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Bursitis treatment In Portsmouth and Eastleigh
Active Motion Injury Clinic provides expert, hands-on treatment for bursitis in Portsmouth and Eastleigh as well as the surrounding areas. Whether your bursitis affects the hip, shoulder, knee, or elbow, our musculoskeletal specialists identify the cause of the inflammation and create a personalised recovery plan to get you moving freely again, without injections, surgery, or endless rest.
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What Is Bursitis?
Bursitis is inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles around your joints. When a bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, it causes pain, swelling, and tenderness around the affected joint, making even simple everyday movements uncomfortable.
Bursitis is more common than many people realise. It can affect almost any joint in the body and is particularly prevalent in people aged 40 and over. It is often mistaken for arthritis or general joint pain, which means many people go without the right treatment for longer than necessary.
Common Types Of Bursitis We Treat
- Hip bursitis (greater trochanteric pain syndrome): pain on the outer side of the hip, often worse when lying on the affected side, climbing stairs, or walking for longer distances
- Shoulder bursitis (subacromial bursitis): pain and stiffness in the shoulder, particularly when lifting the arm above shoulder height or reaching across the body
- Knee bursitis (prepatellar or pes anserine bursitis): swelling and tenderness around the front or inner side of the knee, often aggravated by kneeling or prolonged walking
- Elbow bursitis (olecranon bursitis): swelling at the back of the elbow, commonly caused by leaning on hard surfaces for prolonged periods
- Achilles bursitis: pain and swelling at the back of the heel, near the point where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone
Bursitis can affect people of all activity levels. It is common in manual workers, athletes, gardeners, and people whose daily activities involve repetitive movements or sustained pressure on joints.
What Causes Bursitis?
Bursitis most commonly develops from one or a combination of the following:
- Repetitive movements that place sustained load on a bursa over time
- Prolonged pressure on a joint (for example, kneeling on hard floors or leaning on an elbow)
- A sudden increase in activity or workload
- A direct impact or fall onto the affected joint
- Muscle weakness or imbalance causing abnormal loading patterns around a joint
- Underlying conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, gout, or infection
Understanding what has caused your bursitis is central to resolving it. Without addressing the underlying cause, bursitis commonly recurs, which is why our assessment process is so thorough.
How We Treat Bursitis At Active Motion
We do not just focus on reducing the inflammation. We identify why the bursa became inflamed in the first place and correct it, so you recover fully and stay recovered.
Step 1: Thorough assessment. We examine the affected area in detail, assess your movement patterns, strength, and posture, and identify the specific mechanical factors contributing to your bursitis.
Step 2: Personalised treatment plan. Based on the assessment, we design a treatment plan tailored to your symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. No two cases are the same and no two plans are identical.
Step 3: Hands-on treatment and technology. We use manual therapy techniques targeting the inflamed bursa, surrounding muscles, and associated joints to reduce pain and restore normal movement. We incorporate shockwave therapy where appropriate into your treatment plan.
Step 4: Rehabilitation and strengthening. We introduce a targeted exercise programme to correct the underlying weakness or movement dysfunction that caused the bursitis. This is the stage that prevents it from coming back.
Step 5: Return to activity. We guide you progressively back to the activities you love, whether that is gardening, walking, sport, or your job, with the knowledge and tools to stay well long term.
In cases of persistent or stubborn bursitis, we may also recommend shockwave therapy or red light therapy as part of your treatment programme, both of which have strong evidence bases for reducing inflammation and promoting tissue healing.
Request A Call Back from a Therapist
If you’re not quite ready to book an appointment yet and have some questions you would like answered first, click the link below to complete a form to get the conversation started.
Does This Sound Familiar?
- You have been told to rest, but the pain comes back every time you return to activity
- You have had a cortisone injection that worked temporarily but the bursitis has returned
- Your hip, shoulder, or knee pain is stopping you sleeping, walking, or doing the things you enjoy
- You are worried you are heading toward surgery and want to explore every alternative first
- You have been told it is just inflammation and given anti-inflammatories, but nothing has really changed
- You’ve been told to have a steroid injection or have had one with little to no effect. Maybe it made your symptoms worse.
