There are several things you can do at home to try to find relief. Here are six of the most popular self-care options to speed healing from bursitis pain.
- Modify activities to avoid stressing your knee. If it hurts to bend your knee going up the stairs, take one step at a time, keeping the affected knee straight.
- Avoid supporting your body weight on your sore knee. If you must kneel, try to change the motion so that your knee does not receive full pressure. (Don’t do this often. As your body compensates for the condition, you could damage the other knee.)
- If it hurts to sit, change the position of your leg every 20 minutes.
- Find a comfortable sleeping position that does not irritate your bursitis.
- Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of vitamin B, C, and E and omega 3 fatty acids. Avoid foods reported to increase your body’s inflammatory response such as the simple carbohydrates in white bread, foods with added sugar and beans, which may contain a protein that contributes to inflammation.
- Use ice therapy and over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve pain.
What if none of those have worked?
If lifestyle changes do not relieve reduce your pain, the orthopedic experts at the Bone & Joint Center can diagnose and treat your bursitis pain based on its type and location.
Bursitis can be caused by a blow to your knee, a fall or repetitive motions with constant joint pressure. Over time, everyday activities such as walking, kneeling and sitting can irritate the bursae around your joints. The Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging presented nine common bursitis knee conditions in a pictorial essay1, our experts can treat them all.
If you’ve tried home care and still have pain, Click to call and schedule an appointment with an expert at the Bone & Joint Center.
1Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2012 Jan-Mar; 22(1): 27–30.
doi: 10.4103/0971-3026.95400