Bursitis

Bursas are fluid filled sacs that can be found throughout the body. There are around 140 bursas throughout the body and they are designed to reduce friction between bones and soft tissues. They are very thin, only a couple of millimetres thick, but are extremely effective diffusers. Although they are designed to absorb force and load, they can become overloaded and irritated. An inflamed bursa through excessive irritation through friction, a traumatic injury is called bursitis. They can also be caused if there is an existing condition like rheumatoid arthritis that causes inflammation to joints.

On the surface, bursitis and the injury cycle can seem like a difficult to break. An irritated bursa will get inflamed and cause more irritation because it is inflamed. Confusing? It doesn’t have to be this way!

To be able to reduce the level of friction on a bursa, we need to be able to offload the irritated structure. When we do a particular activity, our muscle strength, conditioning and motor control dictate the lines and patterns of our movement. If we lack strength, conditioning and/or motor control of our muscles, this can lead to excessive irritation of other tissues, including bursas.

At Target Physio, our treatment of bursitis includes:
Tailored assessment of movement patterns, muscle strength and conditioning.
Motor control training and optimise the lines and patterning of movement to help reduce friction on bursa.
Graded muscle strength and conditioning training program to reduce loading through bursa.
Soft and deep tissue massage and joint mobilisation to reduce tightness around the bursa.