Causes

Elbow Bursitis occur for several reasons:

Trauma: A hard hit on the top of your elbow can result in the bursa producing excess fluid and swell.

Prolonged Pressure: Leaning on the elbow over a long period of time on a hard surface may cause the bursa to swell. This type of bursa will develop over several months. Hard surfaces like table tops or hard floors make certain professions more vulnerable to these types of bursas

Infections: An injury on the elbow that breaks the skin can get in and infect the bursa. An infected bursa can produce fluid, redness, swelling, and pain.

Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout have been associated with elbow bursitis

Symptoms

Swelling: The first sign of this condition is swelling. This can be difficult to notice as the tip of the elbow has loose skin.

Pain: As the swelling increases the bursa will stretch resulting in pain. Pain is often worse with direct pressure and may increase to the point that it restricts elbow movement.

Treatments

If it is suspected that bursitis is infected your doctor many aspirating the bursa with a needle. This involves removing the fluid which will reduce symptoms and give the doctor a sample of the fluid to be sent and check for bacteria to see if it is or is not infected. Doctors may also prescribe antibiotics while they test the sample to ensure the symptoms do not get worse.

Non-Surgical:

If the bursitis is NOT infected, other non-surgical treatment options include:

Elbow Pads: Cushion the elbow
Activity Change: Avoid activities that put pressure on or arrigivate the elbow bursitis
Medications: ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce swelling relieve symptoms.

Surgical:

Infected Bursa: If the case of an infected Bursa that does not improve with antibiotics or fluid removal, surgery to remove the entire bursa may be necessary. Once removed the bursa usually grows back over several months fully functional.

Non-Infected-Bursa: If the Bursa is not infected surgery may still be required if other non-surgical treatments did not improve the symptoms. The Bursa is removed while not disturbing other muscles.

What Is Olecranon Bursitis?

More Information About Olecranon Bursitis

Causes

Symptoms

Treatments

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