Beat knee/hand/elbow is caused by both osteoarthritis and bursitis usually as a result of inflammation of the bursae which are small sacs of fluid located between tendons and bones in joints. They are best thought of as a cushion: they protect your bones, tendons and ligaments while you move, enabling smooth motion. For the most part they are a great help to the body: they prevent the build up of friction while you walk, run, or move your limbs; it would indeed be impossible to move painlessly without them. However their inflammation is a painful condition called ‘bursitis’, which may cause ‘beat knee’, ‘beat hand’ and ‘beat elbow’.
Bursitis commonly comes about as the result of industrial and occupational requirements. It is a bane of manual workers and even non-manual workers who exert themselves when they are unused to doing so. In manual workers, repetitive movement and lifting, especially for prolonged periods of time, can stress the joints sufficiently for both osteoarthritis and bursitis to occur. Its precise causes can be numerous. It might result from injury, from chronic stress to the joints, from tight muscles and even from allergies in some individuals. When bursitis occurs, the bursae inflame and fill with fluid which causes discomfort to nearby tissue. It is anticipated that the main group claiming for bursitis and osteoarthritis compensation in the future in the form of beat knee will be elderly miners who, in the past, worked at coal face seams on their knees.
Bursitis or osteoarthritis causes pain and sensitivity to the local area, it can reduce flexibility and strength – sometimes without pain, and can even prevent motion altogether. It may also be visible, in the form of redness and swelling around the inflamed areas. Diagnosis is carried out by a medical professional who is likely to carry out x-rays, extract fluid from inflamed bursae, carry out blood tests and magnetic resonance imaging to ensure bursitis or osteoarthritis is indicated, and not gout or other plausible causes of such symptoms. If you suffer from any of these symptoms and you have worked in a vulnerable industry you should check out a personal injury compensation claim solicitor.
Numerous forms of treatment are available for bursitis and osteoarthritis. Anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers are often given in the first instance and the application of heat or ultrasound in an effort to relax the joint may also be helpful. Physical and sports therapists have also used deep-heat therapy to reduce inflammation. In more severe cases osteoarthritis and bursitis can be treated through steroid medication and surgery is sometimes available for conditions that do not respond to other treatments.
All claims are dealt with using the no win no fee scheme and compensation is always paid in full with no deductions whatsoever. In England and Wales our solicitors are all members of the Law Society panel of personal injury experts. If you would like to speak to a specialist solicitor just use the helpline or complete the form or just email us. If after talking to us you decide not to take matters further then you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged for our advice.
