Bursitis is a pathological condition in which inflammation of the periarticular synovial bursa occurs. Common sites of injury are the hip, knee and shoulder joints. You should know for sure which doctor treats bursitis in order to diagnose the pathology in the shortest possible time and prescribe appropriate therapy.
At the initial stage of development of the disease, at the site of damage, there is an accumulation of synovial fluid in the bursa, which begins to rapidly increase in size. When the bursa is located closer to the tissues of the body, the resulting sac often bulges outward and swelling and swelling forms around the joint. With inflammation of the deep-lying synovial bursa, there is no severe swelling, but moderate pain is present.
Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms that indicate the appearance of inflammation in the shoulder area. They include:
Severe pain syndrome;
Redness of the skin in the area of inflammation;
A sharp increase in body temperature;
General malaise;
Intoxication in the form of vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.
Such symptoms indicate the appearance of an acute form of the disease with the formation of a large number of salt compounds. In the presence of a chronic form of the pathology, frequent manifestations of pain are noted, which appear in the morning hours.
If a patient is diagnosed with tendobursitis, then he experiences a dull pain that forms in the forearm area. During the diagnostic process, the patient can accurately indicate the location of the combat area. Upon external examination, no characteristic changes are observed. This form of bursitis can only be detected using radiography.
Subacromial bursitis has pronounced symptoms:
Acute pain that occurs not only during physical activity, but also in a state of complete rest;
Weakness when moving the arm;
Touching the affected area causes discomfort to the patient;
The liquid contains impurities from blood and pus.
Which doctor should I contact?
With a pathology such as inflammation of the ulnar bursa, it is extremely important to begin treatment in a timely manner. Even if pain in the elbow area appears periodically and goes away without special treatment, it is necessary to be examined and determine the cause of the pain syndrome.
A therapist can also conduct an initial examination and prescribe a set of mandatory diagnostic procedures, which will allow you not to waste time waiting for an appointment with a specialized specialist. Depending on the severity of the condition and the reasons that caused the inflammatory process, you will be referred to doctors such as:
- A rheumatologist is a specialist in the field of joint pathologies caused by rheumatic and autoimmune diseases.
- Orthopedist - deals with the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Surgeon - consultation and direct assistance from a surgeon is required in those rare cases when conservative methods do not produce results and, despite well-chosen therapy, the disease returns, significantly reducing a person’s quality of life.
- Physiotherapist - helps restore the functionality of the limb during the rehabilitation phase.
Diagnosis of pathology
An experienced doctor is able to quickly diagnose this pathology. Diagnostics includes the following steps:
Inspect the affected area for redness and swelling;
Questioning the patient. This manipulation allows you to accurately determine the cause of the disease and the duration of its course;
Radiography. This will allow us to identify the location of the inflamed lesion and its size;
Puncture of fluid from the joint capsule. Such a study makes it possible to study its composition and the presence of purulent contents;
Ultrasound diagnostics. It is carried out to determine the exact location of the inflamed area;
Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder.
Interpretation of an MRI image for bursitis of the knee joint
In difficult cases, you can use the “Second Opinion” service.
The interpretation of the results obtained is carried out by a radiologist (radiology specialist). After completing the procedure, the patient receives a report detailing the identified changes. Normally, there should be no bone-traumatic injuries, the capsule is thin, and a minimal amount of effusion is found in the articular cavity. The joint space is uniform, the congruence of the surfaces is preserved. Menisci, ligaments, bone structures, brain, popliteal fossa, Hoffa tissue without features. The signal of the cartilaginous component is preserved, there are no signs of deformation. The articular surfaces are smooth, there are no marginal osteophytes.
With bursitis, a focus of fluid accumulation is found in the bursa, surrounded by a rim of inflamed tissue. Uneven contours with a thickened wall indicate a complicated form due to infection or injury. MRI of the knee joint with bursitis allows you to evaluate intrasynovial exudate: with bleeding, accumulation of pus, crystalline arthropathy, the signal does not correspond to the characteristics of “simple” fluid. In uncomplicated cases, after administration of gadolinium, there is no contrast in the contents of the bursa.
At the Magnit diagnostic center in St. Petersburg, you can undergo an MRI of the knee joint at any convenient time by appointment. Discounts apply at night. The power of the Siemens scanner (Germany) is 1.5 Tesla, which allows you to obtain diagnostically valuable images. Do not delay the examination, swelling around the joint and pain accompany a number of pathologies, the progression of which can lead to irreversible dysfunction, loss of limb and disability.
Treatment of the disease
The treatment process for shoulder bursitis involves the use of several techniques. These include:
Drug therapy;
Ethnoscience;
Physiotherapy;
Surgical intervention.
