Overview
Bursitis is the inflammation of the small fluid-filled pads, or bursae, that act as cushions among your bones and the tendons and muscles near your joints. Bursitis occurs when the bursa become inflamed, and often occurs in joints that perform frequent and repetitive motion. The foot only contains one naturally occurring bursal sac between the Achilles tendon and the heel bone, which protects the Achilles from the pressure against the heel bone during ambulation. However, shoes may put pressure on this bursa. The bursa might also incur trauma from walking on hard ground. And, though they are not naturally occurring, bursa sacs can also form, and become inflamed, in other parts of the foot, including the bottom of the heel, and the metatarsal plate, the outside of the foot below the fifth toe, and so on.
Causes
Overusing your calves, ankles and heels during inappropriate or excessive training or doing repetitive motions for prolonged periods of time can contribute to the development of the this painful ankle Achilles and retrocalcaneal bursitis aliment. Bursitis in this part of the body often occurs in professional or recreational athletes. Walking, running and jumping can do some damage. (I loved to skip rope before I suffered my severe hip bursitis.). Injury. This condition may also develop following trauma such as a direct, hard hit to your heel. Footwear. Poorly fitting shoes that are too tight, too large or have heels can all cause excessive pressure or friction over the bursa in the heel. Infection. Medical problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout, sometimes lead to bursitis. It is not unusual to have Achilles bursitis and tendonitis (inflamed tendon) at the same time. Ankle bursitis is often a genetic condition where you simply inherited a foot type, for example a heel bone with a prominence, high arch or tight Achilles tendon, that is more prone to the mechanical irritation that leads to the bursitis. Muscle weakness, joint stiffness and poor flexibility (particularly of the calf muscles) are certainly contributing factors too.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bursitis include pain in the heel, especially with walking, running, or when the area is touched. The skin over the back of the heel may be red and warm, and the pain may be worse with attempted toe rise (standing on tippy-toes).
Diagnosis
Your doctor will check for bursitis by asking questions about your past health and recent activities and by examining the area. If your symptoms are severe or get worse even after treatment, you may need other tests. Your doctor may drain fluid from the bursa through a needle (aspiration) and test it for infection. Or you may need X-rays, an MRI, or an ultrasound.
Non Surgical Treatment
Most bursitis cases can be treated by the patient without having to see a doctor. A trip to a pharmacy, a conversation with the pharmacist, and some self-care techniques are usually enough. The NHS (National Health Service, UK) recommends PRICEM, a self-care management approach. PRICEM stands for Protection. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation. Medication. Protect the affected area, Some people place padding to protect the affected bursae from any blow. Rest. Do not exercise or use the joints in the affected area unless you really have to. Let it rest. Bursitis is a condition that responds well to rest. Ice packs. Ice packs can help reduce pain and inflammation. Make sure you do not place the ice directly on the skin, use a pack or towel. A small pack of frozen vegetables are ideal. Raise the affected area. If you can, lift the affected area, raise it, less blood will gather there. This may help reduce the inflammation. Painkillers. Ibuprofen is an effective painkiller for treating pain, it also reduces inflammation. Steroids. For more severe symptoms the doctor may inject steroids into the affected area. Steroids block a body chemical called prostaglandin. Prostaglandin causes inflammation. Steroids may raise the patient's blood pressure if used for too long, as well as increasing his/her risk of getting an infection. UK doctors are advised not to give more than three steroid injections in one year. Antibiotics. If the fluid test confirms that there is a bacterial infection, the doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics. These will be administered orally (via mouth).
Surgical Treatment
Surgery to remove the damaged bursa may be performed in extreme cases. If the bursitis is caused by an infection, then additional treatment is needed. Septic bursitis is caused by the presence of a pus-forming organism, usually staphylococcus aureus. This is confirmed by examining a sample of the fluid in the bursa and requires treatment with antibiotics taken by mouth, injected into a muscle or into a vein (intravenously). The bursa will also need to be drained by needle two or three times over the first week of treatment. When a patient has such a serious infection, there may be underlying causes. There could be undiscovered diabetes, or an inefficient immune system caused by human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV).
