Bursitis
Prevention and Treatment of Bursitis
To help prevent and treat bursitis, IPFH suggests the following:
To reduce excessive rubbing or stress in the Achilles area, wear properly designed and fitted shoes or boots that provide cushioning in the heel counter. Sufficient width in the toe box helps ensure minimal compression, reduce the risk of rubbing of the first and fifth metatarsal joints, and diminish the possibility of bursitis in the toe areas.
Wear properly selected and fitted, as part of an integrated approach, padded socks with shoes with non-slip outsoles and any inserts or orthotics prescribed or recommended by a doctor or foot health professional. Peer-reviewed, published studies have shown that wearing clinically-tested padded socks can help protect against injuries to the skin/soft tissue of the foot, reducing the possibility of inflammation and overstress in areas where bursa are likely to form and/or become inflamed.
To alleviate the pain of bursitis, anti-inflammatory medication may be required. Talk with your doctor about you options. Icing the area also may reduce symptoms. Physical therapy is also an option.
If these conservative measures fail, your doctor may recommend cortisone injections or draining the bursal sac--but if the root cause of the bursitis is not eliminated, it can recur even after these measures are taken.