Surgeries are used for the following forms of shoulder bursitis:
Stone. In this case, drug therapy does not have the desired effect. You can get rid of limescale deposits through surgery;
Calculous. In the presence of this form of the disease, salt deposits are located very deep. Their untimely removal provokes disruption of the functionality of the joint. In simple terms, the shoulder girdle is not capable of bending and straightening the limbs;
Tendobursitis. It can be cured with medication and surgery. The rehabilitation process after such treatment ranges from 1 to 5 months. At a late stage of the disease, surgical intervention is used, which allows to normalize the patient’s general well-being and restore the functionality of the shoulder region;
Purulent bursitis. Surgery allows you to get rid of purulent contents in the synovial bursa of the joint. In some cases, a blood transfusion may be needed. This manipulation is used in the later stages of the disease, when the patient begins to develop blood sepsis.
Traditional medicine offers several options for treating the disease. These include the use of the following components:
Cabbage leaf. It helps relieve inflammation and prevent the recurrence of pain;
Kalanchoe. It is used to treat purulent processes;
Salt. Dissolve it in warm water. Next, the cotton fabric is placed in the resulting solution. After this, it is applied to the affected area.
However, experts do not recommend self-medication. Incorrectly selected therapy can aggravate the situation.
Physiotherapy is carried out to normalize blood circulation in the affected area. The electrodes are applied slightly higher than the location of the inflamed area. The course of treatment is 5-10 days from the moment of diagnosis.
Drug therapy includes the use of anti-inflammatory compounds that block the proliferation of pathogenic microflora inside the synovial bursa. If the patient has purulent fluid, he is prescribed antibacterial therapy. It allows you to destroy the main pathogen and make the patient feel better.
To restore the functionality of the shoulder region, therapeutic massage and physical exercise are used. For the entire duration of treatment, the patient must wear a special bandage or bandage that will prevent movement of the arm.
To alleviate the condition, ointments are used. They quickly penetrate the bloodstream and provide temporary relief. However, it should be borne in mind that such therapy does not always have the desired effect. It slightly reduces the unpleasant sensation during the movement of the shoulder girdle.
Complications
Failure to contact a medical facility in a timely manner and ignoring the problem is subsequently fraught with complications and the disease becomes chronic. As a rule, the patient begins to experience dull pain during movement and even with minor physical exertion. Over time, adhesions form on the bursa, causing partial or complete immobility of the limb.
The chronic course of the pathology regularly responds with painful relapses, and if infectious bursitis occurs, the problem becomes threatening.
The infection easily spreads to nearby tissues, promoting suppuration and subsequent destruction of the joint. As a consequence, purulent arthritis, abscess and osteomyelitis are inevitable, which pose a danger to the health and life of the patient.
How to prevent bursitis?
In order to prevent the occurrence of bursitis, it is recommended to follow the advice of experienced specialists:
Reducing physical activity, which is aimed at the area of the shoulder girdle and collarbone;
Rejection of bad habits. In this case, you need to stop drinking alcoholic beverages and stop smoking tobacco products. They contain carcinogenic substances that quickly penetrate the bloodstream and contribute to abnormal changes in the body;
Proper nutrition. The diet should contain natural products, animal and plant proteins, as well as a high level of fiber. These components help normalize metabolic reactions and promote the elimination of toxic substances;
Timely diagnosis and properly selected treatment make it possible to prevent serious pathologies in the body in time;
Active lifestyle. Regular movement helps prevent salt deposits in the joints and bone mass. It has been scientifically proven that professional athletes are less likely to suffer from this pathology.
Symptoms
The main symptom of the disease is the active growth of local swelling, which causes severe pain during movement and palpation. The temperature at the site of inflammation is always elevated and is easily determined by touch.
Typically, the severity of bursitis depends on the cause that caused the inflammatory process, as well as the specifics of the patient’s work. In any case, the first thing you need to pay attention to is severe or minor swelling of the joint. And for bursitis that arose as a result of infectious lesions it is typical:
- High temperature rise;
- Joint swelling;
- Joint contracture (decreased mobility);
- Hyperemia;
- Weakness;
- Malaise and nausea;
- Increase in tumor size.
Chronic bursitis is characterized by a soft, round swelling. In this case, there is no redness of the skin above the swelling and the functions of the limb remain unimpaired. The danger of chronic bursitis is its mild course.
Joint mobility and tolerable pain enable the patient to avoid seeking medical help for a long time. However, if the problem is not resolved in a timely manner, bursitis can develop into hygroma. The reason for this is the accumulation of a critical amount of fluid in the edematous cavity.