end result of repetitive awkward motions or injuries impacting the functionality of a specific joint. For instance, athletes who use overhand throwing motions baseball, football, etc. Also, the elderly are more likely to suffer from tendinitis, given that tendons become more rigid as we age.
Although both conditions may cause pain in and around the bones and joints, they are not exactly the same. Tendinitis often results from repetitive use overuse. Though the problem can recur or be chronic long term in some people, it is most often short term, mainly if treated early.
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. This small sac acts as a cushion between moving structures bones, muscles, tendons or skin. If a muscle or tendon is pulling around a corner of a bone, or over a bone, a healthy bursa protects it from fraying and stress.
When a bursa is inflamed, it becomes very painful, even during rest. Tendinitis can occur from a sudden intense injury. Most often, though, it results from a repeated, minor injury of that tendon.
Doctors call this repetitive stress or overuse. For example:. Persons with gout , pseudogout, or blood or kidney diseases often develop bursitis as part of that disease. Older persons are more prone to get tendinitis and bursitis.
Rarely, some drugs can cause tendinitis and tendon rupture spontaneous tear. These include fluoroquinolone antibiotics and statins drugs that lower cholesterol. To determine the cause of these problems, a health care provider asks about your medical history and does a careful physical exam. Tenderness along the tendon or its sheath outer covering , or at one specific point in the tendon, suggests tendinitis.
Pain occurs when the muscle to which the tendon is attached is worked against resistance as part of the exam. Most patients at first do not need imaging tests like X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging often referred to as MRI or ultrasound scans. Imaging and blood tests are done only if the problem recurs or does not go away.
A blood test also can help detect an infection. Signs of an infection include redness, warmth and swelling. If bursitis is the result of infection, fluid must be drained from the bursa at once and promptly studied.
Treatment depends on the cause. In overuse or injury, you must reduce the causing force or stress. If tendinitis is job related, the doctor or physical therapist should review proper ergonomics, so you can work safely.
Some patients may need joint protection advice and support of the involved region. There is little proof that therapeutic ultrasound helps these problems, and most doctors do not recommend it. Treatment can consist of any of the following:. Corticosteroid injections may provide short-term benefit in certain forms of tendinitis, and may be considered if you are unable to take NSAIDs. If an infection is present, you most often will need a proper antibiotic.
Daily drainage of fluid with a needle also may be needed. If crystals of gout are found in joint fluid, there is medicine that controls the disease. For ankle tendinitis, you may need orthotics to reduce the stress at the ankle or in the foot.
An orthotic is a device that goes inside the shoe, which changes the support and the angle of the foot. This improves foot mechanics and relieves pain or pressure. They can be custom made or off the shelf.
A possibly serious complication of tendinitis is rupture of a tendon. The most common rupture is a tear of the Achilles tendon in the lower calf. It most often needs surgery. Tendinitis or bursitis in the shoulder can become a greater problem if the shoulder becomes stiff.
It is important to do range of motion exercises, such as stretching, each day.
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