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Elbow Bursitis
The bursa on the tip of the elbow can fill with fluid after a knock or from prolonged leaning, producing a soft swelling that can reach the size of a golf ball. It is often far less painful than it looks. The important thing is distinguishing a simple bursitis from an infected one, which needs medical treatment rather than physiotherapy.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- A soft, fluid-filled swelling on the tip of the elbow
- Often minimal pain relative to the size of the swelling
- Discomfort resting the elbow on a surface
- Some loss of full bend if the swelling is large
- Redness, heat, spreading pain or feeling unwell — which point to infection
Why it happens
- A direct blow to the point of the elbow
- Prolonged leaning on hard surfaces — desks, car doors, floors
- Repeated minor trauma in trades work
- Gout or rheumatoid arthritis
- Infection, which changes the management entirely
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Ruling out infection first — red, hot, painful or feverish needs a doctor the same day
- Removing the source of pressure, which is often all that is needed
- Padding or a sleeve to protect it while it settles
- Range of movement work to prevent stiffness
- Strengthening back through the arm once the swelling has gone
- Referral for drainage where it persists or limits function
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
If it is red, hot or you feel unwell, see a doctor today
An infected bursa needs antibiotics, not physiotherapy. If it is simply swollen and uncomfortable, we can sort out why it keeps filling and stop it happening again. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other arm conditions we treat
Related reading: outer elbow tendon pain and inner elbow tendon pain.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Olecranon Bursitis on Physiopedia.
