Elbow Bursitis is the swelling or irritation of the bursa in the elbow. Here, a bursa is a liquid filled sac located between tissues like muscles, bones, tendons and skin to reduce the rubbing, roughness and irritation. It acts as a cushion between a tendon and a bone and positioned right under the point of the elbow. A tendon is a cord of a strong tissue which connects the muscles to bones.
What are the causes of Elbow Bursitis?
Elbow bursitis is caused by:
- An injury that happens due to fall.
- Excess use of elbow while playing tennis, swinging a hammer, scrubbing, golf, or using a vacuum.
- Due to excess pressure on the elbows when you lean on them.
- Due to bacterial infection and
- Other medical conditions like gout or rheumatoid arthritis.
Signs and symptoms
The most common symptom is pain which builds up gradually and may be sudden or severe when there are a lot of calcium deposits in the region. In general, the patient experiences:
- Pain or gentleness when you move your elbow
- Swelling or redness around or on the tip of the elbow
- Reduction in the elbow movements
- Feeling of warmness over the skin of the elbow
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Your physician will diagnose the condition of the elbow when you express the signs and symptoms. It is started with:
- Blood test to find the signs of infections and check the cause of the disease.
- X-ray tests to know the position of the arthritis.
- MRI test which is a type of scan to perform with the use of powerful magnets and a system to take the pictures of the position of the elbow and the damage of tissues.
- Fluid culture, with the help of a needle to drain the fluid from the sac and sent to the lab to test. Sometimes, the removal of the lubricating fluid from sac helps relief from symptoms to certain extends.
Proper treatment is advised to complete the rest of the injured part and avoiding of any activities as it may severe the problem.
