Also known as student’s elbow, olecranon bursitis is common among people who rest their elbows on desks for extended periods of time. 

Some people show obvious and embarrassing signs of olecranon bursitis and cannot wear long-sleeved sweatshirts because of the size of their swollen elbow. Olecranon bursitis patients can suffer with swelling as large as six centimeters over the bony part of the elbow. Later, these olecranon bursitis patients are left with lumps, nodules or scar tissue.

Elbow bursitis or olecranon bursitis is an inflammation of a bursa, the lubricating fluid that permits smooth gliding action between bones, tendons or muscles. People with olecranon bursitis experience pain and swelling behind the elbow when a bursa becomes inflamed. The sac becomes filled with inflammatory fluid.

Get Rid of Bursitis Pain for Good

The term olecranon bursitis is a combination of the word olecranon, which is the bony prominence of the elbow, and bursitis, the inflammation of a bursa. The bursa in the elbow is located between the skin and the tip of the ulna, the long bone in the lower arm that meets the olecranon.

The injuries associated with olecranon bursitis can often happen over time. If your doctor diagnosed you with olecranon bursitis, you may be wondering how you got it. Some people get olecranon bursitis by resting their elbows on hard surfaces while others develop olecranon bursitis after a traumatic accident.

Anyone can get olecranon bursitis. The onset of olecranon bursitis may also be the result of injury to the elbow through exercise. Also, olecranon bursitis may be due to day-to-day chores such as lifting a heavy piece of furniture or shoveling snow. Olecranon bursitis is linked to people who play baseball, tennis, racquetball, run or work in an office.

Olecranon bursitis is typically the result of joints being torn by excessive force. Bursitis can also be caused by the inflammation of crystal deposits in the synovial fluid as well as rheumatoid arthritis. People with olecranon bursitis should be careful not to irritate, bump or apply pressure on a bursa or they may experience swelling and pain.

Get Soothing Relief for Bursitis

A chronic condition for many people, olecranon bursitis can be especially painful when it occurs through injury or gets infected. Most people with olecranon bursitis have a history of other elbow injuries and suffer with such conditions as tendonitis, other types of bursitis and arthritis.

Acute olecranon bursitis that is the result of injury or infection will be extremely tender to the touch. Signs of infection include redness around the bursa, fevers, chills and unusual fluid within the bursa. Treatment of infected bursitis requires repeated drainage of the fluid, antibiotic treatment and a surgical procedure to remove the infected bursa.

Look for heat at the injured site and redness as a possible indication of an infection. Chronic, recurrent bursitis swells but is less painful.

If you are wondering whether your olecranon bursitis can be permanently cured, the answer is yes, most of the time. Although it’s possible for olecranon bursitis to return, the inflammation usually subsides after a physician has drained the fluid from the sac. After you have given yourself adequate rest for your elbow, the problem is often resolved.

Treatment for olecranon bursitis begins with rest, ice, compression and elevation followed by physical therapy. Also, a doctor may remove a bursa surgically, but that is not always required. In most cases, your doctor will aspirate the swollen cyst and apply a compression bandage.

If it is necessary, your doctor will first remove any tissue that has degenerated or does not appear healthy. Many times the doctor will inject cortisone into the sac after draining the fluid to  suppress the inflammatory response. Your doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug or recommend over-the-counter medication as well as antibiotics.

If you do have surgery, your doctor will give you a splint to temporarily immobilize the elbow. Physical therapy will usually begin after the first week, starting with passive exercises then moving into more active range of motion exercises for the elbow and forearm. Plan on follow-up visits with your doctor if you have been treated for olecranon bursitis.

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