If your knee bursitis is getting harder to manage, this article is for you. Read on to learn how to treat bursitis of the knee here.

How to Treat Bursitis of the Knee

Bursitis mostly affects the joints in your body, including the knees and elbows. It inflames the bursa, the smooth sac of skin that cushions and lubricates the tendons and joints in your body. When that happens, the inflamed bursa can become too painful to move around, often making every movement hurt.

It might seem like this condition will prevent you from doing your daily activities, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the pain and swelling of knee bursitis.

To learn more about different treatments, just keep on reading!

Rest, Ice, and Anti-inflammatory Medication

There are several things you can do at home to ease the pain of bursitis in the knee. You can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen.

Resting the knee and icing it for 20 minutes several times a day can help reduce the pain and swelling of bursitis. Or, you can try alternating between icing and heat, and avoid any activities that may aggravate the condition. Sometimes, wearing a knee sleeve or brace can also help.

Physical Therapy Exercises

Physical therapy may be recommended to help stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons around the knee. The most important thing to do is to keep the joint mobile and strengthen the muscles around the joint. A physical therapist can prescribe the best knee exercises for bursitis in your particular situation.

Steroid Injections

If your symptoms are severe or don’t improve with home treatment, you may need to see a joint pain doctor. They may prescribe and give you a shot or injection of corticosteroid to reduce inflammation. 

The injection can be given into the bursa, the space between the skin and the underlying bone, or into the joint itself. A local anesthetic may be used to numb the area first. The steroid injection can help to reduce inflammation and pain.

Surgery

Surgery is rarely required but may be an option for treating knee bursitis who do not respond to nonsurgical or conservative treatment. The goal of surgery is to remove the inflamed bursa and repair any damage to the tendons or ligaments.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are a treatment option that may help relieve your pain and improve your mobility. PRP is a concentration of platelets, which are cells that help with tissue regeneration. PRP injections may help promote healing and also reduce inflammation in your bursa and surrounding tissue.

Treat Your Knee Bursitis

There are several ways to treat your knee bursitis. You can follow the tips listed in this article, which include proper rest, drinking the correct medications, doing some physical therapy exercises, steroid injections if the pain is not improving, surgery, and platelet-rich plasma injections. You should also consult your doctor to determine the best treatment for your case.

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