Musculoskeletal
Medicines for Bursitis
Inflammation of a bursa — one of the small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the points where tendons, muscles and skin glide over bone near a joint — causing a painful, sometimes swollen area over a joint that is worse with pressure or movement; it most often affects the shoulder, elbow, hip or knee, usually settles with rest and self-care, and only occasionally becomes infected.
Education and reference only. This explains which medicines are used and why, in plain language — it deliberately contains no doses and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Always discuss your own treatment with a qualified clinician, and check the BNF and the product labelling for prescribing detail.
Quick answer
What is Bursitis?
Bursitis means inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a small, slippery, fluid-filled sac that sits at a point where a tendon, muscle or the skin moves over a bony surface, acting as a cushion and reducing friction as a joint moves.
- How it is treated: For most bursitis, the aim is to calm the inflammation and take the strain off the affected bursa so it can recover.
- Self-care: Resting the affected joint, avoiding the activity or position that caused the problem, and protecting the area from further pressure all help a bursa to settle — for example using padding or cushioning when kneeling or leaning, and taking regular breaks from repetitive tasks.
- When to seek help: See your GP or pharmacist if bursitis is severe, is not improving after a couple of weeks of rest and self-care, keeps coming back, or is limiting how you use the joint, as a persistent non-infected bursa can sometimes be helped with a corticosteroid injection.
What it is
Bursitis means inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a small, slippery, fluid-filled sac that sits at a point where a tendon, muscle or the skin moves over a bony surface, acting as a cushion and reducing friction as a joint moves. When a bursa becomes inflamed it can fill with extra fluid, and the area over the joint becomes painful, tender and sometimes visibly swollen. The pain is typically worse when pressure is put on the area or when the joint is moved, and it can make leaning on the joint or lying on it uncomfortable. Bursitis commonly affects the shoulder, the elbow (where a swelling at the tip of the elbow is sometimes called "student's elbow"), the hip and the knee. It usually develops from repeated overuse of a joint, from prolonged pressure (such as kneeling or leaning on an elbow), or after a knock or injury; less often it follows conditions such as gout, and occasionally a bursa becomes infected. The great majority of cases are not serious and settle with simple measures, but it is worth knowing how to tell an irritated bursa apart from an infected one, because an infected bursa needs prompt treatment.
How it is treated
For most bursitis, the aim is to calm the inflammation and take the strain off the affected bursa so it can recover. The cornerstones are rest and protecting the area, applying something cold to ease pain and swelling, and — crucially — identifying and avoiding whatever triggered it, such as a repetitive movement or constant pressure on the joint. Anti-inflammatory painkillers are often used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation while things settle. Most cases improve over a few weeks with these measures. Where bursitis is persistent and is not infected, a corticosteroid injection placed into or around the bursa can help to settle stubborn inflammation. The picture is different if infection is suspected: an infected (septic) bursa — typically hot, very red, increasingly swollen and tender, sometimes with spreading redness and a fever or feeling unwell — needs urgent medical review and treatment with antibiotics, and a corticosteroid injection must not be given into an infected bursa. Where a bursa is very swollen or infection is in question, the fluid may be drawn off with a needle to relieve pressure and to test it.
For this condition, these medicines
Medicine classes used for Bursitis
Each links to a full, dose-free guide — what it is, how it works, who can and cannot use it, side effects, interactions and FAQs.
Symptom checker
Symptoms that can point to Bursitis
Bursitis can be one cause of these symptoms. Each guide explains the other possible causes and the red-flag warning signs that mean you should get urgent help:
Beyond medication
Lifestyle and self-care
Resting the affected joint, avoiding the activity or position that caused the problem, and protecting the area from further pressure all help a bursa to settle — for example using padding or cushioning when kneeling or leaning, and taking regular breaks from repetitive tasks. A cold pack wrapped in a cloth can ease pain and swelling in the early stages. Once the pain has eased, gradually returning to activity and gentle strengthening can reduce the chance of it coming back, and keeping to a healthy weight reduces load on weight-bearing joints such as the hip and knee.
When to get help
When to see a doctor
See your GP or pharmacist if bursitis is severe, is not improving after a couple of weeks of rest and self-care, keeps coming back, or is limiting how you use the joint, as a persistent non-infected bursa can sometimes be helped with a corticosteroid injection. Seek urgent medical advice if you think the bursa may be infected — warning signs are an area that becomes hot, very red, increasingly swollen and tender, redness that is spreading, or feeling generally unwell with a high temperature. Septic (infected) bursitis needs prompt assessment and antibiotics, and is the main reason not to simply wait and see. Also have it checked if the joint is very painful or swollen after a significant injury.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
Answers
Bursitis: frequently asked questions
What medicines are used for bursitis?
Most bursitis is treated first with self-care — rest, protecting and cooling the area, and avoiding whatever triggered it — together with anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs) to relieve pain and reduce inflammation while the bursa settles. Whether an NSAID is suitable depends on your other health conditions and medicines, so it is worth checking with a pharmacist. If bursitis is persistent and is not infected, a corticosteroid injection placed into or around the bursa can help calm stubborn inflammation. Importantly, if the bursa is infected (septic bursitis — hot, very red, spreading, with a fever), the treatment is different: it needs antibiotics and urgent review, and a steroid injection must not be given.
How can I tell if my bursitis is infected?
An irritated, non-infected bursa is usually painful and swollen but the skin over it looks fairly normal. An infected (septic) bursa tends to be hot to the touch, very red, increasingly swollen and tender, and the redness may spread outwards over the surrounding skin. You may also feel generally unwell or develop a high temperature. These features mean you should seek urgent medical help, because an infected bursa needs antibiotics rather than simply rest. If you are unsure which you have, it is safer to get it checked.
How long does bursitis take to get better?
Most bursitis settles within a few weeks once the joint is rested, the trigger is avoided and the inflammation is calmed with cooling and anti-inflammatory measures. Some cases take longer, particularly if the cause keeps recurring, and persistent bursitis that is not infected may be helped by a corticosteroid injection. Returning gradually to activity, rather than straight back to the movement that caused it, helps prevent it flaring up again. If it is not improving after a couple of weeks, or keeps coming back, it is worth having it reviewed.
Will I need a steroid injection or fluid drained?
Not usually. Most bursitis improves with rest, cooling, avoiding the trigger and anti-inflammatory painkillers, without any injection. A corticosteroid injection is considered for persistent bursitis that has not settled and where infection has been ruled out. If a bursa is very swollen or infection is suspected, a doctor may draw off some of the fluid with a needle to relieve pressure and to test it. A steroid injection is never given into an infected bursa, which is one reason infection is checked for first.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Bursitis.
- Versus Arthritis: Bursitis.
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