Arthritis Health Center
Understanding Bursitis -- Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Bursitis?
Common symptoms of bursitis include:
- Pain, inflammation, and swelling in the shoulders, elbows, hips, or knees, particularly during stretching or extending the joint during exercising, lifting, or otherwise pushing the joint to its limits.
- Restricted or lost range of motion in a joint, especially affecting the shoulder, with or without immediate pain.
- Muscle weakness due to pain.
Call Your Doctor About Bursitis If:
- Pain in or near a joint persists more than a few days; you may be experiencing bursitis or tendinitis, a strained ligament or tendon, or the onset of arthritis.
- You are unable to move the affected area, which may progress to a frozen joint.
- Swelling persists after taking a painkiller or anti-inflammatory agent as prescribed. You may need to have a doctor drain fluid from the affected joint, or you may need steroid injections to decrease inflammation.
- You have a fever with your bursitis symptoms; it may have become infected.
WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by
Marc C. Levesque, MD, PhD on October 24, 2010
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