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Bursitis is one of the most underestimated and undertreated musculoskeletal conditions we see. The good news is that with the right approach, the vast majority of our bursitis patients make a full recovery.
Bursitis FAQs
How long does bursitis take to heal?
With the right treatment, most cases of bursitis improve significantly within 6 to 12 weeks. Chronic or long-standing bursitis may take longer, particularly if it has been present for many months or has been repeatedly aggravated. We will give you a realistic timeline at your first appointment based on your specific situation.
Should I rest completely with bursitis?
Complete rest is rarely the answer and often makes bursitis worse in the long term by allowing the surrounding muscles to weaken further. Relative rest, meaning reducing the activities that aggravate the bursa while staying as active as possible, is usually more effective. We will advise you precisely on what to avoid and what to continue from your first appointment.
Is bursitis the same as arthritis?
No. Bursitis is inflammation of the bursae (the small fluid-filled sacs around joints), while arthritis involves inflammation or degeneration of the joint itself. The two conditions can occur together and can produce similar symptoms, which is one reason why bursitis is sometimes misdiagnosed. Our assessment will clarify exactly what is causing your pain.
I have had a cortisone injection that did not work. Can you still help?
Yes. Cortisone injections can reduce inflammation in the short term but they do not address the mechanical cause of the bursitis. If the underlying issue (such as muscle weakness, a movement dysfunction, or an activity that keeps aggravating the bursa) is not corrected, the inflammation returns. Our treatment focuses on identifying and resolving that underlying cause.
Can bursitis be treated without surgery?
In the vast majority of cases, yes. Surgery for bursitis is rarely necessary and is generally considered only when conservative treatment has been thoroughly tried without success. Most of our patients avoid surgery entirely through targeted manual therapy, exercise rehabilitation, and where appropriate, shockwave therapy.
Is hip bursitis the same as hip arthritis?
No. Hip bursitis (also known as greater trochanteric pain syndrome) causes pain on the outer side of the hip and upper thigh and involves the bursa sitting over the greater trochanter (the bony prominence on the side of the hip). Hip arthritis causes pain deeper in the groin and the hip joint itself. Both are conditions we treat. If you are unsure which you have, our assessment will identify it clearly.
Can bursitis cause referred pain down the leg?
Hip bursitis can cause pain that radiates down the outer thigh toward the knee. This can sometimes be mistaken for sciatica or IT band syndrome. Shoulder bursitis can occasionally cause referred pain into the upper arm. A thorough clinical assessment will identify the source of your pain accurately.
How much does each session cost for bursitis?
We offer a FREE consultation to ensure that we can help you. After hearing more about what you are currently suffering with and answering any questions you may have. A qualified practitioner will put together a tailored plan for you. The number of sessions will depend on a number of factors such as the duration of symptoms and their history
I highly recommend Active Motion, such a great team. Millie especially has gone above and beyond at helping me with my shoulder pains. She made me feel comfortable and listen too. Thank you!
Saw Lewis over a 6 week course of treatment for bursitis in both hips using Shockwave which overall gave me huge relief and would definitely recommend. Lewis is very professional and has a sound knowledge of anatomy and physiology and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending his services.
I've suffered traconteric bursitis in both legs for many years and despite GP and the usual treatments my condition wasn't improving, just getting excruciatingly worse. I was miserable with it, not sleeping or fully engaging in life. Four months ago I stumbled across the Active Motion Clinic. They specialised in particular with bursitis issues. I made contact and have since had a course of treatments. The difference and improvement in my condition is tenfold. I'm finally almost pain free and able to get back to being more active and engaging in life. I so wish I had found this type of treatment years ago. Lewis is an excellent and skilled practitioner and really does know his subject. I would recommend Active Motion to anyone with similar conditions. Thankyou Jordan and Lewis for doing what you do. It's been life changing for me. Thankyou.