There are many common injuries that if left unchecked can become serious life-hindering ailments. Bursitis, or inflammation of a bursa, can become a severe issue if untreated. But did you know that your local chiropractor can offer a medication-free, non-surgical approach to treating bursitis? At Mauricio Chiropractic, we have nine chiropractic clinics located in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Melbourne that can offer consultations for this injury and many more. But first, let us learn more about bursitis.
What is Bursitis?
Bursitis is a common overuse injury that affects the small fluid sacs that are located between bones, muscles, and tendons near your joints. These small fluid sacs (bursae) can become irritated and inflamed which can cause the painful condition – bursitis.
What Causes Bursitis?
Bursitis is caused through repetitive motions over a prolonged period of time or by a blunt trauma injury to the affected area. The causes differ slightly with each location of the bursa injury, but a lot of the issues result through overuse and misalignment of the joint and surrounding areas.
Common Areas where Bursitis Occurs in the Body
As bursae are located around all of the joints in your body, each one has the ability for bursitis to appear. But due to normal human activity there are three common joints that are vulnerable to this painful condition and are treatable by an experienced chiropractor.
Bursitis in Shoulder (Subacromial Bursitis)
Subacromial bursitis, or bursitis that is located in the shoulder between the rotator cuff and acromion bone.
Causes of Shoulder Bursitis
Shoulder bursitis is commonly found in athletes that are heavily dependent on full range of motion of the arms, with repetitive actions like swinging a tennis racket, pitching a baseball, spiking a volleyball, and throwing a basketball common causes of bursitis. If there is an alignment issue connecting the spine and shoulder this can further put the bursae under extreme and unnatural strain.
Symptoms of Shoulder Bursitis
The symptoms of shoulder bursitis include the following:
- Build-up of pain on the outside of the shoulder that can spread down the arm
- Pain when arm is reaching above your head
- Pain when lying directly on your shoulder
- Pain when arm is reaching perpendicular to torso
Shoulder Bursitis Chiropractic Treatment
Our Doctors of Chiropractic can perform an assessment of the shoulder injury. With bursitis it is important to treat the source of the pain and not just the symptoms that are presenting themselves. Misalignment of the rotator cuff can leave a bursa exposed to irritation, so an alignment adjustment can treat the source of pain.
Bursitis in Knee (Prepatellar Bursitis)
Prepatellar bursitis, or bursitis of the knee is located in front of and around the kneecap. When this bursa swells it can put extreme pressure on other areas of the knee.
Common Causes of Knee Bursitis
Knee bursitis can be caused by a number of factors including
- Constant and prolonged kneeling (usually affects tradesmen including plumbers, carpenters, electricians and gardeners.
- Trauma to the kneecap (blunt force that causes swelling which can become more irritated with simple tasks like walking).
- Misalignment and tightness from the Iliotibial band (thick tendon that runs down from the pelvis to the bottom of the kneecap] can pull the kneecap in unnatural positions causing the bursa to be exposed to extreme irritation. Reducing the tension of the IT band through regular massage and stretching exercises is key in the recovery process.
Symptoms of Knee Bursitis
Symptoms of knee bursitis include pain while performing simple tasks like walking, bending and straightening the knee while seated, and extreme swelling in front of the kneecap. If left untreated the bursa can become septic which can cause problems in the immune system.
Knee Bursitis Chiropractic Treatment
Treating misalignment and tightness issues is a chiropractor’s specialty when it comes to helping with knee bursitis. Through soft and deep tissue massages, knee, hip, and spinal adjustments, treating the source of the inflamed bursa is key to a full long-term recovery.
Bursitis in Hip (Trochanteric & Iliopsoas Bursitis)
There are two common types of bursitis in the hip:
- Trochanteric bursitis which occurs on the lateral (outside) point of the hip
- Iliopsoas bursitis, the largest bursa found in the body that affects the quadriceps and groin area (inside) of the hip.
Common Causes of Hip Bursitis
Common causes of hip bursitis can include a serious trauma to the hip or a series of mini traumas over a short range of time. These will cause the bursa outer lined (synovial membrane) to become inflamed. There can also be issues at different sources that cause bursitis in the hip including:
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Lower back pain
- Pinched nerves in the spine
- Misalignment Issues within the spine
- Any injury that causes a limp which can irritate the bursa on opposite side
Symptoms of a Hip Bursitis
Symptoms of hip bursitis are similar to other forms of bursitis. Pain swelling when in prolonged used is a common factor. The main concern when it comes to a severe problem is if the bursa becomes infected. Septic bursae in the hip can cause sickness, fever, and extreme fatigue. Because of the location and its proximity to internal organs, this infection can spread if left untreated.
Hip Bursitis Chiropractic Treatment
An experienced chiropractor can perform a full body assessment to determine the cause of your condition. If your hip bursitis is believed to be caused by an alignment issue or a result of another injury in conjunction, a series of adjustment sessions and strength work to fix that problem would be the best route to go down. As with any bursa injury, rest and a course of inflammation treatment is also advised.
Chiropractic Care for Bursitis in Orlando, FL | Mauricio Chiropractic
The three common bursitis injuries can all be caused by misalignment issues in other parts of the body. There are some instances of bursitis that adequate rest and anti-inflammation treatment can cure the problem, but we often see that it only treats the symptoms, not the source. At Mauricio Chiropractic we will do a full assessment and make sure we get to the root of the problem. Making sure your body is correctly aligned will give it the best chance to heal itself and allow you to live your life abundantly. Contact one of our nine chiropractic clinics in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Melbourne.
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