RA and tendonitis, bursitis | Arthritis Information

Just curious...

Does RA make us more susceptible to tendonitis and bursitis?

I've had painful bilateral hip bursitis for years and now for past few months am hurting from bilateral epicondyl tendonitis (elblows). And when my shoulder was operated on for 2 rotator cuff tears, surgeon found the bursa so horribly inflammed, he had to remove it.

These things are nooooo fun. I have a life-threatening allergy to all anti-inflammatories, both NSAIDs and cortisone so that leaves ice.

I've had more cases of tendinitis and tenosynovitis than I can remember. I've had rotator cuff tears, meniscal tears, worn boots for months, had multiple arthroscopic surgeries.......and am a frequent flier of physical therapy. I don't have RA but have PsA which for all intents and purposes is very similar.

But I can take Celebrex, so I'm lucky in that respect.

Can you take the Kenalog injections [cortisone] into the joints? I've heard, but don't know this to be a fact, that some people with allergies to systemic cortisone can do well with cortisone injected in the joints. Again, I don't know if this is really true.

While ice helps, I've also found that putting a hand towel on your shoulder and running the shower so that the water is hot without burning your skin is a great help. At least it feels good for the moment.

Sam, I thought the same thing so told the orthopedic surgeon and anesthesiologist right there in OR that with all their equip,meds& staff, they could try a cortisone inj. They both gave me alarmed looks and told me every episode of anaphylaxis gets worse so knowing my last time was so bad (paramedics then ER worked hard on me for nearly 24hrs), they refused. I looove heat therapy and enjoy showers and hottubbing, but inflammation needs ice, so I have to be brave and ice too. By the way, Celebrex and Prednisone (I've had a lot of each in the past) caused anaphylactic shock in me but all doctors; ER,anesthesiologists, my specialists, etc say it's not worth the risk to try any anti-inflammatory. I just take a lot longer to heal. Cathy,

I feel for you. I have had bursitis in the hip and I have had shoulder tears and surgery. They removed a very inflamed Bursa repaired and pinned a tear in the shoulder.

But I am fortunate, when I get what I call a flair of tendonitis...my ortho will give me shots wherever I wanted and needed. Wish you could tolerate them. The shots helped my hip bursa immediately...of course he had some pain med in it..I remember it was the best I felt when I left there. Then the pain meds wore off and the steroid flair happened then 3 days later I was in good shape.

The things we remember and go through. I just wanted to tell you I feel for you Cathy.

I also wanted to recomment asking a physical therapist to order you a very large ice jell pack. The one I got when I had my shoulder surgery wrapped around my whole shoulder. It is reall large. Cost me about $ 80.00 but I use it. It wraps around the whole hip, knee, foot, shoulder...being very effective and not messy to handle. ( it is a bit heavy because of it's size, so if your hands hurt someone will have to retieve it out of freezer)

Best Wishes,

Lisa

thanks, Lisa.... yeah I remember a time before I got RA when I had an isolated case of bursitis on one hip... the cortisone/painmeds shot was a true miracle that instantly relieved all pain and stopped my limping... followed by continued relief. I sure wish I could have that again. Big icepacks like I had applied in PT are effective, but for me, no fun since I hate cold... course I need to do it. I need to force myself to excercise the outer muscles over the inflammed bursa at hips. That might cushion them from that ileotibial band rubbing. I'm thinking of getting a Wii fitness for strength and balance.

Wii Fitness.....you should start a topic on that to see if anyone has one, how it's working, etc.

I get tendonitis more then anything. I have it right now in my left shoulder and my left pointer finger. Sucks and very painfullI get lots of tendinitis/ bursitis also. Especially in my shoulders and hips. I do think it's related to RA because my shoulders never hurt before RA. However, when I was in junior high I had bursitis in my right hip so bad that I was eventually hospitalized for pain control. I don't remember much about that whole time period, or what meds I was on, but I've often wondered if I had monoarticular jra. I guess it's pretty rare to have it in one hip though...

I hope you feel better soon Cathy!I think it is completely related to RA also.
I am shoulders...hip...and opposite side of ankle bone at the very top of leg going into foot...and also get plantar fasciitis. (sp) I think it is like tendinitis.

Shoulders are the pits...actually it all is the pits.

Snow: I get the same crunchy...oil sounds wonderful
I have a constant battle with trochanteric bursitis of the hip. I have also have issues with achilles tendonitis.

Yeah, me too with the achilles tendonitis... bilateral - how could I forget that? Even putting my shoes on is so painful, forget about walking.

This is quite interesting, I wonder if RDs know it. Mine told me once that bilat hip bursitis is common in RA pts, but she didn't say that about tendonitis. I think that's considered an injury from use; which it might be, but it sounds here like we are very susceptible to this.

I wonder if it's because we are not physically fit and strong before we use our bodies wrong... that could be my problem with tendonitis in elbows and heels and shoulders and even the hip bursitis might be helped if I could only work at getting my muscles over the bursa to be thicker, for cushioning. It's awfully hard to get fit when everything hurts and I am so fatigued every afternoon no matter what I do that day (just since RA).

The fatigue is the pits....I liken it to walking through a pool of water fully dresses with heavy clothing.

Bursitis and tendonitis and plantar faciitis all feels like it is related...pain wise. IDK

Pain is a tireing thing. So many here understand and that is comforting to know others "get it"