What prolongs the duration of a bursitis?

There are some things that should be avoided in the case of bursitis in order not to delay the course of the disease unnecessarily. One of these is warming the bursa. The cells of the body, which migrate into the affected tissue during inflammation, work particularly well under heat.

Adding additional heat from outside reinforces the process rather than alleviating it. Massages in the case of bacterial infection should also be absolutely avoided, as the pathogens can otherwise spread through the blood in the body’s circulation. In addition, too strong and strenuous movements should be avoided, as well as routine and repeated movements. These repeatedly lead to small injuries and tears in the tissue, which in the long run can lead to an inflammation or can intensify an existing inflammation.

Duration of treatment of bursitis in the knee

The duration of the treatment also depends very much on the course of the inflammation of the bursa. If the course is uncomplicated, it is sufficient to carry out the cooling, pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory measures until the signs of inflammation, i.e. swelling, redness and pain subside. The symptoms usually flatten out after a few days, but treatment should continue until they have subsided completely.

Special attention should be paid to protecting the affected joint. As already mentioned, the joint should also be spared beyond the visible symptoms, otherwise there is a risk of chronicity. If a more complicated course is given, possibly even the indication for a bursectomy (surgical removal of the bursa) exists, the treatment takes longer and can last up to several weeks.

When can I start working out again?

In case of a freshly occurring bursitis, sports should be avoided at first. At least a few days should be spared on the corresponding part of the body, otherwise there is a risk of “carry-over”. This means that you will develop a chronic inflammation of the bursae, which can last for years.

After the pain has subsided and the symptoms have improved, you can start with a light and knee-gentle training. In this case it is worthwhile to switch to sports that increasingly train other parts of the body. Only after a few weeks, after the inflammation has completely healed, may regular and more strenuous sports be practiced again. However, it is important to start training slowly and carefully and to gently and gradually introduce the joint to the movements.

How much does an operation influence the duration?

The duration of an operation on the bursa of the knee depends on many different things. Of course, the experience of the surgeon plays a role as well as the severity of the inflammation. Other conditions can also cause the duration to vary greatly.

If surrounding tissue is affected, it must also be partially removed during the operation. However, bursectomy, i.e. the removal of the bursa itself, is normally a routine procedure that does not last more than one hour. After the operation, the knee must be splinted for a few weeks.

However, slight movements can be made the day after the operation, as the bursa is no longer present and the pus has been removed. However, the knee is very irritated after the operation, so that it must not be overloaded. It can take another two to four weeks before you are able to work again. During this time, a doctor should check the healing of the interface at regular intervals and have the stitches removed.