Cost of elbow bursitis drainage in North Carolina

What is elbow bursitis?

Your elbow bursa is a fluid-filled sack near the tip of your elbow that cushions your skin and other soft tissues from your bone. The fluid inside the bursa helps your tissue move easily over the bone. Your bursa can become irritated or inflamed and swell up with more fluid, causing pain.

Other symptoms of elbow bursitis include swelling of your elbow and stiffness or pain within your elbow joint. Your elbow may appear red or feel tender when touched. Overuse or overexertion of your joint can increase inflammation, causing bursitis.

Bursitis can also occur from physical trauma to your elbow, like a hard hit or extended pressure from your elbow sitting on a hard surface. People with certain health conditions like gout and rheumatoid arthritis are more susceptible to bursitis.

If bacteria enter a wound at your elbow, an infection can occur in your bursa. The infection produces excess fluid, swelling, and pain in your elbow.

Should you drain elbow bursitis?

If at-home treatments fail to heal your elbow bursitis, you may need to get your bursitis drained. Getting your bursa drained will remove the fluid and ease your symptoms, allowing your elbow to heal. Draining your bursitis is a simple outpatient procedure. The process to drain your bursa is called aspiration.

Will elbow bursitis drain on its own?

Your elbow bursitis may heal on its own with rest, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, and using ice and heat. As you rest your elbow and inflammation is reduced, the fluid in your bursa may drain slowly on its own.

Your doctor may recommend using an elbow pad to protect your elbow while it heals and will prescribe antibiotics if an infection caused your bursitis.

What kind of doctor treats elbow bursitis?

An orthopedic doctor will treat your elbow bursitis.  Your doctor numbs the area with a local anesthetic before inserting a needle into your elbow bursa to drain the fluid. Your doctor may have the fluid analyzed to see if your bursitis was caused by an infection or a medical condition like gout.

What is the fastest way to heal elbow bursitis?

Draining your bursa is the fastest way to heal elbow bursitis. Removing the fluid from your bursa reduces your pain and other symptoms. Your doctor may also inject you with a corticosteroid shot to further reduce inflammation.

Recovery from elbow bursitis drainage is quick because the procedure is non-invasive.   You will need a few weeks after the drainage for your elbow bursitis to fully heal. Ensure that you rest and avoid using the affected arm so the inflammation and bursitis don’t return. You can return to full use of your elbow in three to four weeks.

What happens if elbow bursitis goes untreated?

You will continue to experience pain and swelling if your elbow bursitis goes untreated. If an infection caused your bursitis, the infection can spread to other parts of your body. In the most serious and persistent cases, your elbow bursa may need to be surgically removed, and a new one will grow in its place.