Bursitis is the inflammation of the small fluid-filled pads, or bursae, that act as cushions among your bones and the tendons and muscles near your joints. Bursitis occurs when the bursa become inflamed, and often occurs in joints that perform frequent and repetitive motion. The foot only contains one naturally occurring bursal sac between the Achilles tendon and the heel bone, which protects the Achilles from the pressure against the heel bone during ambulation. However, shoes may put pressure on this bursa. The bursa might also incur trauma from walking on hard ground. And, though they are not naturally occurring, bursa sacs can also form, and become inflamed, in other parts of the foot, including the bottom of the heel, and the metatarsal plate, the outside of the foot below the fifth toe, and so on.
Causes
Overusing your calves, ankles and heels during inappropriate or excessive training or doing repetitive motions for prolonged periods of time can contribute to the development of the this painful ankle Achilles and retrocalcaneal bursitis aliment. Bursitis in this part of the body often occurs in professional or recreational athletes. Walking, running and jumping can do some damage. (I loved to skip rope before I suffered my severe hip bursitis.). Injury. This condition may also develop following trauma such as a direct, hard hit to your heel. Footwear. Poorly fitting shoes that are too tight, too large or have heels can all cause excessive pressure or friction over the bursa in the heel. Infection. Medical problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout, sometimes lead to bursitis. It is not unusual to have Achilles bursitis and tendonitis (inflamed tendon) at the same time. Ankle bursitis is often a genetic condition where you simply inherited a foot type, for example a heel bone with a prominence, high arch or tight Achilles tendon, that is more prone to the mechanical irritation that leads to the bursitis. Muscle weakness, joint stiffness and poor flexibility (particularly of the calf muscles) are certainly contributing factors too.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bursitis include pain in the heel, especially with walking, running, or when the area is touched. The skin over the back of the heel may be red and warm, and the pain may be worse with attempted toe rise (standing on tippy-toes).
Diagnosis
Your doctor will check for bursitis by asking questions about your past health and recent activities and by examining the area. If your symptoms are severe or get worse even after treatment, you may need other tests. Your doctor may drain fluid from the bursa through a needle (aspiration) and test it for infection. Or you may need X-rays, an MRI, or an ultrasound.
Non Surgical Treatment
Most bursitis cases can be treated by the patient without having to see a doctor. A trip to a pharmacy, a conversation with the pharmacist, and some self-care techniques are usually enough. The NHS (National Health Service, UK) recommends PRICEM, a self-care management approach. PRICEM stands for Protection. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation. Medication. Protect the affected area, Some people place padding to protect the affected bursae from any blow. Rest. Do not exercise or use the joints in the affected area unless you really have to. Let it rest. Bursitis is a condition that responds well to rest. Ice packs. Ice packs can help reduce pain and inflammation. Make sure you do not place the ice directly on the skin, use a pack or towel. A small pack of frozen vegetables are ideal. Raise the affected area. If you can, lift the affected area, raise it, less blood will gather there. This may help reduce the inflammation. Painkillers. Ibuprofen is an effective painkiller for treating pain, it also reduces inflammation. Steroids. For more severe symptoms the doctor may inject steroids into the affected area. Steroids block a body chemical called prostaglandin. Prostaglandin causes inflammation. Steroids may raise the patient's blood pressure if used for too long, as well as increasing his/her risk of getting an infection. UK doctors are advised not to give more than three steroid injections in one year. Antibiotics. If the fluid test confirms that there is a bacterial infection, the doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics. These will be administered orally (via mouth).
Surgical Treatment
Surgery to remove the damaged bursa may be performed in extreme cases. If the bursitis is caused by an infection, then additional treatment is needed. Septic bursitis is caused by the presence of a pus-forming organism, usually staphylococcus aureus. This is confirmed by examining a sample of the fluid in the bursa and requires treatment with antibiotics taken by mouth, injected into a muscle or into a vein (intravenously). The bursa will also need to be drained by needle two or three times over the first week of treatment. When a patient has such a serious infection, there may be underlying causes. There could be undiscovered diabetes, or an inefficient immune system caused by human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV).