You can easily recognize the signs of knee bursitis. The bigger challenge is knowing whether or not you have bursitis, because it causes symptoms similar to many knee conditions, including stress fractures.
That's why you should seek an evaluation whenever you have knee pain or swelling that doesn't improve in a few days or that gets worse.
Our experienced team at iMed Regeneration Center has helped many of our patients with knee bursitis, creating customized treatment plans that ease the pain and help prevent future problems. Keep reading to learn what you need to know about knee bursitis and its symptoms.
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that creates a cushion between bones and soft tissues such as your muscles, tendons, and skin. The cushion reduces friction between these structures as your body moves. Protecting the tissues from excessive rubbing helps you avoid tissue irritation and inflammation.
You have more than 150 bursae throughout your body, but most are in your joints. When one or more bursae become inflamed, you have bursitis.
Bursitis frequently develops as a result of:
Each knee joint contains four major bursae. Of these, prepatellar bursitis and pes anserine represent the two most common types of knee bursitis.
You develop prepatellar bursitis when the bursa in front of your kneecap becomes inflamed. When the bursa is irritated, it produces more fluid than normal and causes swelling that places pressure on the surrounding structures.
Prepatellar bursitis typically occurs due to:
Anyone who frequently kneels is at risk of prepatellar bursitis. For example, plumbers, carpet layers, roofers, and gardeners often end up with the problem.
Kneecap bursitis often afflicts athletes who participate in sports where they're likely to take a hit to the knee or fall on their knees. Such sports include basketball, football, and wrestling.
When a cut, puncture wound, insect bite, or any other injury breaks the skin around your knee, bacteria can invade the bursa and cause an infection. Infectious knee bursitis poses a serious health risk that needs immediate treatment.
Pes anserine refers to the three tendons that connect the hamstring muscles in your thigh to your shinbone (tibia) in the knee joint. The pes anserine bursa lies between the tibia and the area where the tendons attach to the bone.
When overuse causes excessive friction on the bursa, the sac produces too much fluid. The extra fluid makes the bursa swell.
This type of knee bursitis frequently occurs in athletes, especially runners who don't stretch, who suddenly increase their mileage, or who run uphill. Adults with knee arthritis also have a higher risk of developing pes anserine bursitis.
Taking a blow to your knee usually leads to rapidly occurring symptoms. But in most cases, knee bursitis develops gradually as you repeat the same movements over and over.
Whether you experience sudden symptoms or mild signs that slowly worsen, the top signs of knee bursitis include:
When bursitis develops due to an infection, your symptoms include redness, warmth, and leakage at the site, as well as a fever and chills.
We offer comprehensive care for knee bursitis, from easing your inflammation and symptoms to physical rehabilitation and chiropractic techniques that help prevent future knee problems.
To schedule an appointment, call our office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, or use our convenient online booking feature today.
