The most common disease of the musculoskeletal system is inflammation of the bag of the elbow joint. In the medical field, it is called bursitis. Before considering how to treat elbow bursitis, you need to know what an elbow is and what it represents.
What is an elbow?
This is the place where three bones meet at once. We are talking about the radial, ulnar and shoulder. This anatomical connection unites the bag where the lubricant is located. In other words, it is called synovial fluid. Such a bag is needed so that the bones do not rub against each other. There should be little synovial fluid, it is only needed to lubricate the surfaces. If there is an excess of it, this means that the lubrication functions are impaired. That is why the treatment of elbow bursitis will be aimed at ensuring that the articulation moves without any difficulty. There should be no crunching, pain or discomfort when moving the hand.
Inflammation of elbow bags
In order to understand what are the symptoms of elbow bursitis, it is necessary to understand the causes of suchProblems. At risk are people who are bedridden or who are in old age. Systemic diseases in the form of diabetes mellitus or traumatism can also cause bursitis. Severe infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, gonorrhea and so on also cause this disease. Cuts, in which the infection penetrates the elbow joint, are provoking factors. Arthritis affects all joints in the body, so ulnar bursitis can develop later.
Acute injury, as well as injuries of the same type, which are regularly repeated, often cause this ailment. It should be noted that problems can arise when the joint is damaged due to the transfer of weight to it. Therefore, students, miners, athletes, and so on very often suffer from this disease. There are also cases of the disease in which the etymology is unknown. In such a case, before making a decision on how to treat elbow bursitis, the doctor should conduct a complete examination of the person to diagnose the possible cause.
Symptoms of bursitis
This disease can be suspected if a person has a sharp reddened area of the joint and began to increase in size. In this case, swelling is observed. The joint itself is hot, may be disturbed by pain, which increases with movement, there is fever, weakness, chills and lack of appetite. There may also be redness that spreads far around.
If a person hasat least one of the symptoms of elbow bursitis (the photo of which is given in the article), you should immediately consult a doctor. The sooner a person begins treatment, the greater the likelihood that the disease will be defeated.
Consequences of the disease
If this disease is not treated, complications will occur. It should be understood that it does not go away on its own. Subsequently, suppuration may appear, which will spread around. In the articular bag, the blood supply will be disrupted, so the infection can linger for a long time. Pus is able to affect all tissues. Because of this, fistulas can form. If you avoid the treatment of bursitis of the elbow joint (the photo of which is given in the article), then its functional activity may be completely disrupted.
If we are talking about acute inflammation, then it can turn into a chronic form. In this case, pain and fever will be constant. In order to avoid this, you need to start treatment immediately from the first days of the disease. You should contact a traumatologist or an orthopedist. They are the main specialists in diseases of the joints and bones.
Help at home
Many people faced with a similar problem are concerned about the question of how to treat elbow bursitis at home. First of all, you need to put a tight bandage on the joint. This is necessary so that he can relax and unwind. You need to bandage the arm in a bent state, while the angle should be 90 degrees. Followed bythrow the scarf over the neck and fix the hand. It should hang on a bandage. The main thing is that when bandaging the blood vessels are not severely injured. This means that you should not overtighten your hand with a bandage. All fingertips should remain sensitive. If they begin to go numb, this means that the bandages should be loosened. Ready-made sports bandages are also sold, which allow you to carry out a similar procedure. In general, elbow bursitis can be treated quite successfully at home. You can also use any anesthetic anti-inflammatory ointments. The range of such drugs is huge. Which one to choose in your particular situation - the doctor will tell you.
Choice of antibiotics
Sometimes it happens that the symptoms of elbow bursitis are very pronounced, and the disease itself is extremely difficult. In this case, the treatment will be difficult and lengthy. If all manifestations are too aggressive, then simple means cannot cope. In this case, you need to consult a doctor so that he prescribes antibiotics. There is an unspoken rule that says that inflammation should decrease at least a little by the third day of treatment. If this does not happen, the situation continues to worsen, then you need to go to the doctor again so that he adjusts the course of therapy and selects a more effective drug. Which medicine will be chosen depends entirely on the age, side diseases that the patient has, as well as the severity of the disease. It should also be borne in mind that ointments, gels, tablets and other medicines are prescribedsolely the attending physician. Do not forget that self-medication can lead to even more he alth problems.
Disease forms
Bursitis of the elbow joint is divided into three forms. The easiest is the pathology in which fluid appears in the bag. No bacteria present.
The second stage is more serious, it is called hemorrhagic. In this case, blood enters the cavity of the bag. And the third, most severe form is purulent. This suggests that pathogenic bacteria have entered the joint.
