Bursas are small sacs of
membranes that are filled with fluid that act as a friction decreasing
structure to decrease friction in different areas of the body. The bursa at the
shoulder, hip and knee can commonly get inflamed to cause local pain. These
injections are done with a mixture of local anesthetic and steroid, which tend
to help the pain immediately. After the
local anesthetic wears off some pain may recur but generally once the steroid
activates itself in 2-5 days, significant pain relief is noted, which can be
temporary to permanent. Risks are minimum in appropriately performed injections. The best
results are obtained with injections combined with activity modification with
or without appropriate rehabilitation.