Have you recently been diagnosed with bursitis, but aren’t quite sure what that means? We’ve got you covered. Here are the basics you want to know about bursitis and what can be done about it.

What is bursitis?
Throughout your body, you have bursa – small fluid-filled sacs that prevent friction between your bones, tendons and muscles around your joints. Bursitis is when a bursa becomes irritated and inflamed.

Bursitis commonly occurs in the shoulder, elbow or hip. However, you can experience bursitis in any bursa.

The most common symptoms include pain, swelling and stiffness of the joint. Pain will often increase during the night time, and becomes worse when you move the joint.

What can cause bursitis?
There are many factors that can cause or contribute to bursitis. Some of the most common include:

• Injury of the joint
• Repeated pressure and overuse of the joint – this is commonly due to repetitive movements at work or during certain sports
• Chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and diabetes
• Infection in a joint (e.g. after surgery)
• Age – bursitis is most common in adults aged 40+
• Being overweight – this can increase risk of hip and knee bursitis

How is bursitis diagnosed?
This depends on who you see. Any health professional will take a case history and do a physical examination.

If you seek help from your doctor, they may order imaging tests to rule out other problems that might be causing your symptoms, or they may order a test of the fluid from your bursa to see if there is an infection.

How is bursitis treated?
The focus of bursitis treatment depends on what caused the problem in the first place. But it’s likely that treating your bursitis will include:

• Avoiding activities and movements that make your pain worse
• Resting the area and raise it to reduce swelling
• Managing pain and inflammation

If the cause is an infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to resolve the infection. A small percentage of people may be recommended surgery if other treatments have been unsuccessful.

How myotherapy can help with bursitis
When it comes to bursitis, there are a few steps that your myotherapist will take.

Firstly, we will assess the joint itself for swelling, inflammation, pain and movement. Once we know what we’re working with, we’ll put together a treatment plan to address the issues.

A treatment plan for bursitis often includes:

• Massage, trigger point release and gentle mobilisation to reduce the load on the bursa
• Taping the joint into a more comfortable position to relieve pain and pressure
• Prescribing movements that stretch and/or strengthen the supporting muscles
• Working with your GP to continue management of your pain and inflammation

Another useful therapy that may be discussed is hydrotherapy – exercises and movements performed in warm water. This can reduce pressure on the joint, making therapeutic movements easier and less painful.

If you’re dealing with bursitis, the team at Simple Wellness Myotherapy are here to help. To book an appointment with one of our qualified myotherapists, click here.

Have you just had surgery, or are booked in for surgery in the near future? Wondering how to deal with the pain that you experience after the procedure is finished?

Pain management can make a big difference for your recovery and overall wellbeing. Let’s take a look at how you can manage pain after surgery.

​Why is post-surgery pain management important?
Getting a good hold on your pain levels after surgery is important for your comfort. But there are a few other reasons why managing your pain is essential for recovery.

Some of the most important reasons include:

• Pain can impact on appetite, so you will often eat very little when you’re in severe and even moderate pain. If you’re not eating, you’re not getting the nutrients your body needs to heal effectively!
• Pain is a major stressor for the body. This can further deplete nutrients and resources your body needs. But it can also affect other factors such as your sleep and inflammation levels.
• Poorly managed pain after an acute situation such as surgery can affect the way that your body processes and interprets pain. This can put you at a higher risk of developing chronic pain or a chronic pain condition.

So as we can see, pain management needs to be top priority after surgery!

How to manage your pain post-surgery
Looking for ways to deal with your post-surgery pain? Every case is unique, but there are some simple tips you can try to relieve your pain.

Follow your surgeon’s advice
Your healthcare team will give you guidance on how long before you can do certain tasks, and how frequently to take your medication. These are given to you for a reason – to manage your pain and healing!

Make sure you follow your surgeon’s advice, and seek their consultation if you need to make any adjustments.

Find a way to relax
Pain can be taxing for the nervous system. But relaxation techniques such as guided meditation may be helpful for controlling the sensation of pain. There are plenty of free guided meditations online and on YouTube to try.

If meditation isn’t your thing, find other ways to relax such as reading or spending time in nature.

Focus on resting frequently and deeply
Your body does its best healing when it is resting. Even if you feel that it’s ‘lazy’, your body is actually hard at work when you’re taking a nap or sleeping! Make sure you prioritise rest that is both frequent and high-quality.

Aim for 8-9 hours of sleep per night as a minimum. If you’re not back at work, switch off your alarm and allow yourself to wake naturally. You might also like to make time for a nap in the afternoon, even it’s only a quick 20-minute rest.

How myotherapy can support your body post-surgery
When it comes to post-surgery pain, myotherapy can offer a variety of support techniques depending on the type of surgery and how long ago your surgery occurred.

For example, your myotherapist can:

• Help to shift excess swelling and fluid that may be inhibiting the healing process
• Address any muscular or joint issues that may be negatively impacting the injured area – for example, your hips, thighs and calf muscles can affect recovery from ankle surgery
• Relieve muscular tension and pressure on other areas of the body that have been ‘picking up the slack’ from the surgical area – for example, using crutches can put pressure on your upper back and arm muscles
• Create a tailored plan for safe movements you can do to strengthen your body as you recover – this allows you return to your usual activities as quickly and safely as possible

Here at Simple Wellness Myotherapy, we are experienced in working with a variety of clients who have undergone minor and major surgeries.

Our goal is to help you on your journey back to your ‘business as usual’ – whatever that may be! To book an appointment with one of our qualified myotherapists, click here.