Treatment process
The photo of elbow bursitis demonstrates the severity of the disease. If treatment is not started on time, complications may occur. Sometimes conventional medicines are not enough. This suggests that too much fluid has accumulated in the elbow. At the same time, the articular bag is not stretched, and the fluid provokes the occurrence of severe pain.
In order to alleviate the patient's condition, a puncture is performed. The bag is carefully pierced with a needle, and the accumulated joint fluid is carefully removed. In some cases, it makes sense to send her for research in order to fully understand the causes of pain. Without removing the needle from the cavity of the periarticular sac, during the puncture, the doctor injects painkillers, so the condition of patients, as a rule, is relieved. As a rule, fast-acting drugs are used, which allow you to get relief in a few minutes.
Is it possible to fully recover?
BursitisThe elbow joint cannot always be cured completely. It depends on the human body, as well as the degree of the disease with which the patient turned to the doctor. If we are talking about a purulent form, then the treatment is always complex. With isolated bursitis, when the rest of the patient's organs are as he althy as possible, and the person himself is young, then such a disease can be cured completely completely without a trace. However, if there are any concomitant diseases, then the prognosis will be poor.
In order to calculate which therapy will be most effective, the doctor makes an x-ray, ultrasound of the joint to understand what changes have occurred in the articular bag. General clinical studies are also carried out. We are talking about the analysis of blood, urine, glucose and so on. It also allows you to know which antibiotic a person is sensitive to. In order to improve the human condition, you need to get rid of pathogenic bacteria. With purulent bursitis, drainage should be used to alleviate the condition. In this case, purulent discharge will find out. In order to speed up recovery, it is necessary to wash this incision with antiseptics and antibiotics.
Disease in general diseases
If bursitis of the elbow joint is caused by any primary diseases, such as diabetes, tuberculosis, etc., then the doctor first tries to eliminate all the symptoms of such a pathology. In the event that bursitis is associated only with the general clinical picture, then urgent therapeutic actions must be carried out in order to stop the pathogen.
Timely treatment always leads to a positive result. If we are talking about serious diseases that can lead to bursitis, then they try to protect such patients from inflammation of this type. Elderly people should be protected from injury, and bedridden patients should be turned over in bed much more often. Due to the fact that the blood will function much better in this case, this will positively affect the quality of life.
Folk remedies
If we are talking about a mild form, when pus or blood does not enter the composition, then lotions, coniferous baths, body wraps and other similar procedures help in the treatment of elbow bursitis. They have a resolving effect and are able to lead to a good result. Anyway, only a doctor should choose and approve a folk remedy. In order to relieve inflammation, antibiotics should be used in parallel, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs. If the purulent process has begun, then folk remedies should be immediately abandoned.
Chronic bursitis
If the disease has become chronic, then it is imperative to continue treatment persistently. Only in this way can a stable remission be achieved. The chronic process can cause joint stiffness, which is difficult to manage. If there is chronic bursitis of the elbow joint, then it is necessary to carry out physiotherapy. At the moment, there are a large number of treatment methods that can successfully deal with a similar problem.
Phonophoresis (ultrasound treatment) has an excellent effect. Such a result will not keep you waiting. Acupuncture is also quite effective, but only if it is performed by a highly qualified specialist. It is imperative to carry out physiotherapy exercises, starting with simple exercises in the form of shaking your hand. Over time, you need to bring the scope to the usual level. Exercise should be done daily, massage and passive exercise are also good.
Conclusions
The article describes the manifestations, possible causes and methods of treatment of bursitis, which affects the elbow joint. It is important to pay attention to therapy for this disease, since its complete absence can lead to disability and complete muscle atrophy. Initially, the movement of the joint itself will be blocked, and then problems with tendons and tissues will begin to appear. Many patients who began to treat the disease on time, and also follow preventive measures, do not even suffer from relapses.
In the treatment of the disease, it is necessary to use antibacterial agents, anti-inflammatory agents without fail and, if necessary, antiseptic drugs. The latter are necessary if the patient has injuries or an operation has been performed, drainage has been placed. The latter allows you to get rid of purulent inflammation, ridding the joint bag of excess fluid and bacteria.
After a successful cure of the disease, it is necessary to protect your elbow joint from injuries and sprains so that a relapse is not provoked. As mentioned above, it is impossible to achieve a complete cure, since the disease is poorly understood and the causes that affect the appearance of bursitis are simply not fully identified.
Preventive measures will not only protect against relapse, but also from the usual risk of disease. After all, the symptoms and treatment of elbow bursitis are much easier to avoid than it might seem at first glance. You need to eat more fruits, berries and vegetables to prevent beriberi. Be sure to monitor your immune system, preventing the development of any other serious diseases. In some diseases, among the complications, there are problems with the musculoskeletal system, which is quite serious. You should consult a doctor when the first symptoms appear, and then the patient will not have to fear for his he alth.
