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What’s the Difference Between Arthritis and Bursitis?
You rely on your joints day in and day out, so any type of pain can throw a serious wrench into your day. Joint pain has many causes, often from inflammatory conditions like arthritis or bursitis.
But you may wonder: What’s the difference between arthritis and bursitis? And, how do I know what’s causing my pain?
At Orthopedic & Wellness in Frederick, Waldorf, and Germantown, Maryland, our orthopedic and pain management experts, Dr. Ojedapo Ojeyemi and Dr. Matthew Roh, specialize in diagnosing and treating all types of joint pain conditions.
In this month’s blog, we explain the difference between arthritis and bursitis and the importance of getting the right diagnosis and treatment plan.
Arthritis vs. bursitis
These conditions have a lot of similarities — they both cause joint pain and inflammation. However, they’re two distinct issues.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a general medical term that means joint inflammation. It includes a number of conditions responsible for causing symptoms such as joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is the common form of arthritis, occurring due to the wearing away of the cartilage that separates the bones of a joint.
Bursitis
Bursitis is swelling and pain in and around the bursae, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the soft tissue (tendons, ligaments, and muscle) against the bone. The condition occurs from overuse or irritation of the bursae. Bursae sacs are all over the body, but the swelling and pain usually affects these cushions at the joints, like the shoulder, knee, or hip.
Diagnosing your joint pain
Both arthritis and bursitis cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints, making it hard to determine a diagnosis based solely on symptoms. We ask detailed questions about your pain and when it started to help determine the cause.
Bursitis is usually temporary and develops from repetitive activities that put too much pressure on bursae, such as gardening, shoveling, or playing an instrument. Arthritis pain tends to develop gradually, worsening over time from many causes.
After reviewing symptoms and lifestyle and performing a physical exam, we order imaging tests to determine if your joint pain is arthritis or bursitis.
Treating arthritis and bursitis
Initial treatment for arthritis and bursitis is similar. We may recommend activity modification, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and heat and ice therapy.
If pain continues, we may suggest physical therapy or the use of a supportive brace, depending on the joint affected. Steroid injections are also treatments for arthritis and bursitis.
In most cases, bursitis resolves within a few weeks. Arthritis, on the other hand, is a chronic condition that may cause ongoing joint pain that requires monitoring and care. When you have joint damage from arthritis and the pain no longer responds to medical treatments, you may benefit from joint replacement surgery.
Arthritis and bursitis cause similar symptoms and have similar treatments. But they’re different pain conditions that require individualized management.
If you have sudden or ongoing joint pain that’s affecting your ability to go about your normal routine, now is the time to get help. Call the experienced Orthopedic & Wellness team at the office nearest you or book an appointment online for an expert evaluation and effective treatment plan.
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