BURSITIS AND ARTHRITIS

 What’s the difference?

 Anatomically, a bursa is like a small balloon that’s collapsed and contains a drop or two of lubricant. Can you imagine how slick that would be?

The body forms these (bursas) wherever there are areas of friction, for example on the tip of the elbow or in the shoulder under that bony shelf that you can feel just beneath the skin.  Bursitis is commonly caused by overuse, repetitive motion or minor impact. A bursa can become inflamed by themselves without any associated JOINT damage.

 Arthritis specifically means inflammation of a joint.  There are more than 100 different medical conditions that fall under this term.  The most common form of which is degenerative joint disease (DJD) associated commonly with wear.