What Are the Treatments for Bursitis of the Elbow?

Elbow bursitis is a condition in which the bursa, a sac that is filled with fluid, becomes irritated or inflamed and retains more water than it should. The main symptoms of elbow bursitis are pain in the elbow region, a bump and redness or swelling of the area. The area may also feel warm to the touch.

Causes

• The main cause of elbow bursitis is any sort of trauma to the elbow. This could be the result of a fall or a sports injury. Other causes of elbow bursitis include arthritis, positions that cause you to lean on your elbows frequently, an infection or overexertion of your elbows, such as lifting weights. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is best to seek the advice of a health care provider to figure out a treatment plan.

R.I.C.E

• The first treatment option that may be explored by your health care provider is the R.I.C.E method. This treatment involves resting the elbow, icing the area, compressing the elbow and elevating the elbow. The purpose of this is to essentially reduce the inflammation of the area, thus reducing the swelling and pain caused by the bursa.

Medication

• Depending on the cause of the elbow bursitis, your health care provider may prescribe a variety of medications to help ease the pain and swelling. If the bursitis was caused by an infection, an antibiotic may be prescribed to help cure the infection. Additionally, you may also receive an anti-inflammatory medication. The purpose of these medications is to soothe the pain while working to reduce the inflammation of the targeted area.

Removal of Fluid

• If the bursa is causing an increased amount of pain or abnormal swelling, your health care provider may want to drain the bursa. This will involve sticking a needle into the inflamed bursa and draining the fluid this way. It can help in healing the elbow bursitis quicker.

Physical Therapy

• Physical therapy may be required if you have experienced moderate to severe elbow bursitis. In this case, the targeted movement helps to heal the area quicker by using specific exercises to increase the blood flow to the area. The increased blood flow helps heal the bursa and makes the elbow usable again.

Surgery

• In very rare instances, elbow bursitis may be so severe that it requires surgery. This may mean removing the bursa entirely or removing part of the elbow. The bursa would have to be quite severe in order for any surgical intervention to be performed.