Bursitis: Causes, Treatments, and How Medications Help

When your bursitis, inflammation of the small fluid-filled sacs that cushion bones, tendons, and muscles near your joints. Also known as joint bursa inflammation, it commonly strikes the shoulder, elbow, hip, or knee—often after repeated motion or injury. It’s not just soreness. Bursitis means your body’s natural shock absorbers are swollen, irritated, and pushing back against movement. You might feel pain when you move, pressure when you lie on it, or even warmth and redness around the joint. It’s not rare—millions deal with it every year, often mistaking it for simple muscle strain.

What causes it? Repetitive stress is the biggest trigger. Think gardeners, painters, plumbers, or even people who type all day. Trauma like a fall or direct hit can also trigger it. Sometimes, infection or conditions like gout or rheumatoid arthritis play a role. You won’t always see it coming, but you’ll know when it’s there. The pain doesn’t fade with rest like a pulled muscle might. Instead, it lingers, flares up with motion, and can limit how you move for weeks.

Most cases don’t need surgery. The first line of defense? anti-inflammatory drugs, medications that reduce swelling and block pain signals in inflamed tissues. Also known as NSAIDs, they include common options like ibuprofen and naproxen, which many people reach for without a prescription. These aren’t magic pills—they don’t fix the root cause, but they give you breathing room to heal. If those don’t cut it, doctors might suggest corticosteroid injections directly into the bursa. That’s a quick, targeted way to shut down inflammation. Physical therapy helps too, especially if poor movement patterns got you here in the first place.

Some people try heat, ice, or braces. Others look at supplements like turmeric or omega-3s, though evidence is mixed. What matters most is stopping the motion that made it worse. If you’re a runner with hip bursitis, you’ll need to adjust your stride or rest. If you’re a carpenter with elbow bursitis, padding and technique changes help more than pills alone.

There’s a reason you’ll find articles here about pain relievers, drug comparisons, and medication safety. Because when bursitis hits, you’re not just looking for a quick fix—you want to know what actually works, what doesn’t, and what could make things worse. You’ll find real comparisons between common pain meds, tips on avoiding side effects, and advice on when to push through discomfort versus when to stop. This isn’t about guessing. It’s about knowing what your body needs, and how to get it safely.