Bursitis Knee Treatment

Bursitis Knee Braces

When these bursae become inflamed, it causes pain. The four most affected bursae of the knee are the suprapatellar bursa, prepatellar bursa, infrapatellar bursa, and the pes anserine bursa. See the knee bursitis picture for a visual as to their location. Knee bursitis is a condition in which one or more bursae in the knee become inflamed. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs located between tendons and bones, lessening friction between the surfaces, cushioning pressure points and protecting them from damage. There are 11 knee bursae sacs.

Bursitis Knee Causes & Bursitis Knee Symptoms

A few things can cause knee bursitis. Most commonly, knee bursitis is caused by a lot of pressure on the knees from continually kneeling. Individuals with certain jobs and hobbies tend to be affected by knee bursitis, such as plumbers, gardeners, etc.

Bursitis knee can also be caused by a sudden impact to the knee. It can affect athletes in especially heavy knee contact sports such as football and volleyball. An infection can also cause bursitis knee.

Complications with various forms of arthritis can also lead to bursitis of the knee. Obesity also increases one’s risk of knee bursitis, especially pes anserine bursitis. (Learn more about the link between knee pain and obesity.)

Common bursitis knee symptoms are swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth. Someone affected by knee bursitis will find that kneeling causes great pain. If a bursa is infected, the area may be hot and one may run a fever. If you suspect infection, seek medical attention immediately.

Knee Bursitis Treatment

There are a few different treatments for bursitis of the knee, most of which are fairly conservative in nature. One’s treatment may vary depending on what bursa is affected. For instance, one may use a different type of brace for pes anserine bursitis treatment, which is located below the kneecap, than for suprapatellar bursitis treatment, which resides above the patella. It is important to see your doctor, as he or she can recommend how to treat knee bursitis for your specific case and needs.

There is no quick fix to knee bursitis. Patience combined with treatments recommended by a doctor is the best remedy for bursitis of the knee. Common bursitis treatments for the knee include the following:

1. Medication: A doctor can recommend medications to reduce inflammation of the knee bursa sac.
2. Therapy: Physical therapy can help strengthen the knee and improve flexibility, which can help prevent one from getting bursitis again and relieve pain. There are also many videos with exercises for knee bursitis that may be helpful, but you should ask a doctor if/what knee bursitis exercises are appropriate for your condition.
3. Corticosteroid Injection: A corticosteroid may be injected into the knee to get rid of inflammation. This may be done if typical treatments do not work.
4. Aspiration: If regular treatments do not work the doctor may use a needle to extract fluid from the infected area.
5. Surgery: If no other bursitis knee treatment works and the bursitis is chronic and severe, surgery may be necessary.

Following the steps of RICE—rest, ice, compress, elevate—is another at-home way to ease pain and heal knee bursitis. Wearing a knee sleeve is an easy way to apply compression to the knee that reduces inflammation.

Bursitis of the Knee Sleeves

A big bulky brace is not needed with knee bursitis; a light knee brace for bursitis is generally sufficient.

This compression athletic knee sleeve is our top-selling sleeve for knee bursitis. The Incredibrace knee sleeve is designed with an organic germanium bamboo charcoal blend fabric, which increases blood flow and oxygenation of the tissues and regulates temperature. This along with the compression the knee support for bursitis provides reduces painful inflammation and speeds healing. The knee brace for bursitis is lightweight, moisture wicking, and odor-absorbing.

We noted that obesity or participation in heavy-contact sports can increase your risk of developing knee bursitis. Therefore, it is only appropriate that we offer a bariatric knee sleeve for big legs. The open patella design of this brace for knee bursitis care keeps pressure off the kneecap itself. It applies compression, warmth, and support, which can ease joint pain and stiffness.

We also offer a similar neoprene knee sleeve with a closed-patella design for additional support and compression on the kneecap itself. Or if one does spend a lot of time on his or her knees or participates in a sport that requires diving for a ball, he or she might consider a padded neoprene knee sleeve.

BraceAbility also stocks knee bursitis sleeves offering various degrees of support. The adjustable strap below the kneecap that makes it an ideal brace for treating Osgood Schlatters is also helpful when it comes to bursitis treatment, especially pes anserine bursitis or infrapatellar bursitis.

Those looking for an extremely lightweight knee sleeve for bursitis pain might consider either an elastic cotton slip-on knee sleeve or a dual-tension compression knee pain brace. Three-dimensional stitching on this dual tension compression sleeve conforms to your body, but it will not get stretched out. The cotton slip-on knee sleeve is comfortable and breathable, plus this is a highly affordable knee compression sleeve for bursitis. Both of these thin bursitis sleeves fit easily beneath your clothes.  

BraceAbility also carries a number of other knee braces and sleeves that can be useful in treating bursitis and many other sources of knee pain.