Could Bursitis Be Causing Your Joint Pain?

Joints help the body to perform complex movements each day. And a lot of wear and tear can happen in a joint. The bursa helps cushion the joint and limit the wear and tear. 

But sometimes the bursa can become irritated and painful — a condition known as bursitis. Let’s take a closer look at what happens when bursitis causes joint pain and what you can do about it.

What is bursitis?

Bursitis is a common condition when a bursa becomes inflamed, irritated, or painful. A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac near a joint. Its job is to reduce friction as the parts of the joint move across each other. Most joints have several bursae. 

Where can bursitis occur on the body?

Elbows and knees are most often affected, but almost any joint can develop bursitis. Some of the other frequent sites for bursitis include:

• Shoulders

• Feet

• Hips

• Ankles

• Buttocks (called ischial bursitis)

What causes bursitis?

The underlying cause of bursitis is inflammation of the bursa sac. And the older you get, the more likely it is to happen. You can develop bursitis many ways, including:

• Overuse of a joint

• Injury or trauma

• Repeated movement

• Injury to another part of the body that causes you to use a joint differently

• Pressure on a joint for an extended time (kneeling, leaning on elbows)

• Infection

• Having another medical condition (like arthritis, diabetes, thyroid conditions)

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These risk factors may make it more likely to get bursitis, but sometimes there’s no clear cause.  

What are the symptoms of bursitis?

The symptoms of bursitis depend on which joint is affected. Common symptoms of bursitis include:

• Joint pain

• Swelling

• Sensitivity to pressure

• Mild redness of the skin over a joint

• Limited range of motion

• Joint stiffness

• Fever, chills (if due to an infection)

Symptoms can range in severity. At times, they may be mild or irritating. But sometimes, the symptoms of bursitis are debilitating.

How do you diagnose bursitis?

Bursitis is often diagnosed by your healthcare provider with a detailed history of how the pain started. They’ll also do a physical exam focused on your painful joint. They may want to do an ultrasound or an X-ray if they think another type of injury could be causing the pain. 

If your provider is concerned about an infection, they may suggest aspiration of the joint. This process consists of removing fluid from the joint with a needle to look for bacteria. They may also get blood tests to check for signs of infection or inflammation.

How do you treat bursitis?

There are many treatment options if you receive a diagnosis of bursitis. They range from at-home treatments in mild cases to medical interventions by your provider for severe cases. 

Common at-home treatments for bursitis can include:

• Rest and elevation of the joint

• Ice

• Elastic compression bandage

• Protection using padding or splints 

• Topical pain relievers applied to the joint

• Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) 

• Antibiotics (if there’s an infection)

Medical interventions for bursitis can include:

• Draining the bursa sac with a needle

• Steroid injections

• Massage, physical therapy and occupational therapy

• Surgery to remove the bursa sac

Is it OK to rub or massage bursitis?

Yes. It’s actually a good idea to massage joints that have bursitis. Physical, occupational, and massage therapies may help relieve the pain from bursitis and other forms of joint pain. 

Massaging the muscles surrounding the joint also improves circulation to the area. It’s most effective when used along with other treatments like cold compresses and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 

Can you prevent bursitis?

The good news is, there are some simple things you can do to help avoid getting bursitis. To reduce your risk, you should: 

• Use protective pads when you’re doing activities that cause pressure on your knees or elbows for long periods of time.

• Take breaks if you’re doing the same motion repeatedly.

• Start new exercise routines slowly and exercise regularly.

• Use exercise to strengthen the muscles that support your joints.

• If an activity is painful for your joints, stop right away.

• Make sure you’re wearing the right shoes at all times.

• Use good posture and positioning whenever you’re performing work tasks.

Do I need to see a healthcare provider for bursitis?

You don’t usually need to see a provider for bursitis. Most cases will get better in a couple of weeks on their own. But, there are a few times when you need medical attention for your joint pain. Signs you need to see your healthcare provider about any type of joint pain include:

• Redness, discoloration, or warmth of the skin over the joint

• Fever

• Swelling of the joint and the surrounding tissue

• Pain that doesn’t go away in a couple of weeks

• Pain that keeps you from doing regular activities

• Severe pain

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Frank Schwalbe, MD

Frank Schwalbe, MD, is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He has practiced anesthesiology for 30 years.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

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