Bursitis is when your joints become painful, tender or swollen. It happens when a fluid-filled sac called a bursae that cushions the bones of the joint, becomes inflamed.

Symptoms of bursitis are dull achy joints, tenderness in the joint, swelling or redness, or if the joint become more painful when moving or if pressure is applied.

Most commonly it occurs in the shoulder, elbow or hip joint, but can be found in the knee, big toe or heel. It is usually in joints that perform regular repetitive actions, for example manual labour or throwing a baseball. It can also be caused by trauma to the area, rheumatoid arthritis or conditions such as gout. Occasionally the inflammation is caused by infection.

Typically, treatment is to rest the affected joint to prevent it from further trauma, apply ice and keep it elevated above the level of your heart. If symptoms do not improve, a corticosteroid injection can relieve pain and help reduce the inflammation quickly. This treatment is effective, and in many cases, one is all you need. Nonsteroidial anti-inflammatory drugs can help to reduce the inflammation as well. In some rare cases the bursae may need to be surgically drained.

If the bursitis is caused by an infection, it can be treated with a course of oral antibiotics.