Everyday movements like reaching overhead, kneeling, or lifting a
bag should feel simple. When bursitis irritates the small cushions
around your joints, those motions can turn stiff, sore, and frustrating.
Learn what causes bursitis, its symptoms, and how to find relief.
Bursitis is a condition where a bursa becomes irritated or inflamed. A bursa is a tiny, fluid-filled sac that sits between structures like bones, muscles, and tendons. Its job is to act like a small cushion or water balloon, so those tissues can glide smoothly over one another instead of rubbing and scraping. When a bursa gets irritated from pressure, overuse, or injury, it can fill with extra fluid and swell. That swelling is what people refer to as bursitis.
Bursitis can happen anywhere your body has bursae, but it most often affects the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. You might notice a deep, aching pain around the joint, stiffness that makes it harder to move, or a small area that looks puffy and feels warm or tender to the touch. Everyday activities like reaching into a cabinet, tossing a ball for your dog, climbing stairs, or kneeling to work on a project can start to feel uncomfortable or sharply painful.
Chiropractic care does not cure bursitis, but it may help you manage how it feels. By improving joint motion and easing tension in the muscles that support the joint, a chiropractor may help reduce some of the mechanical stress around the irritated bursa. For many people, that kind of support is one part of a broader care plan that can make it easier to move, keep up with daily tasks, and stay as active as their condition allows.
The bursa near the top of your shoulder joint may get irritated by activities that involve repetitive overhead motion, like throwing a baseball or reaching up to paint a ceiling.
This bursa, sometimes nicknamed “student’s elbow” or “miner’s elbow,” is at the tip of your elbow and may become inflamed from constant pressure. It happens when you repeatedly lean on your elbows while working at a desk or table.
This type of bursitis occurs on the outside of your hip where the top of your thigh bone (femur) meets the soft tissues. It tends to flare up in people who spend a lot of time sitting or have tight muscles from running or hiking.
Located right in front of your kneecap, this bursa may swell up dramatically. It’s particularly common in people whose jobs or hobbies require extensive kneeling, like carpet installers, plumbers, or even avid gardeners.
This form of bursitis is located near your Achilles tendon, which is the strong, thick cord connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. It may be aggravated by high-impact activities like running, or simply by wearing shoes with stiff backs that rub against your heel area.
Repeating the same movement repeatedly creates friction between bones, tendons and muscles and may lead to a variety of repetitive stress disorders, including bursitis. While your bursae work to reduce this, irritation and swelling may develop.
Whether it’s sports, raking leaves, lifting heavy things repeatedly, or even playing a musical instrument frequently, when the joints are overused, bursitis may develop.
Staying in one position for too long, like kneeling or leaning on your elbows, places direct pressure on a bursa and may cause inflammation.
A sudden blow or injury directly to a joint, like falling and landing on your elbow or hip, may cause bursitis.
Bursitis isn’t always caused by physical activity. Sometimes another issue in your body may increase inflammation or even cause crystals to form and irritate a bursa. Common ailments that may increase bursitis include arthritis, gout, diabetes and thyroid disease. Age and being overweight also can be factors.
150+ Your body has more than 150 bursae, tiny fluid-filled sacs that become irritated or inflamed with bursitis1
70% of people with osteoarthritis who report shoulder pain have shoulder bursitis2
8X as many blue collar workers get knee bursitis each year compared to other kinds of workers3
1.4X Men are 1.4 times as likely as women to be diagnosed with elbow bursitis4
The overhead motion that comes with actions like throwing a baseball or football repeatedly, or serving a tennis ball, may lead to shoulder bursitis. High-impact athletes, especially runners, are at risk for heel and hip bursitis (which also occurs with avid hikers). Strangely, even those who don’t run but wear uncomfortable shoes with stiff backings may develop heel bursitis.
If you’re at a desk, chances are your elbows are spending time on it as well. Over time, the pressure may take a toll and cause elbow bursitis.
If you’re a carpenter, plumber, dock worker or any number of other jobs requiring a high volume of manual labor, knee bursitis is fairly common.
When you work on vehicles or machines, you’re working in a variety of positions and using many parts of your body to do it. Over time you may develop knee bursitis as well as elbow bursitis.
Like a baseball pitcher or tennis player, painters may develop shoulder bursitis from reaching up high to paint above their heads repeatedly for long periods of time.
Bursitis can make simple movements feel stiff or sore, especially when you rely on that joint at work, at home, or during activities you enjoy. Understanding what is happening in your body is an important first step in finding relief.
Bursitis is often manageable with the right blend of care, movement, and lifestyle changes. Chiropractic care may be one part of that plan. Licensed chiropractors use gentle, targeted adjustments to help improve joint motion and reduce tension in nearby muscles, which may help you stay more comfortable and move with greater ease. Over time, a consistent care routine could support you as you return to the activities that matter most to you.
