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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Bursitis is recognised from your symptoms and the swelling on camera, and treated at home; draining, tests for infection and injections are in person.
- What it is: inflammation of a bursa, one of the small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the tissues around joints. The body has more than 150 of them.
- Where: most often the shoulder, hip, elbow or knee, after a knock, repeated pressure such as kneeling, or overuse.
- How long it lasts: it usually goes away in a few weeks with rest, ice and pain relief.
- Emergency: call 112 or go to an emergency department for a hot, red, swollen joint with a fever or feeling very unwell.
Do not book a video appointment if a joint is hot, red and swollen and you have a fever or feel very unwell, if you are confused or have pale or blotchy skin or difficulty breathing with a fever, or if a joint looks deformed after an injury. Call 112 or go to an emergency department.
Can an online doctor treat bursitis?
Yes, usually. Bursitis is recognised from where the pain and swelling are, how they started and what you do with the joint, and a doctor can see a swollen elbow or knee on camera. Most bursitis settles at home with rest, ice and pain relief. A bursa that may be infected, swelling that needs draining or testing for gout, steroid injections and surgery are in person, and the doctor tells you when you need them.
How an online consultation helps with bursitis
- Infection checked first: Redness, heat and a fever can mean an infected bursa, which needs a prompt examination and antibiotics.
- Bursitis, or the joint itself?: Arthritis, gout, a tendon problem or an injury can look similar, and the pattern of your pain tells them apart.
- Pain relief that suits you: Which painkiller is safe with your stomach, kidneys, heart and other medicines.
- A plan to stop it coming back: Padding, breaks, technique and strengthening for the work or sport that caused it.
What the doctor checks in an online bursitis consultation
The doctor asks about the signs of infection first, then about the joint and what brought the pain on. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: a high temperature, feeling hot, cold or shivery, spreading redness, or a joint you cannot move.
- The swelling: where it is, how big, and whether it is red, hot or tender, which you can show on camera.
- How it started: a knock or fall, a cut over the joint, or kneeling, leaning or a repeated movement.
- The pain: dull and achy, or sharp and shooting, and whether it is worse when you move or press on it.
- Your health: gout, arthritis, diabetes, thyroid problems, and the medicines you take.
Before the call, find a well-lit spot where you can show the swollen area on camera, next to the same area on the other side.
What is bursitis, and why did I suddenly get it?
A bursa is a small, closed sac of fluid that acts as a cushion, reducing friction where tendons, muscles and skin move over bone. The body has more than 150 of them, and the main ones sit near the large joints. Bursitis is when a bursa becomes inflamed: it swells, aches and is tender to press. The most common causes are injury and overuse:
- a knock or fall onto the joint
- repeated pressure, such as kneeling or leaning on your elbows for long periods
- repeated movements, such as lifting or throwing overhead, gardening, painting or racket sports
- an infection, often through a cut or graze over the elbow or knee
- gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other types of arthritis
It becomes more common with age, and it is more likely with diabetes or thyroid disease, with jobs such as carpet laying, tiling and plumbing, and, for the hip and knee, with being overweight. When bursitis comes on suddenly, the usual trigger is a knock, a new or longer spell of an activity that loads the joint, an infection or a gout attack.
Types of bursitis: hip, knee, elbow, shoulder and heel
Bursitis is named after the bursa it affects, and some types have old names from the jobs that caused them:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Type | Where it hurts | Common name | Usual cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder (subacromial) | The top and outside of the shoulder, worse lifting the arm | None | Overhead movements and lifting |
| Elbow (olecranon) | A soft swelling at the tip of the elbow | Miner’s or barfly’s elbow | Leaning on the elbows, a knock, or an infection |
| Hip (trochanteric) | The outside of the hip, often worse lying on that side | None | Overuse, extra weight, and conditions such as arthritis |
| Knee (prepatellar) | A swelling over the kneecap | Housemaid’s knee | Kneeling for long periods |
| Buttock (ischial) | The sitting bone, worse when you sit | Weaver’s bottom | Sitting for long periods on hard surfaces |
| Heel and foot | The back of the heel, the big toe or the ball of the foot | None | Pressure and overuse |
Hip bursitis, or something else?
Pain on the outside of the hip has several possible causes besides bursitis, including the tendons beside the bursa and the hip joint itself. The hip pain page explains them.
Is my bursitis infected?
Most bursitis is not infected. Infection usually gets in through a cut or graze over the joint, which is why cleaning cuts over the elbows and knees matters. Signs that point to an infected bursa:
- redness or darker discolouration, and heat over the swelling
- a high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
- pain that is getting worse rather than settling
- redness spreading out from the swelling
An infected bursa needs a prompt examination in person. The doctor may draw off fluid with a needle to test it for infection and for gout, and antibiotics are usually given for at least 7 days. A steroid injection is never used when infection is the cause.
