Pes anserine bursitis can cause pain, swelling and tenderness on the inside of your lower leg, around 5-7cm below your knee. However, pain may spread to the front of your knee and down your lower leg.
Bursitis symptoms include pain that may radiate throughout the hip, thigh and buttock. To confirm that the cause of the pain is bursitis, your doctor will do a complete physical exam and ask you about how and when the pain began.
KNEE PAIN SYMPTOMS
Symptoms may include a sharp or dull pain, sometimes radiating down or up the leg, stiffness, the knee swelling, and weakness and or inability to bend or straighten the leg fully.
The Pes Anserine bursa is located between the shin bone and the three tendons of the hamstring muscles, on the inside of the knee. This type of bursitis may be caused by lack of stretching before exercise, tight hamstring muscles, being overweight, arthritis, or out-turning of the knee or lower leg. Kneecap bursitis.
Redness spreading beyond the knee: In some cases, people with acute prepatellar bursitis may develop a redness of the skin that spreads beyond the knee to the sides of the knee and up the leg. This can occur when the bursa pops, causing inflammation and possibly an infection of the skin around the knee.
If not treated appropriately, the infection can spread nearby to other joints, soft tissues, and bone. In addition, untreated bursitis can result in permanent thickening and enlargement of the affected bursa, which could reduce the joint's range of motion and cause pain with active movement.
Untreated bursitis can cause the affected bursa to tear, or rupture. A ruptured bursa doesn't mean that the sac explodes, but rather it indicates a tear in the bursal sac; the inflamed bursa fluid then leaks into the joint and surrounding tissue.
Tendons and bursae are located near joints. Inflamed soft tissues will often be felt by patients as joint pain. This will be mistaken for arthritis. Symptoms of bursitis and tendonitis are similar.
Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions — including arthritis, gout and infections — also can cause knee pain. Many types of minor knee pain respond well to self-care measures. Physical therapy and knee braces also can help relieve pain.
Iliotibial band syndrome causes pain on the outside of the knee. It might affect one or both of your knees. The pain is an aching, burning feeling that sometimes spreads up the thigh to the hip. You might notice this pain only when you exercise, especially while running.
Blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) can be another cause of leg pain. Pain in the knee and ankle joints of the leg is common with the arthritis conditions. The pain of sciatica (from disc disease of the spine) may radiate down the leg and is another common cause of leg pain.
Bursitis caused by an infection is called "septic bursitis." Symptoms may include pain, swelling, warmth, and redness around the affected joint. Fever may also be present. This is a potentially serious condition since infection can spread to nearby joints, bone, or the bloodstream.
Activities or positions that put pressure on the hip bursa, such as lying down, sitting in one position for a long time, or walking distances can irritate the bursa and cause more pain.
Acute bursitis can become chronic if it comes back or if a hip injury occurs. Over time, the bursae may become thick, which can make swelling worse. This can lead to limited movement and weakened muscles (called atrophy) in the area.
Bursitis can be very painful, and tends to be more severe during joint use, or while resting at night. Hip bursitis can become so painful that it may limit your mobility.
Repetitive motions.
Baseball catchers who are frequently resting on their knees are also at risk for the condition. Even running can cause a knee bursitis flare-up, especially if the hamstrings are tight, as well as jumping, which can irritate the tendon just below the patella and irritate the knee bursae.
Trochanteric bursitis brings warmth, swelling and pain to your outer thigh that can spread down to your knee. Walking intensifies the pain, limping is common and climbing steps can become difficult. Tenderness on the side you're lying on may interfere with sleep.
X-ray images can't positively establish the diagnosis of bursitis, but they can help to exclude other causes of your discomfort. Ultrasound or MRI might be used if your bursitis can't easily be diagnosed by a physical exam alone.
Doctors examine the affected area to look for swelling, redness, or warmth. They also feel for bumps beneath the skin, which may indicate swollen bursae. Doctors use their hands to gently move the affected part of the body to see if bursitis or tendinitis are limiting range of motion or causing pain.
Is it OK to walk with knee bursitis? Walking can aggravate the symptoms of knee bursitis, so it's important to listen to your body and take it easy if you're experiencing pain. However, walking is not likely to cause further damage to the joints and may help reduce inflammation.
If the bursitis is persistent and not responding to basic treatments, your doctor might inject a corticosteroid drug into an affected bursa to reduce inflammation. The inflammation usually subsides rapidly, but you might have pain and swelling from the injection for a couple of days.
Take breaks. If you're on your knees for a period of time, take regular breaks to stretch your legs and rest your knees. Avoid excessive squatting. Excessive or repetitious bending of your knees increases the force on your knee joints.