Chiropractic care may be one way to help manage bursitis, but it is usually part of a broader plan. At home, treatment often starts with simple steps like resting the irritated joint, avoiding or modifying the movements that triggered your symptoms, and using ice packs for short periods to help ease pain and swelling. Many people also find relief by using cushions or knee pads, choosing supportive footwear, or doing gentle stretches and strengthening exercises recommended by a healthcare provider.
Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may also suggest other treatments. These can include over the counter or prescription anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy to improve strength and flexibility around the joint, or in some cases, injections to calm significant inflammation. If a bursa becomes infected, antibiotics or other medical treatments may be needed, and in rare cases surgery is considered.
Chiropractic care can fit into this overall plan by focusing on how your joints and muscles move together. Licensed chiropractors use gentle, targeted adjustments to help improve joint motion and reduce excess tension in nearby muscles. For some people, that kind of support, combined with guidance from their medical providers, can help them rely less on frequent doses of pain medication and, in some cases, delay or avoid more invasive options such as injections or surgery. While chiropractic care does not replace medical treatment when it is needed, it can be a meaningful way to stay more comfortable, move with greater ease, and keep up with the daily activities that matter to you.
Bursitis can happen anywhere in your body where there are bursae, the little, fluid-filled sacs in your joints. To help you find relief, chiropractors identify and address:
There are various potential health benefits of chiropractic care when you have bursitis, including:
Walk in for quality, affordable care that fits your schedule. Enjoy hassle-free visits and same-day relief.
3555 Rosecrans St, Suite #110a
San Diego, CA 92110
Today: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed for Lunch: 2 PM - 2:45 PM
3555 Rosecrans St, Suite #110a
San Diego, CA 92110
Today: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed for Lunch: 2 PM - 2:45 PM
3555 Rosecrans St, Suite #110a
San Diego, CA 92110
Today: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed for Lunch: 2 PM - 2:45 PM
3555 Rosecrans St, Suite #110a
San Diego, CA 92110
Today: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed for Lunch: 2 PM - 2:45 PM
3555 Rosecrans St, Suite #110a
San Diego, CA 92110
Today: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed for Lunch: 2 PM - 2:45 PM
3555 Rosecrans St, Suite #110a
San Diego, CA 92110
Today: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed for Lunch: 2 PM - 2:45 PM
If you have a fever or chills, rapid redness or warmth, or sudden, excessive swelling, you should listen to your body. In general, when your daily life is disrupted, it’s worth a professional consultation.
Yes, you can get bursitis in your foot, as it contains multiple bursae.
That’s a conversation you need to have with a professional care provider including a licensed chiropractor or a physician.
Arthritis is a problem with the cartilage, bones, and tissue inside the joint capsule. Bursitis is a problem with the tiny, fluid filled sacs (bursae) outside the joint.
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa sac, while tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon. Bursae and tendons are located next to your joints.
Bursitis is caused by friction and repeated stress, so the best way to prevent it is to adapt the way you move and protect the parts of your body that are most at risk.
Since bursitis isn’t a chronic condition, it is usually temporary. But the exact duration depends on many factors including the location, severity of your pain, the type of care you seek, and your commitment to getting better.
The "best" treatment for bursitis depends on many factors but ultimately is the one that is most effective for your specific case. Since bursitis is an inflammatory condition often caused by overuse or pressure, the goal of treatment is to reduce that inflammation and relieve pressure so the bursa may heal.
A physical exam and details surrounding your pain, daily activity and lifestyle will often reveal the bursitis diagnosis. In more extreme cases, imaging and/or lab tests could be required.
While bursitis is a temporary condition that in some instances may go away with rest, if left untreated it also may cause significant issues with your long-term joint health and movement.
Michael’s story is a powerful one about taking control of your body’s recovery. From sustaining injuries while serving in Iraq, to his rigorous work as a diesel auto mechanic for the military, his body and mind needed relief. Already a yoga enthusiast, Michael went to The Joint Chiropractic to correct his posture and gait, and most importantly, get back to living his life to the fullest.
1 Williams, C. H. (2023, July 24). Bursitis. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513340/
2 Draghi, F., Scudeller, L., Draghi, A. G., & Bortolotto, C. (2015). Prevalence of subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis in shoulder pain: An ultrasonographic study. Journal of Ultrasound, 18(2), 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-015-0167-0
3 Le Manac’h, A. P., Ha, C., Descatha, A., Imbernon, E., & Roquelaure, Y. (2012). Prevalence of knee bursitis in the workforce. Occupational Medicine, 62(8), 658–660. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqs113
4 Shemesh, S., Itzikovitch, R., Atzmon, R., & Kadar, A. (2024). Risk factors for the development of olecranon bursitis—a large-scale population-based study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(24), 7801. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13247801
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