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Bursitis
  Bursitis
 Conditions that suggest it
 Contributing risk factors
 Conditions suggested by it
 Treatment recommendations
 


This condition occurs when bursa (sacs of fluid that cushion movement between the bones, tendons and muscles at your joints) become painfully inflamed. Usually caused by repetitive movement or prolonged excessive pressure, other causes include acute or chronic infection (notably staphylococcal) or tuberculosis. It can also occur alongside other common joint problems such as arthritis or gout. Signs & Symptoms


The most common area affected is the shoulder but it can also occur at the knees ("Housemaid's Knee"), the buttocks ("Weaver's Bottom" - caused by sitting on hard surfaces for extended periods), elbows ("Miner's Elbow" - today caused by more modern activities such as vacuuming), hips, heels and even at the base of the big toe.

Treatment & Prevention
Removing pressure from and/or immobilizing the affected joint can help significantly and with treatment it can be made to disappear within a couple of weeks.

The chances of it recurring are minimized by strengthening your muscles (strong muscles protect joints) through appropriate exercise once the pain and inflammation is gone; taking more breaks during repetitive activities; and cushioning joints to avoid extended direct contact with hard surfaces.

Prognosis
If the underlying cause is a chronic condition such as arthritis, bursitis may reappear despite any preventative measures that are taken.





Conditions that suggest Bursitis:
Symptoms - Skeletal  Bursitis (confirmed)

Risk factors for Bursitis:
Infections  Tuberculosis
 Tuberculosis has been known to be an underlying cause of bursitis.

  Chronic / Hidden Infection
 Both acute and chronic infections, notably staphylococcus, have been known to cause bursitis.

Musculo-Skeletal

  Gout / Hyperuricemia
 Gout is one possible cause of bursitis.

Sexually-Transmitted Diseases

  STD Syphilis
 Syphillis has been known to be an underlying cause of bursitis.

Symptoms - Mind - Emotional

  An average-stress/a high-stress lifestyle
 Calcification of soft tissues, especially following trauma, is common. During stress, calcium is drawn out of the bones although the serum calcium may remain normal.

Symptoms - Skeletal

  History of bursitis

Bursitis suggests the following may be present:
Inflammation  Chronic Inflammation

Musculo-Skeletal

  Poor Musculoskeletal Health

Recommendations and treatments for Bursitis:
Botanical  Cayenne Pepper

Hormone

  Natural Progesterone
 Topical progesterone has been reported to be useful in alleviating symptoms.

Mineral

  MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane)

Skin

  DMSO Topically

Vitamins

  Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)
 Vitamin B12 injections at 1mg daily for two weeks has eliminated pain in the majority of cases of shoulder and hip bursitis.


KEY
Weak or unproven link
Strong or generally accepted link
Proven definite or direct link
May do some good
Likely to help
Highly recommended


GLOSSARY

Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.

Arthritis (Arthritic)
Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.

Bursa
Fluid-filled sacs.

Bursitis
The bursa is a fluid-filled pad that allows your muscles to easily slide over other muscles and bones. Bursitis occurs when this pad becomes inflamed. It usually occurs when you overuse or injure a specific joint, but it can also be caused by a bacterial infection. Symptoms include pain and inflammation around joints such as the elbow, hip, shoulder, big toe, ankle or knee.

Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.

Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.

Cobalamin (B12, B-12, Cobalamine, Vitamin B12)
Essential for normal growth and functioning of all body cells, especially those of bone marrow (red blood cell formation), gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, it prevents pernicious anemia and plays a crucial part in the reproduction of every cell of the body i.e. synthesis of genetic material (DNA).

Gout
A disease characterized by an increased blood uric acid level and sudden onset of episodes of acute arthritis.

Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.

Progesterone
This is the hormone secreted after ovulation by the corpus luteum. It is a steroid (similar to a cholesterol), enters receptive cells to stimulate their growth, and acts as an anabolic agent. Estrogen should be viewed as the primary coat underneath all the cycles during a woman's reproductive years, with progesterone, its antagonist, surging for ten or twelve days in ovulatory months. Most of the actions of progesterone cannot occur without estrogen having previously induced the growth of progesterone-receptive binding sites.

Serum
The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.

Staphylococcus (Staph, Staphylococcal)
A genus of micrococci bacteria with many members that can cause disease. They are gram-positive, nonmotile bacteria
that are aerobic-(unless they need to be anaerobic). Staph of various types are responsible for boils and carbuncles; they may be involved in impetigo, toxic shock syndrome, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and urinary tract infections, as well as some food poisoning. They stay around hospitals and veterinary clinics waiting to get you. They are also a normal part of the mouth, throat, and skin flora in a third to a half of all of us, causing no problems, but just waiting. Staph has always been with us. Some even eat our antibiotics for breakfast.

Topical
Most commonly 'topical application': Administration to the skin.

Tuberculosis
Also known as TB, Consumption or "The White Plague", tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually affecting the lungs but possibly also the brain, kidneys and bones. Patients may at first be symptom-free or experience a flu-like illness. In the secondary stage, there might be a slight fever, night sweats, weight loss, fatigue and various other symptoms, depending on the part of the body affected. Tuberculosis of the lung is usually associated with a dry cough that eventually leads to a productive cough with blood-stained sputum. There might also be chest pain and shortness of breath.




Last updated: Jun 08, 2008


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