Olecranon bursitis
Dealing with Olecranon bursitis
Most people will respond to these simple strategies:
- Rest the area: in particular, avoid placing direct pressure or impact to the elbow while you’re recovering.
- Compression bandaging. Some people find a compression bandage on the elbow makes it more comfortable.
- Ice packs. This can help to temporarily numb pain. Apply an ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel) to the area for up to 10 minutes, 2-3 times per day.
- Pain medication. Pain medication may help to manage the pain, allowing you to keep mobile. Speak to a pharmacist or your GP for further advice.
See your GP if:
- Your symptoms have not improved or are getting worse after treating it yourself for 1-2 weeks.
Further medical treatments which may need to be considered:
- To investigate and treat for a potential infection.
- Aspirating the bursa, particularly if the effusion is large.
- Corticosteroid injection into the bursa.
- A referral or specialist advice if there has been no or inadequate response to treatment by the GP after 2 months.