Bursa are fluid filled structures with an external layer of durable connective tissue that reside over sharp bony prominences throughout the body.
A bursitis represents a form of overuse injury and arises from excessive frictional forces and trauma. Rarely it can occur as a manifestation of an inflammatory systemic disease (e.g. RA, gout, sepsis). Treatment consists of regular application of ice, stretching exercises to maintain full range of motion of the joint, and often intra-bursal steroid injections. Oral pain medication is helpful but should be used to augment therapy rather than on a long-term basis to merely mask the focal discomfort associated with bursitis.
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