The knees are the common sites of bursitis. It usually occurs in people who do a lot of kneeling. For this reason, bursitis of the knee is also commonly known as housemaid’s knee. If your job or hobby as a gardener or carpet fitter requires kneeling frequently, to prevent bursitis, protect your knees with kneeling pads. The kneeling pads act as cushions, shielding the knees from trauma.

Injury to the bursae in the ankles may occur by wearing a pair of tight or poor quality shoes. Bursitis can be avoided by wearing good quality footwear. If you are susceptible to recurrent bursitis in the ankles, consider wearing comfortable sports shoes.

Repetitive movement of the joint is a common cause of bursitis. Moving a certain joint frequently increase friction between the bursa and neighboring tendons, which may lead to irritation and swelling of the bursa. Taking a break from the repetitive task and taking some rest in between tasks that involve repetitive motion can protect you from bursitis. Resting the overworked joints helps the bursa to restore its natural lubrication.

Excess stress exerted on the hips while lifting a load can cause severe bursitis. To prevent injury to the bursae in the hips, always bend your knees while lifting any object, regardless of its weight.

Swelling of the bursae in the shoulder joints may occur by carrying a heavy load. It can be prevented by wheeling heavy loads instead of carrying them. Always hold heavy loads or tools with both the hands.

Bursitis is common in sportspersons and people who perform vigorous workouts. Warming up for about ten minutes before strenuous physical activities or workouts can reduce the risk of injury to the joints. Warming up activities include any form of low intensity aerobic exercises such as brisk walking or jogging. As the name suggests, these exercises help to increase the temperature of the muscles. Warmed muscles can contract and expand easily, which brings down the risk of sustaining injury during physical activities.

Exercises that help to strengthen the muscles around the joints can reduce the risk of bursitis. Strong joint muscles help to reduce the stress on the joints, preventing injury to the bursae. Muscle strengthening workouts should be done under the guidance of a fitness expert. You should try these exercises only after the bursitis symptoms have healed. People with a history of bursitis should always consult their physicians before trying a new workout. To avoid injuries, slowly increase the intensity of a new exercise.

Overweight and obese individuals have a higher risk of developing bursitis. The pressure exerted on the knees and hips by the excess body weight increases stress in the joints. Over time, the trauma in the joint may lead to bursitis. Maintaining a healthy body weight can diminish the risk of bursitis.

Bursitis may also occur if the bursa is compressed for a long time, such as while sitting in the same position or sleeping on the same side for a long time. The persistent pressure on the joints increases the risk of developing bursitis in the hips, buttocks and shoulders. To prevent bursitis, avoid prolonged sitting. Walk around to release the pressure from the joints. Try a few stretching exercises to improve the flexibility of the joints, which can protect you from bursitis.