Bursitis and Fibromyalgia

I’ve been struggling for years with Bursitis in both hips, and while steroid shots help they don’t last long. Two weeks ago I had the Fibromyalgia flare, the worst I’ve ever had and it threw me for a loop. My hips were hurting so bad I could not walk without severe pain, and then the pain moved to my knee for one day.

As the pain moved around my body, I realized this was from the flare and decided to research Bursitis and Fibromyalgia, let’s see if Bursitis is common in patients with Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia-related bursitis

There have been reports of bursitis occurring in association with fibromyalgia. There are a number of painful soft-tissue conditions that are seen alongside fibromyalgia. Rotator cuff tendonitis, pes anserinus bursitis, and lateral epicondylitis are particularly common in patients with primary and secondary fibromyalgia, according to research.

Types of bursitis that have been reported in patients with fibromyalgia include:

Olecranon bursitis – elbow bursitis affecting the bursa found at the tip of the elbow.
Pes anserinus bursitis – bursitis affecting the bursa found beneath the knee on the inner side of the leg
Subacromial bursitis – shoulder bursitis causing pain in the upper shoulder or upper third of the arm, limiting shoulder movement without pain
Trochanteric bursitis – bursitis affecting the hip bursae.

Trochanteric bursitis is a common condition in patients living with fibromyalgia. Trochanteric bursitis develops when two particular bursae in the hip become inflamed. One bursa is located on the greater trochanter and the other, called the iliopsoas bursa, is found on the inside of the hip in the groin.

Typically, olecranon bursitis is seen less commonly in conjunction with fibromyalgia.

In one study of 554 patients with fibromyalgia, it was found that the patients reported a higher incidence of bursitis.

Treatment

Bursitis generally gets better on its own. Conservative measures, such as rest, ice and taking a pain reliever, can relieve discomfort. If conservative measures don’t work, you might require:

Medication. If the inflammation in your bursa is caused by an infection, your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic.
Therapy. Physical therapy or exercises can strengthen the muscles in the affected area to ease pain and prevent recurrence.
Injections. A corticosteroid drug injected into the bursa can relieve pain and inflammation in your shoulder or hip. This treatment generally works quickly and, in many cases, one injection is all you need.
Assistive device. Temporary use of a walking cane or other device will help relieve pressure on the affected area.
Surgery. Sometimes an inflamed bursa must be surgically drained, but only rarely is surgical removal of the affected bursa necessary.

A small poll was conducted by Lee Good from Fibro Connect’s Facebook page and 51% of people with Fibromyalgia had Bursitis. I’m not surprised by the results after reading the above information.

If you are experiencing pain in one of the areas listed above go see your Orthopedic Surgeon for evaluation. Most General Practice Doctors do not know how to give Bursa shots. It’s a two-part process and the shot is painful.

I’m not a medical doctor, I’m speaking for experience and research.

Melinda

References:

News-Medical

Mayo Clinic