Bursitis occurs when a joint’s bursa becomes inflamed or irritated. The bursa is a sac that contains fluid helping to decrease friction, rubbing, and irritation between bone, tendons, muscle, and skin. Injury or overuse to a joint can increase your risk to developing bursitis. It is often caused through repetitive motion, light impact or sudden trauma to a joint.

Arm and Elbow Pain

Bursitis may be simply causes by bumping your elbow. The condition may also develop as you grow older because your tendons will become more sensitive to stress and will tear easier as they lose their elasticity.

Symptoms of Elbow Bursitis

In your elbow, the bursa lies between the olecranon and your skin. The olecranon is a pointy bone that is located at the tip of your elbow. When the bursa is irritated or inflamed, it fills with extra fluid. When this occurs, swelling may develop at the back your elbow. This condition is called olecranon bursitis.

You may not notice the swelling on your elbow at first because it can appear either gradually or quickly. As the swelling increases, it may look similar to a soft golf ball on the tip of your elbow. Part of the reason you may not notice the swelling is because it may not always cause pain. However, if the bursa becomes infected, the area will become tender and redness may appear. The affected area may feel warm and you may develop a fever. As the infection becomes worse, the bursa may burst and drain pus.

Treating Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

Often arm pain and elbow bursitis will go away on its own with rest and icing the joint. When diagnosing elbow bursitis, x-rays may be ordered to look for a fracture, bone spur or calcium deposits on the elbow. Blood tests may also be ordered to rule out other conditions that could potentially cause swelling to your elbow. A needle may be used to draw fluid from the bursa to determine if pus is present. If an infection is confirmed, antibiotics may be prescribed.

If there is no infection in the bursa, the doctor will recommend that you avoid the activities that may have caused the bursitis. Additional treatment steps may include:

• Wearing an elbow pad or snug wrap
• Oral NSAIDs
• Removal of fluid from the bursa with a needle

In some cases, the bursa may need to be removed if the infection does not clear up or if the bursitis returns repeatedly.

Dr. Howard Marans Treats Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

Do not delay in seeking treatment for your elbow or arm pain. If you experience arm pain or have symptoms of elbow bursitis, prompt care from an experienced orthopedic surgeon can help prevent it from progressing to a serious infection.

Dr. Howard Marans has over 20 years of clinical experience in treating orthopedic conditions, including elbow bursitis. Often patients are seen the same day in which they contact the office for an appointment. Schedule your consultation by calling 714.979.8981 – or – click the icon below.