Bursa Injections for Joint Pain Relief
Oct 12, 2015
Injections can be one of the most effective methods for treating pain. But with so many different types of injections (from nerve block injections, to epidural injections), it can be difficult to keep them all straight and choose the right injection for your situation. The focus of this article is Bursa Injections. We will talk about how bursa injections differ from other injections, and when they can be used to treat pain.
Before we talk about bursa injections, let’s briefly cover what exactly the term “bursa” means. A bursa is a small sac of fluid located at any area in the body where muscles and tendons meet bones. The function of the bursa is to facilitate the gliding of muscles or tendons over bone or ligament. When a bursa becomes inflamed, it can cause pain and decreased mobility.
A bursa injection is an injection into one of the body’s bursa sacs to reduce inflammation and pain. The procedure itself is simple. First, the area of injection is numbed with local anesthesia. Then the physician introduces steroid and anesthetic into the bursa sac.
The level of pain relief provided by bursa injections varies by patient. Some people experience pain relief within hours or days after the injection. Sometimes the pain relief is permanent, and sometimes it returns after a few months.
Bursa injections can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions and injuries throughout the body. Here are a few of the most common:
If you are experiencing joint pain in any area of your body, make an appointment with a pain management physician today to discuss your options and see if a bursa injection can help you. The doctors at Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota have been administering bursa injections for years – and can guide you through your options for treatment.