What Are the Treatments for Elbow Fluid Sacks?

Fluid sacs that develop in the elbow, commonly known as bursitis, develop from trauma or extended use of your elbow for a long period of time. The following are ways to treat bursitis.

Rest

• The simplest thing to say to someone suffering from bursitis is to rest. Not putting any strain on the elbow will allow it to recover, as the inflammation inside the elbow will subside. This includes no lifting, exercising or general moving of the elbow so that the body can heal on its own. People who require elbow drainage are the ones who manage the injury as if they can continue with their daily activities while the fluid simply disappears, which is incorrect.

  In some cases, using a splint or a brace over the elbow to keep it from moving can help the inflammation disappear quicker. Movement is what often causes the inflammation, so immobilizing the stressed area and allowing it time to recover is the quickest and easiest way to fix the problem.

  Because bursitis is often brought on by inflammation, anti-inflammatory pills are recommended to help speed up the recovery time. Unfortunately, there really isn't a "quick fix" for treating bursitis that you can do on your own; rest is the only option without seeing a doctor.

Going to the doctor

• Having this treated by a physician is really the final resort. When going to the doctor, he will immediately drain the pocket that is holding the fluid and have the bursa (liquid inside of the elbow) sent to the lab to make sure there is no infection. Occasionally, when the injury occurs because of trauma, the inflammation in the elbow can cause the elbow and fluids to become infected.

  After draining the area, the doctor will then either prescribe anti-inflammatory medication (your normal over-the-counter ibuprofen) or administer a cortisone shot that will keep the elbow from acting up on you until it can fully recover.