{"id":5163,"date":"2019-03-19T05:54:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T05:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=5163"},"modified":"2021-03-29T18:53:08","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T18:53:08","slug":"14-symptoms-of-bursitis-in-the-knee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-symptoms-of-bursitis-in-the-knee\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Symptoms of Bursitis in the Knee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bursitis is a condition that can be confused with other issues, such as arthritis and tendonitis, but it has its own telltale symptoms. The first symptom is pain in the area around the kneecap. This pain is distinct from other conditions such as arthritis that are focused specifically on the joint. In addition, the entire knee area may be tender to the touch and can hurt when pressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The knee may also be red or warm. If it is excessively warm and red, be on the lookout for infection, especially when accompanied by fever. Swelling may be present whether the cause of bursitis is inflammation or an injury. You may not be able to move the knee as you usually do if there is bursitis, because the bursae become inflamed. If you have these symptoms, it is important to see a doctor who can confirm whether it is bursitis.
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1. Pain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first signs of bursitis <\/a>is pain. You may try to bend as usual or simply try to walk down some stairs and you will feel discomfort around your kneecap. This pain may start out as minor or it could be intense, but if bursitis is present, you are likely to feel it consistently in one area or perform the same kind of activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain results from the damage or inflammation occurring in the bursae of the sacs around the bones of the knees that are filled with lubricating liquid. When these are damaged, the bones in the knee do not get enough lubrication, and it can be painful to do accustomed activities. You may find that the pain lessens if you rest the area and refrain from strenuous physical activity for at least a few days. Applying cold compresses can also help ease the pain.
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2. Muscle weakness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A weakening of the muscles around the kneecaps can be both a cause and a symptom of bursitis. The fact that that these muscles are strained may cause the bursae to be more vulnerable and more prone to inflammation <\/a>and damage. In addition, a straining of the tendons in the form of tendonitis can also occur along with bursitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the weakness in the muscles is not due to any damage done to the muscles but because of the pain in the general area. You may naturally feel less inclined to engage in physical activity and may feel fatigued as a result of discomfort with moving the area in general. It is a good idea to follow your instinct and to avoid moving too much if you feel you have bursitis, since straining the area can make the situation worse.
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3. Loss of range of motion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One sign of bursitis is that you may not feel that you can move your knee as well as you did before. There may be stiffness when you try to rotate the knee, or you may not be able to rotate your knee <\/a>at all. If you feel your range of motion is restricted, that is because the bursae in the knee are inflamed or damaged, and the joint can\u2019t function like it used to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is best not to try to move your knee too much if you feel you are suffering from bursitis. Because of the swelling of the bursae, you may not be able to move the area very well. Resting the area can be an important step toward treatment. If you need to move your knee for your job, a physical therapist can give you tips on how to continue functioning with bursitis.
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4. Swelling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not all cases of bursitis are accompanied by swelling<\/a>, but this symptom occurs more often if inflammation is the underlying cause, rather than injury. A sudden fall or a hit to the area can result in the knee becoming swollen, but this might not always be the case. However, if the bursitis is caused by an inflammatory condition or an infection, there is usually swelling. This is because the problem is occurring directly in the center of the bursae where the fluid is located. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the fluid and the sac are damaged there is swelling caused by an infection or inflammation. These underlying causes are responsible for a condition known as septic bursitis. However, an injury alone can also lead to swelling, and if accompanied by certain other symptoms, such as specific pain in the knee area and restricted movement, the swelling can be a sign of bursitis.
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5. Fever<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fever <\/a>isn\u2019t a dominant symptom of bursitis, but it can occur in the case of septic bursitis or an infection. Many cases of bursitis are caused by injuries, and in these cases, there is not likely to be fever, but tenderness or pain in the area. Septic bursitis is caused by an infection that can occur in the lubricating fluid located in the center of the bursae in the knee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fever can result from any type of infection as the temperature of the body rises when it is fighting an infection. However, fever is a sign that medical attention is needed right away, because of any infection if it gets out of control, can be a medical emergency. Be sure to see your doctor right away if you have a high fever. Most likely, he or she will take a fluid sample from the knee to determine if bursitis is the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Tenderness in the Area<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the bursae in the knee are irritated or injured, there may be tenderness <\/a>when the knee is touched. The tenderness on contact combined with pain can distinguish bursitis from other conditions characterized by joint pain, such as arthritis. If you notice that when you touch your kneecap and take away your finger and the pain subsides, that may be a more likely symptom of bursitis than simple knee strain or tendonitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tenderness can be combined with an inability to move the knee which is one of the first signs of bursitis. This knee tenderness can be caused by various kinds of bursitis, whether it arises from an injury, repetitive movement or infection and inflammation. The reason the entire area of the knee may be painful is that bursitis affects the sac around the knee and not just the joint.
