What is Bursitis?
Between our joints, we have some sacs that are filled with fluids, and those sacs are called bursa. These bursae surround areas where your muscles, tendons and skin meet the bones to reduce friction from movement and cause damage to any of the tissue.
It happens that every now and then your bursae can become inflamed and that causes bursitis. This inflammation can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area and it limits the motility of your joints.
The most common causes of the condition are injuries or damage to your bursae, and it leads to pain, swelling and so on.
Bursitis comes with a lot of symptoms. Most of them include:
● Pain, redness, swelling,
● Thickening of your bursae,
● Increased pain after a long period of immobility
Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
Between the heel bone and the Achilles tendon there is one naturally occurring bursal sac, but due to pressure of our daily physical activity, more bursal sacs are created in order to protect the areas on our feet where the pressure and the micro-trauma is being caused.
If the trauma continues for a longer period of time, the bursal sac that has formed on the foot to protect it becomes inflamed.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis is the most common heel bursitis. The condition results from inflammation of the bursa (a small cushioning sac located where tendons pass over areas of bone around the joints), which lies over your heel where your Achilles tendon inserts.
Running, jumping, or other repetitive activities can inflame the bursae in your heels. Beginning a strenuous exercise without properly warming up may also be a cause. Shoes that are too tight in the back of the heel can make it worse as it rubs against the bursa.
Treating Bursitis
The best way to properly treat bursitis is firstly rest. Pain medication and icing will also be able to help in relieving pain and inflammation. Although if this won’t work, other treatments might be needed.
Orthotics and footwear can work very well to reduce plantar pressures and friction. A metatarsal dome can be used to splay the metatarsals and alleviate the bursa.
Antibiotics are necessary in cases in which the bursa is infected.
Corticosteroids can be used to relieve pain, inflammation, and swelling as long as there is no evidence of any infection in or around the bursa.
Surgery can be used to remove damaged bursae or drain fluids from the bursae. Physical therapy may help relieve pain and other symptoms