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Is there anything I can take to ease the pain of Bursitis?

Posted , 7 users are following.

christine25897
christine25897

Hi, I was diagnosed with this condition a few years ago in my left hip. I was given a steroid injection in my thigh and to be truthful, I completely forgot about the pain. I still get niggly pain, but nothing I can't cope with. In January this year, I was diagnosed with it in my right hip and was given a steroid injection in March. It worked for a couple of days, but after that, the pain is worse than before. I am due a follow up in September. Painkillers don't seem to help at all.  Any other sufferer's out there? Thank you.

2 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH christine25897

    Posted

    Me - time for another injection probably. You can have up to 3 a year. I have always managed with just one or two each time but if the doctor doesn't get it in quite the right place it doesn't work well.

    I'm on other medication and when I asked the hospital doc what I could use was told "Nothing really... here, have a cortisone jab!" Icing may help, rest is also a good thing but of course that is a trifle impractical! If it gets really intractable they can do an op and remove the bursa that is causing the problem.

    However - I think I would want an x-ray to rule out other things.

  • judytal
    judytal christine25897

    Posted

    Hi Christine,

    I had a bursitis a few years ago and then bursitis in the other hip.  Injections did not help.  I used ice, ice and ice.... plus Aleve.  stretches and more ice.  Then bursitis in both shoulders.....

      Then I was attacked with PMR... 

    hopefully it's only bursitis.... but bursitis itself can be very painful..  I used a can for awhile.  can you sleep on the side that is painful? 

    • judytal
      judytal

      Posted

      oops cane!!!
    • christine25897
      christine25897 judytal

      Posted

      Hi Judy,

      Thanks for your reply. I suffered with PMR some years ago in my shoulder, but after a 6 month course of Prednisolone, it went as quick as it came and I have not been troubled with that since. As for the Bursitis, no, I cannot sleep on either side for long. I did try a can, but it gave me chronic back ache (sorry, couldn't resist that)!!!

  • bronwyn97278
    bronwyn97278 christine25897

    Posted

    Hi Christine;  the only 3 treatments that I know of for Bursites are;  1st  IV antibiotics, if new, directly into the affected Bursa,  2)  Hydro-cortisone injection into the Bursa (performed with the use of an Imaging/Ultrasound machine, so that the injecting Radiologist....specialized doc)...can ensure he/she gets it into the Bursa; and thirdly, by having the Bursa cleaned out surgically...have surgery...otherwise the bursites will keep coming back....I assume that the Bursites has been confirmed via Ultrasound, and come back positive, not something the doc has Suggested as being the cause?....rolleyes....Bron
    • christine25897
      christine25897 bronwyn97278

      Posted

      Hi Bron, It was diagnosed by a specialist after having x-rays and blood tests, so it wasn't something the doctor suggested. I have also had Polymiaglia in my shoulder some years ago, but after a course of Prednisolone for 6 months, thankfully that has not bothered me since (fingers crossed)!
    • bronwyn97278
      bronwyn97278 christine25897

      Posted

      Morning Christine;   I feel really sorry, as from what I have heard/seen from patients, Bursites is very painful....has your doctor thought of trialing more Prednisone, for if it helped with the shoulder, do you think it is worth trialing same for the bursites?   I think I'd try anything over the surgery, first,  but as you have had soooo many body probs, you probably know what works for you....also wondering how the osteo Gloves that you bought, are going?  Have they helped you with typing etc?    Thinking of you down south with the Antartic winds.....Bron
    • christine25897
      christine25897 bronwyn97278

      Posted

      Hi Bron, bit confused about your reply! I have never bought Osteo Gloves. regards Christine
    • bronwyn97278
      bronwyn97278 christine25897

      Posted

      Hi Christine;  sorry I thought you had....I had mentioned them to someone, once, and thought that they had replied that they bought 3 pairs....I guess it's the Old Brain Fog..or maybe confused re which person....do appologize.........Bron
  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust christine25897

    Posted

    I have it in both hips - the pain has almost completely disappeared since starting on pred for PMR!
    • EileenH
      EileenH FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      Yes, I had terrible bursitis in both hips when the PMR went wild, it had been there before and made walking any distance painful. When the big flare happened almost overnight, within a few weeks I could barely lift my legs to do stairs and walking more than about 100 yards was impossible. It took about 6 months on 15mg-ish of pred for it to fade and was good until the next major flare which was when I had the first cortisone shots and since then it has niggled - getting bad enough again after to need another injection but its just the right side now. There is a temptation to try taking a higher pred dose - I've gone back to 5mg and do feel generally better. I'm just a bit concerned about the sight-seeing when we're in China...
    • EileenH
      EileenH FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      End of the month  - you'll be left in peace for a few weeks since gmail is banned in China! It is in the service of science - we have a congress to go to so not wasting the effort of the flight! 
  • vanessa66630
    vanessa66630 christine25897

    Posted

    have not written on this site for a few weeks because I can hardly walk due to pain in my hip going down to my feet, am lucky enough to have private medical insurance,I also had had injection in my hip about a year ago, so when this happened went to hip specialist who thought it was a hip bursar another injection made no differance, then went to spine specialist who did MRI scan on my spine, had already had one done on hip, the spinal one showed that one of the discs in spine is pinched, so am how going to specialist for injection on wed, so pray it works or otherwise a opp, this has been a really bad time for me, PMG is bad enough but this is so much worse,dont want to worry youas yours may well be bursitus.
  • dan38655
    dan38655 christine25897

    Posted

    Since neither my doctor nor my rheumatologist ever told me the source of my pain from PMR, I read up and learned that it is typically soft tissues such as bursa and muscle/tendons, which agres with my ability to handle heavy weight-bearing in my mechanical joints with no pain.

    So I don't know if I have bursitis specifically, but suspect it.  Prednisone really knocked the edge off of all of my motion-related pain however, and at 15 months I am down to a maintenance level of 5mg with minimal pains, and am getting plenty of exercise mainly in the form of cycling, and also doing yard work.

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