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7. Reddish appearance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A reddish appearance is one of the first symptoms of bursitis, but the area does not necessarily have to be red. The redness results from an inflammation <\/a>of the bursae that are located underneath the kneecap. This redness may be accompanied by the warmth that may be the result of general irritation in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the redness is minor, this may not be a cause of concern, but if the redness is extreme is accompanied by heat and a rash, it is important to see a doctor. Bursitis may have gone beyond a simple irritation and may have developed into an infection of the fluid area that requires immediate attention. Reddish skin can be a sign of bursitis caused by an injury or an inflammation of the fluid sac. A medical professional can take a liquid sample to determine the cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Sharp shooting pain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although pain is one of the first symptoms of bursitis, shooting pain is a different issue that may require attention. If your pain started as mild and then develops into a more intense, shooting pain, you may need to stay off your knee. Bursitis can be aggravated by an excess of strain on the knee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development of shooting pains in the knee can be a sign of infection <\/a>or that the damage to the bursae has gotten worse. Try using cold packs and elevating the area to relieve the pain. The shooting pain is a sign that you should stay off the area, so avoiding the activities that might have led to the damage in the first place may help lead to a cessation of the pain. Asking a physical therapist advice on how to move to reduce discomfort may be a way to relieve the symptoms of bursitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Muscular Imbalance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bursitis can vary in terms of the pain and discomfort and this can occasionally make it difficult to spot. In some cases, you might experience a lower level discomfort <\/a>associated with knee bursitis, but find yourself ignoring it with the hopes that it will \u2018go away on its own\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When trying to assess the severity of the issue or how long it might have been occurring for, it can be useful therefore to look at the development of muscle around the area. One thing that might jump out as being particularly unusual is the appearance of muscular imbalance: you might, for instance, have a more developed left or right leg as compared with the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this is that you will be correcting your movement by placing more weight on one side when walking, or even when standing. This, in turn, can cause increased mechanical tension and blood flow to the healthy leg, which in turn can lead to increased hypertrophy on that side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice this is the case, then it\u2019s important to do what you can to address the problem: otherwise you might cause the issue to worsen.
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10. Discoloration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bursitis on its own is often enough to cause swelling<\/a>. This happens because the body is rushing blood to the area: carrying nutrients, antibodies, oxygen, and platelets there. What this does is cause the area to swell and get larger, which is often going to contribute to the pain and discomfort that you feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is normal and as we have discussed, it may be accompanied by redness. What is less normal, however, is for the area to appear darker \u2013 to look dark blue or even black. If this happens, then this suggests that bursitis may, in fact, be caused by an infection rather than a trauma, which means that you will need a course of antibiotics. Infections can spread and will cause a number of unwanted side effects unless treated, so it is extremely important that you speak with your physician at your earliest convenience.
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11. Fever<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another sign that the bursitis is caused by an infection is if you feel the onset of a fever<\/a>. Fevers are caused by the body trying to raise its core temperature in order to make the environment less hospitable for the bacteria. This can feel quite unpleasant and may be accompanied by shivers and sweating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice signs of a fever, then it\u2019s important that you go and see your GP to get a course of antibiotics \u2013 otherwise, you may incur tissue damage that can do a lot more harm.
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12. Mobility Issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mobility <\/a>refers to your ability to move through a normal range of motion in multiple areas. We have already discussed the effect that bursitis can have on the range of motion in your knee, and we have seen that it can cause you to place more weight on one leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is also useful to keep in mind, is that you might find your mobility is additionally affected in other <\/em>areas too. For instance, you might find it harder to move your ankle through its full range of motion, you might experience back pain, or you might find it hard to get out of bed in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for all these things is that you will be using corrective movement patterns, which can actually introduce new imbalances and issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you have knee pain when performing certain movements, then you might subtly change your gait or your positioning, in order to reduce that discomfort. This can in turn, however, cause you to tighten certain muscles, or weaken others. As such, seemingly unrelated movements may become difficult!
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13. Pain Going Down Hill<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While bursitis may hurt constantly, or whenever you are placing weight on the affected limb, it can also seem worse at particular times. A common example is when walking downhill, which actually affects the body slightly differently as compared with going uphill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When walking downhill, you actually hit the ground harder with each step because the foot has got further to travel. At the same time, the angle of your joint places more pressure <\/a>on the patella. This is an eccentric exercise, meaning that the muscle is lengthening under load as opposed to contracting (which happens when you walk uphill). This can lead to more discomfort, and it might also place more pressure on the tendons and the surrounding connective tissue. All this means that knee pain is very often felt more severely when going downhill.
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14. Risk Factors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A risk factor is not a symptom but is rather a statistic that means you will be more likely to encounter a specific problem. In this case, certain demographics, professions, and more will have an increased likelihood of developing knee bursitis. Knowing this can then, in turn, help you to better ascertain whether it\u2019s likely that this is what is afflicting you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous things make you more likely to experience bursitis in the knee. One of the most obvious risk factors is being overweight <\/a>\u2013 which increases the amount of weight on the knee and thereby increases the pressure on the sacs. Another risk factor is age: as we get older many parts of our body deteriorate which can lead to pain and discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also true that playing certain sports that involve impact on the knees can increase your likelihood, as can a history of bursitis.
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