Bursitis

What is Bursitis of the Knee?

A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between tendons, bones and cartilage. A bursa allows the tendons to glide over the joint with ease. Without them every movement of the joint would be painful. If this sac of fluid in the knee, gets inflamed or irritated from either an injury (a direct blow to the area), excessive kneeling (carpet layers), or kicking it becomes bursitis.

There are 11 bursae in each knee. If you have bursitis then one or more of these bursa may be inflamed.

Pes anserine Bursitis: This is when the bursa located in the inner side of the knee just below the knee joint gets inflamed. The pain is usually sharp and feels worse when the area is touched. You may have pain when you bend or straighten the leg. Often the pain is felt when the two knees touch if you turn over in your sleep. This type of bursitis is often seen in swimmers and runners and people who do inadequate stretching and have tight hamstrings. People who are overweight, have an abnormal gait and who have osteoarthritis are also at higher risk for this type of bursitis.

Patellar Bursitis: This is the most common form of bursitis in the knee. This is located in the front of the knee-cap. A patient often has pain if the bed sheets touch the knee. This type of bursitis is often seen in carpet layers, plumbers, and gardeners because it often affects people who frequently work on their hands and knees. Wrestlers, football players and volleyball players are at higher risk for developing this type of bursitis because they take frequent falls on their knees.

Infrapatellar Superficial Bursitis: This affects the bursa that is right below the knee cap. This type of bursitis is often seen with people who frequently kneel.

Causes:

• A severe blow to the knee
• Frequent falls on the knee
• Complications from osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis
• Activities that put constant or frequent strain on the knee

How is it treated?

While conventional medical therapies such as anti-inflammatory medicine and cortisone shots may help relieve the symptoms temporarily they do not address the cause of the problem. In addition, there are multiple side-effects that are associated with these therapies.

On the other hand, Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program is for those seeking a safe, effective, non-invasive, painless solution for knee pain. Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program addresses the root of the problem by utilizing multiple FDA Cleared (true) Cold Lasers, and combining them with other therapies to help reduce the pain, strengthen the muscles around the knee joint, increase range of motion, and reduce inflammation/swelling, which helps improve overall function of the knee. This reduces the likelihood of the bursitis from ever recurring in the future.

Why Choose Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program?

The reason patients travel from around the world to undergo Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program is due to her extensive knowledge and experience in treating knee problems using non-invasive Cold Laser Therapy to help avoid surgery. Her office has performed over 18,000 Cold Laser treatments for people suffering from various knee conditions. Patients and doctors seek her advice and care if they want to avoid knee surgery or if their knee surgery was unsuccessful. She has treated patients suffering from mild to severe arthritis, bursitis, Baker’s cyst, meniscal tears, tendonitis, chondromalacia patella, failed arthroscopic surgery or knee replacement surgery, and the list goes on.

In 2001, Dr. Alexandra Schnee graduated Summa Cum Laude and was Valedictorian of her class from Parker College of Chiropractic. She is a Texas Board Certified Chiropractor, and holds a Bachelors of Science in Anatomy. Moreover, in 2007 due to Dr. Schnee’s experience in treating knee pain with cold lasers she was invited to join the renowned Medical Advisory Board for ML830 Cold Lasers. In addition she is a member of NAALT (North American Association of Laser Therapy), and is a published and peer reviewed author on the topic of Cold Laser Therapy.  In April 2009 she was chosen as Doctor of the Month on Spine-health.com for her work with Cold lasers.