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Natural Supplements for Bursitis: Top Picks to Buy

Published by Isabella on December 22, 2021

Bursitis: What causes it?

Bursitis occurs when the bursae that cushion your joints become inflamed, and this condition commonly affects the shoulders, elbows and hips. The most common causes of bursitis are repetitive motions, injuries and damage to your bursae, which can affect virtually anyone, from athletes to office workers.

Furthermore, various risk factors like age, physical activities and other medical conditions (especially arthritis and other inflammatory conditions) increase your chances of getting bursitis. If you suffer from joint pain or belong to an at-risk group for bursitis, then taking natural supplements for bursitis could help you live your life without the worry of joint pain.

Bursitis vs Arthritis: How Are They Different?

Arthritis and bursitis are different conditions but have similar symptoms, so how can you tell them apart and make sure you get the right treatment for your condition? The key difference between the two conditions is the location of the inflammation, but bursitis and arthritis also differ in terms of pathology, onset and duration.

Location

Although arthritis and bursitis can affect the same joints, arthritis is most common in the knees, hips and small joints, while bursitis usually affects the shoulders, elbows and hips.

Onset

Bursitis can attack suddenly and usually goes away in a few weeks, unlike arthritis which is usually a progressive disease that resists supplements, unlike supplements for bursitis, which can offer powerful relief.

Length

Unfortunately for many, arthritis is a long-term condition that is often permanent, though bursitis is a short-term condition that won’t cause lasting damage unless physical stress persists.

Types of Bursitis

Although bursitis can occur anywhere there are bursae, it is often categorised based on the cause and location into specific types, such as:

Anterior Achilles Tendon bursitis

Also known as Albert’s disease, this form of bursitis is characterised by inflammation of the bursa in front of the Achilles tendon’s attachment to the heel. Extra strain on the Achilles tendon from injury, disease or shoes with rigid back support can cause this, so consider taking supplements for bursitis if you often suffer from this kind of foot pain.

Posterior Achilles Tendon bursitis

This type of bursitis affects the bursae between the skin of the heel and Achilles tendon and is also known as Haglund’s deformity. Aggravated by walking types that press the heel tissue to the back support of shoes, this form of bursitis is more common in people that wear high heels – mostly young women.

Hip bursitis

No prizes for guessing what part of the body hip bursitis (also known as trochanteric bursitis) affects: This type of bursitis is often caused by injury, arthritis, spinal abnormalities or injury and is more common in women and older people, so you might want to consider supplements for bursitis if you fall into any of these categories.

Elbow bursitis

Elbow bursitis, caused by the inflammation of bursae between the skin and bones of the elbow, can be caused by injury or constant pressure (from leaning on a hard surface, for example).

Knee Bursitis

Also known as goosefoot or Pes Anserine bursitis (after the Pes Anserine bursa located between the shinbone and the three hamstring muscle tendons), knee bursitis can seriously affect your movement. A variety of factors like tight hamstring muscles, a lack of stretching before exercise or arthritis may cause this condition, so we have some supplements for bursitis recommendations to help prevent this condition

Kneecap bursitis

This type of bursitis, also called prepatellar bursitis, is usually caused by sustained pressure on the knees and is common in people that sit on their knees a lot, such as carpet layers and plumbers.

Treatments for bursitis

Bursitis is an acute condition and will generally pass in several weeks with rest and basic treatments, though this is little comfort to people suffering from aches and pains in their joints. Rest, pain medication, ice packs and supplements for bursitis can all help relieve bursitis symptoms, but you may need additional treatment, such as:

Antibiotics if your bursae become infected
Corticosteroids to relieve severe pain inflammation and swelling
At-home exercises can relieve some pain, but severe cases may require physiotherapy

Preventing bursitis

While bursitis can affect almost everyone – no matter your age, race or general health – and come on without warning, there are some ways to prevent it. With some basic lifestyle changes, you can reduce your risk of developing bursitis and prevent severe flare-ups by:

Maintaining a healthy weight to reduce stress on your joints
Exercise regularly to strengthen supporting muscles
Take breaks when doing repetitive tasks to avoid repetitive strain injuries.
Warm-up before rigorous exercise.
Try to practice good posture

Natural Supplements for bursitis

Because bursitis is an inflammatory disease, you may be able to reduce symptoms and lower your chances of break-outs by taking anti-inflammatory supplements for bursitis. To help you tackle your bursitis symptoms, here are some of our favorite natural supplements for joint pain and bursitis:

Borage Oil

Borago officinalis or starflower is a plant containing gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid and potent anti-inflammatory that lessens joint pain, stiffness and swelling.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne peppers are rich in capsaicin, which can block your nerve cells from pain chemicals, meaning that pain relief creams with capsaicin may be effective supplements for bursitis in the short term.

Cat’s Claw

Cat’s claw (or Uncaria tomentosa) is a tropical vine found in South American rainforests that has anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it may help tackle bursitis at the cause.

Evening Primrose

Like borage oil, evening primrose contains GLA which helps reduce inflammation and means that taking evening primrose supplements for bursitis can reduce inflammation and discomfort.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which may help to prevent chronic inflammation and ease joint stiffness, making them a good choice of supplements for bursitis in the long term.
RELATED: Read our blog on the benefits of cod liver oil vs fish oil to learn more about Omega-3s here.

Turmeric

Turmeric has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, as its active ingredient – curcumin – has anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce swollen bursae.
RELATED: If you want to learn more about the benefits of curcumin, read our blog on turmeric and curcumin here.

Ginger

Ginger is a common herb renowned for its invigorating flavor and anti-inflammatory effects, which you can find fresh, dried or mixed into drinks in most grocery stores. You can eat it fresh, cook with it or take ginger supplements for bursitis to experience the anti-inflammatory benefits of ginger.

Green Tea

Although it isn’t as popular as black tea (at least in the US), green tea is high in antioxidants and believed to promote digestion, making it well worth trying a cup to relieve bursitis symptoms.

How many supplements to take for bursitis

When it comes to natural supplements, the risk of side effects or overdoses is typically lower than those of prescription medicine or high-strength synthetic products. However, you should always be careful with supplements for bursitis, as they may cause side effects or adverse reactions that aren’t obvious, so we recommend the following doses: