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| Rating | Nutritional Supplements | Herbs |
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| See also: Homoeopathic Remedies for Bursitis | ||
Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit. Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary
studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit. For an herb, supported by traditional use but
minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support and/or minimal
health benefit. | ||
Acute bursitis causes pain, tenderness over the inflamed bursa, and limited range of motion. Chronic bursitis attacks may follow acute bursitis, unusual exercise, or strain. Attacks may last a few days to several weeks and are characterised by pain, swelling, and tenderness.
Over the counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin (Bayer®, Ecotrin®, Bufferin®), ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®), and naproxen (Aleve®), may be adequate to treat the pain associated with bursitis.
Prescription strength NSAIDs, such as celecoxib (Celebrex®), valdecoxib (Bextra®), ibuprofen (Motrin®), naproxen (Anaprox®, Naprosyn®), etodolac (Lodine®), and indomethacin (Indocin®), are prescribed when over the counter products are ineffective. Narcotic pain-relievers including codeine (Tylenol® with Codeine) and hydrocodone (Vicodin®, Lortab®) are also used. Oral corticosteroids such as prednisone (Deltasone®) and methylprednisolone (Medrol®) are often prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation. Corticosteroid injections such as methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol®) may be necessary to reduce inflammation in chronic, severe cases. For non-infected, acute bursitis, injections of the local anaesthetic lidocaine (Xylocaine®) may be used if other remedies don’t adequately relieve pain.
In a preliminary study, intramuscular injections of vitamin B121 2 relieved the symptoms of acute subdeltoid (shoulder) bursitis and also decreased the amount of calcification in some cases. This mechanism is not understood. Oral B vitamins are unlikely to have the same effect, since the body’s absorption of vitamin B12 is quite limited. A doctor should be consulted regarding B12 or B12/niacin injections.
While there have been few studies on herbal therapy for bursitis, most practitioners would consider using anti-inflammatory herbs that have proven useful in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. These would include boswellia, turmeric, willow, and topical cayenne ointment.
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