Can I drain my own elbow bursitis?
No. Draining a bursa, called aspiration, is done by a doctor or nurse with a sterile needle, and the fluid is sent to be tested. Pricking it yourself can bring in infection.
How long does bursitis take to heal?
Bursitis usually goes away in a few weeks with rest, ice and pain relief. Bursitis that keeps coming back in the same place is called chronic bursitis, and it can stiffen the joint over time.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Time | What usually happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| First days | Pain and swelling are at their worst | Rest the joint, ice for about 10 minutes at a time every few hours, and take pain relief |
| 1 to 2 weeks | Most bursitis is clearly improving | See a doctor if it has not improved or is getting worse |
| A few weeks | Most people have recovered | Build back up gradually, with padding and breaks |
| 6 months or more | Rarely, symptoms persist despite treatment | Surgery to remove the bursa can be considered |
How do you heal hip bursitis quickly?
There is no instant fix. Avoid lying on the painful side and put extra cushions around the hip at night, rest from the activities that make it worse, use ice and pain relief, and strengthen the muscles around the hip as the pain allows. If it has not improved after 1 to 2 weeks, see a doctor.
Which bursitis treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on where the bursitis is, what caused it, and whether it could be infected. This is the framework the doctors use:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tender, swollen bursa after pressure or overuse | Rest, ice, padding and pain relief | Yes | Not usually needed |
| No better after 1 to 2 weeks | A review, and physiotherapy or a steroid injection | Partly | For the injection |
| Red, hot swelling over the elbow or knee, or a high temperature | An examination, often with fluid drawn off, and antibiotics if infected | Yes, to assess | Prompt examination in person |
| Sudden swelling with a history of gout | Assessment for a gout attack | Yes | For fluid to be drawn off if the cause is unclear |
| Bursitis that keeps coming back | Changes to work or sport, strengthening, and a review of the cause | Yes | Rarely, surgery to remove the bursa |
| A hot, swollen joint with a fever and feeling very unwell | Emergency assessment | No | Call 112 or go to an emergency department |
A painful swelling near a joint and not sure what it is? A doctor can tell you in one consultation what will help.
See available times →Treatment options for bursitis
What you can do yourself
- Rest the joint, and avoid the kneeling, leaning, lifting or movement that brought it on.
- Hold an ice pack, or frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel, on the area for about 10 minutes at a time, every few hours during the day.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for the pain; ask a pharmacist which suits you.
- Put extra cushions around the joint when you sleep, and avoid lying on a painful hip.
- Once the pain eases, strengthen the muscles around the joint, and build activities back up gradually.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. If pharmacy pain relief is not enough, the doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory such as naproxen for a short time, after checking your stomach, kidneys, heart and other medicines. If the bursa may be infected, the doctor arranges an examination in person, where fluid can be tested and antibiotics started. Opioid painkillers such as codeine and tramadol are never prescribed online. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
Treatments in person
- Aspiration: draining fluid with a needle, to ease the swelling and test for infection and gout.
- Steroid injection: reduces swelling and pain, but never when infection is the cause.
- Physiotherapy: to restore movement and change how you use the joint.
- Surgery: draining or removing the bursa, rarely needed, for severe bursitis or bursitis that keeps coming back.
What does not help
Carrying on with the kneeling, leaning or movement that caused it. Pricking or draining the swelling yourself. Taking anti-inflammatory tablets for more than 10 days in a row without advice. A steroid injection before infection has been ruled out.
How to prevent bursitis coming back
Most bursitis comes from pressure and repeated movement, so small changes make a difference:
- Use kneeling pads or a cushion if you kneel for work, gardening or cleaning.
- Do not lean on your elbows on hard surfaces for long periods.
- Take regular breaks from repetitive tasks, and ease into new activities.
- Warm up before exercise and sport, and use good technique.
- Keep to a healthy weight, which takes pressure off the hips and knees.
- Clean any cut or graze over a joint straight away.
Special situations
Kneeling and leaning jobs
Carpet layers, tilers, plumbers, cleaners and gardeners are prone to knee bursitis, and people who lean on desks or bars to elbow bursitis. Padding and breaks are the best protection, and the repetitive strain injury page covers other work-related pain.
Gout and arthritis
Bursitis can be part of gout or rheumatoid arthritis. If it keeps coming back without a clear cause, the doctor may suggest blood tests.
