Bursitis & Tendinitis

Bursitis and tendinitis are common inflammatory conditions that affect non-athletes and athletes alike.

What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is the painful inflammation of small fluid-filled sacs in the joints called bursae. If you are suffering from bursitis, you may notice swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness or pain in the affected joint — most often in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle.

This painful condition can be caused by a traumatic injury, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, a bacterial infection or by repetitive motion or pressure on a joint over time.

What is Tendinitis?

Tendinitis is the painful inflammation of the tendon, a fibrous structure that connects muscle to bone. With tendinitis, you may experience pain along the tendon and around the affected joint. It can occur in any tendon, but it is most common in the elbow, wrist, shoulder, and heel.

Tendinitis can be caused by a traumatic injury, overuse, aging, or a pre-existing condition. If you are overweight or suffer from an auto-immune disorder, your risk for developing tendinitis increases.

Treating Tendinitis or Bursitis

The treatment of bursitis and tendinitis will vary depending on the root of the problem, so it is critical to receive a complete and accurate diagnosis. To resolve bursitis and tendinitis and prevent future attacks, it is also necessary to identify and treat any underlying or co-existing conditions that may be exacerbating your condition.

The pain caused by tendinitis can be similar to gout, arthritis, or bursitis, so it is critical to receive an accurate diagnosis to ensure proper treatment. At your first visit, your Kaplan physician will take time to explore the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your pain, and the overall status of your health. You’ll also be asked about the medications and therapies you’ve tried in the past, and what hasn’t worked for you.  To gather additional information about your condition, specialized diagnostic laboratory testing may be necessary.

After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your physician will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis and working with you to create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan. It will address not only your immediate pain but also any possible underlying or co-existing conditions that may be causing or aggravating your symptoms.

There are a number of integrative therapies that we have found to be effective for treating bursitis and tendinitis, including:

• Acupuncture
• Cold Laser Therapy
• Frequency Specific Microcurrent
• Herbal Remedies & Nutritional Supplements
• Nutritional Counseling to Reduce Inflammation
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Perineural Injection Therapy (PIT)
• Physical Therapy
• Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)
• Prolotherapy
• Prescription Medications