Bursitis and tendonitis can be very painful and cause weakness and reduced range of motion. If they aren’t treated promptly, they can also lead to more serious complications, like tendon rupture or adhesive capsulitis. Coast Spine and Sports Medicine offers comprehensive treatment for men and women in Orange County, Los Angeles County and Inland Empire, who are suffering from tendonitis or bursitis.
What Are Tendonitis and Bursitis?
Bursitis and tendonitis are common conditions that share many characteristics, as both are inflammatory conditions of the soft tissue around the bone and muscle. Both conditions commonly affect the knee, wrist, hip, shoulder, elbow, and ankle. The difference between bursitis and tendonitis comes down to the tissue that is affected.
Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon, the tissue that connects bone to muscle. Tendons work like winches to cause bones to move when the muscle is relaxed or flexed. Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac that works like a cushion between the bone and the muscle or tendon surrounding the bone. The bursae reduce friction on these tissues that frequently rub against each other. There are major bursae close to tendons at major joints like the knees and elbows.
Inflammation of the tendon can affect the bursa and vice versa. While these conditions are independent, they often occur together and may refer to the same problem.
How Much Does Tendonitis and Bursitis Treatment Cost in Orange County?
The cost of treating bursitis and tendonitis depends on the cause and severity of your condition and how well you respond to conservative treatments. During your initial appointment at Coast Spine and Sports Medicine, we will develop a tailored treatment plan to address your pain and review the cost with you. We accept many forms of insurance plus financing through CareCredit®.
What Causes Bursitis or Tendonitis?
Tendonitis and bursitis are usually caused by overuse or repetitive stress during sports or work. Both conditions may also be caused by inflammation from an infection or another condition like diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Overuse injuries like tendonitis can be the result of many backhand tennis shots in the case of tennis elbow, long hours of painting or typing, forcefully pushing off the ground in the case of Achilles tendonitis, or chopping wood.
How Are Tendonitis and Bursitis Treated in Orange County?
Coast Spine and Sports Medicine believes in a multi-disciplinary approach that begins with the least invasive and most effective solutions first. Rest, icing, and anti-inflammatory medication helps most cases of bursitis and tendonitis. Steroid injections may offer short-term pain relief in addition to supportive devices like orthotics in the case of ankle tendonitis. Physical therapy can also be beneficial to help build strength and improve function, especially if bursitis or tendonitis has started to limit joint function.
When bursitis or tendonitis does not respond to other treatments and your activities are still limited, you may be a good candidate for surgery. The most common forms of tendonitis that require surgery are:
- Patellar tendonitis. This affects the tendon connecting the kneecap to the tibia or shinbone. Patellar tendonitis surgery may be advised when tiny tears in the tendon worsen and lead to dead tissue in the tendon that needs to be removed. This type of tendonitis may be treated with longitudinal percutaneous tenotomy (LPT), which involves placing a needle along the tendon structure to stimulate repair.
- Ankle tendonitis. A torn tendon in the ankle may require peroneal tendonitis surgery, which usually requires open surgery through an incision along the peroneal tendon outside the ankle. If less than half of the tendon is torn, the tissue can usually be sutured back together. In some cases, tenodesis is necessary, which involves cutting away the damaged section and suturing the remaining portion of the tendon to the other peroneal tendon beside it.
- Wrist tendonitis. When tendonitis of the wrist isn’t responding to conservative treatment, wrist tendonitis surgery may be necessary. This usually involves an incision adjacent to the damaged tendon to remove scar tissue and suture the ends of the tendon when necessary.
If you are struggling with the pain of bursitis or tendonitis, call us to schedule your initial appointment. Coast Spine and Sports Medicine proudly serves patients in Orange County and Los Angeles County, CA.