Bursitis is an inflammation of the cavities around your body’s muscles and tendons. These cavities are filled with a lubricating (synovial) fluid, and are the area where friction is most likely to occur, especially over the bony regions of the body. The inflammation can cause severe and long  term pain if in an advanced state. Symptoms include:

• Localized pain and muscle ache
• Swelling and redness
• Low range of motion in shoulders, hips, elbows, and other joints
• Complete loss of range of motion in shoulders, hips, elbows and other joints

What Causes Bursitis?

Misalignment of the joints and areas around specific joints can cause bursitis. Other causes include:

• Trauma or physical injury
• Chronic overuse of joints
• Magnesium and vitamin B12 deficiencies
• Allergies
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis
• Calcium deposits in the joints
• Gout
• Infection
• Environmental toxins

Treatments for Bursitis

Bursitis can be treated with topical applications, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, and diet changes. Changing your eating habits can improve overall health and maintain optimal joint function, and can include:

• Eating foods high in magnesium, such as dark, leafy green, and yellow vegetables
• Drinking filtered water, apple cider vinegar, and honey first thing in the morning or right before bed
• One tablespoon of cod liver oil one to two hours before meals to aid digestion
• Avoiding foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant, all vegetables from the nightshade family
• Juice supplements of equal parts carrot, celery, cucumber, and beet juice

Flower essences such as Rescue Remedy cream can be applied to the painful areas a minimum of four times a day. Herbal remedies that are taken as tinctures or as a tea include:

• Meadowsweet
• Horsetail
• Willow bark
• Lobelia and cramp bark rubbed on the affected area
• Aloe vera
• Chamomile tea to relax and soothe the muscles and relieve pain

Homeopathic treatments such as Belladonna, Arnica, Ruta grav., and Silicea also may be helpful

Other Considerations

Vitamin B12 injected intra muscularly can reduce pain over time. Other healing supplements include vitamin C and bioflavonoids, magnesium, calcium, and proteolytic enzymes taken between meals. Alternative health care therapies such as acupuncture, bodywork, chiropractic therapy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine have been shown to reduce or relieve the symptoms of bursitis.