Diabetes
Diabetes makes bursitis more likely, so see a doctor promptly about a red, hot swelling.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When bursitis is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: bursitis from pressure or overuse, pain relief, advice on rest, ice, padding and return to activity, bursitis that keeps coming back, and deciding when an injection or physiotherapy is worth it.
In-person care: a bursa that may be infected, draining and fluid tests, steroid injections, surgery, and any emergency sign.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- a hot, red, swollen joint with a fever or feeling very unwell, which can be a joint infection
- a fever with confusion, pale or blotchy skin, or difficulty breathing
- a joint that looks deformed, or that you cannot move or put weight on, after a fall or injury
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a swelling that is red and hot, or redness spreading from it
- a high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery, with bursitis
- a joint you cannot move
- very severe, sharp or shooting pain
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about the swelling: show it on camera next to the other side, and say how it started and whether you have a temperature.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s bursitis? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Tendonitis can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about bursitis
What is bursitis?
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that cushions the tissues around a joint. It causes a dull, achy pain, tenderness and swelling, most often at the shoulder, hip, elbow or knee.
Why did I suddenly get bursitis?
Bursitis usually starts because of a knock, a new or longer spell of kneeling, leaning or a repeated movement, an infection through a cut, or a gout attack. Arthritis, diabetes and getting older make it more likely.
What are the symptoms of bursitis?
Bursitis causes a dull, achy pain over the joint that is worse when you move it or press on it, tenderness, and swelling that can be soft and squashy, sometimes with a visible lump, a golf-ball swelling on the point of the elbow or the kneecap. The skin may be a little warm and pink. Pain that wakes you, redness that spreads, heat, a high temperature or feeling shivery suggest the bursa is infected, and an infected bursa needs a doctor without delay.
How do you get rid of bursitis?
Rest the joint, avoid what brought it on, use an ice pack for about 10 minutes at a time every few hours, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen. Most bursitis goes away in a few weeks; see a doctor if it is not better after 1 to 2 weeks.
What can I do at home for bursitis?
Rest the joint and stop the kneeling, leaning or repeated movement that caused the bursitis; put an ice pack in a cloth on it for about 10 minutes at a time, a few times a day for the first few days; pad the area if you have to kneel or lean; and take paracetamol or ibuprofen if they suit you. Keep the joint moving gently so it does not stiffen, and see a doctor if it is no better after 2 weeks.
How long does bursitis take to heal?
Usually a few weeks. Bursitis that keeps coming back in the same place can last longer, and surgery is considered only if symptoms continue for 6 months or more despite treatment.
What should you avoid if you have bursitis?
With bursitis, avoid pressure and repeated movement on the joint: kneeling, leaning on your elbows, lying on a painful hip, and the sport or task that caused it. Do not drain the swelling yourself.
Is my bursitis infected?
It may be if the swelling is red and hot, the pain is getting worse, redness is spreading, or you have a high temperature or feel shivery. An infected bursa needs a prompt examination in person and usually antibiotics.
Can I drain my own elbow bursitis?
No. Draining a bursa is done by a doctor or nurse with a sterile needle, and the fluid is tested for infection and gout. Pricking it yourself can bring in infection.
What is hip bursitis?
Inflammation of the bursa over the bony point on the outside of the hip, called trochanteric bursitis. It causes pain on the outer hip, often worse lying on that side, and the tendons beside it can cause similar pain.
Is it bursitis or arthritis?
Bursitis is inflammation of the cushioning sac outside the joint, so the swelling sits over one spot, the joint itself still moves fairly freely, and it follows a knock, kneeling, leaning or overuse and settles in weeks. Arthritis is inflammation inside the joint: the whole joint is stiff and painful, movement is limited, and it lasts months or years. Gout can look like either, with a sudden hot red joint, so a hot, red swelling needs a doctor.
Does bursitis go away on its own?
Usually, yes. Bursitis goes away on its own within a few weeks once the pressure or repeated movement that caused it stops, and rest, ice, pain relief and padding the joint help it settle. See a doctor if it is not improving after 2 weeks, keeps coming back, or the joint becomes hot, red or more painful, which can mean infection.
Do steroid injections help bursitis?
They can reduce swelling and pain when bursitis has not settled with rest and pain relief, but they are never used if the bursa could be infected.
Can an online doctor treat bursitis?
Yes, usually. A doctor can recognise bursitis from your symptoms and the swelling on camera, advise on rest, ice and pain relief, and arrange an examination in person if the bursa could be infected or needs draining.
- Bursitis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 30 October 2023.
- Bursitis: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic (US), 19 May 2026.
- Bursitis, Cleveland Clinic (US), reviewed 7 March 2023.
- Bursitis, Johns Hopkins Medicine (US), accessed 15 October 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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