Most cases of elbow bursitis resolve with simple home care: rest, ice, compression, and avoiding pressure on the elbow. The swollen, fluid-filled bump on the back of your elbow (the olecranon bursa) typically improves within a few weeks when you remove the irritant and manage inflammation. If home treatment doesn’t work, or if the bursa is infected, you’ll need medical intervention.
The most important first step is figuring out whether your bursitis is caused by irritation or infection, because the treatment paths are very different.
Home Treatment for Non-Infected Bursitis
The standard approach is RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Ice the back of your elbow for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, during the first 2 to 5 days. Wrap a thin cloth around the ice pack to protect your skin. Between icing sessions, a compression bandage helps limit swelling by preventing more fluid from pooling in the bursa.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or naproxen reduce both pain and swelling. These are effective for most non-infected cases, and in one study, compression combined with anti-inflammatories resolved bursitis in about 83% of patients, a success rate comparable to more invasive options.
The single most important thing you can do is stop whatever caused the problem. If you’ve been leaning on your elbow at a desk, use a cushion or stop leaning entirely. If your job requires kneeling or resting on hard surfaces, switch positions. Bursitis that keeps getting re-irritated won’t heal regardless of what else you do.
Signs the Bursa May Be Infected
Infected (septic) bursitis requires antibiotics and sometimes hospitalization. It’s not something you can treat at home. Look for these warning signs: skin over the elbow that’s red, warm, and tender to the touch; fever or chills; feeling generally unwell; or a wound, scrape, or puncture near the elbow that could have introduced bacteria.
To confirm an infection, a doctor typically draws fluid from the bursa with a needle and sends it to a lab. The fluid’s color, cell counts, glucose levels, and bacterial stain help distinguish infection from simple inflammation. Some clinicians prefer to diagnose based on physical exam and blood work alone, since puncturing the bursa carries a small risk of creating a draining tract that’s slow to heal.
Antibiotics for septic bursitis typically run 10 to 14 days. If the infection is mild and you’re otherwise healthy, oral antibiotics at home may be enough, though you’ll likely need daily check-ins with your doctor. Treatment failure with oral antibiotics alone occurs in 39% to 50% of cases, so some doctors start with intravenous antibiotics regardless. If you have a weakened immune system or show signs of a body-wide infection (high fever, rapid heart rate), expect to be hospitalized for IV treatment.
Aspiration and Steroid Injections
If your elbow stays swollen despite weeks of home care, your doctor may recommend aspiration, which means inserting a needle to drain the excess fluid. This provides immediate relief from pressure and tightness, but recurrence is common. In one study, 41% of patients who had aspiration needed the procedure repeated, and only about 65% of cases fully resolved with aspiration alone.
Steroid injections, given at the same time as aspiration, improve those odds. About 85% of patients treated with aspiration plus a steroid injection saw their bursitis resolve, roughly matching the success rate of compression and anti-inflammatories alone. The trade-off is that steroid injections carry risks including thinning of the overlying skin and, rarely, introducing infection into the bursa. For this reason, there’s no standardized protocol. Treatment decisions are largely based on your doctor’s clinical judgment and how much the swelling is affecting your daily life.
When Surgery Becomes Necessary
Surgery to remove the bursa entirely (bursectomy) is reserved for chronic cases that don’t respond to repeated conservative treatment or for infections that antibiotics can’t clear. This is relatively uncommon.
Recovery after bursectomy takes at least several weeks for the incision to heal, followed by a gradual return to normal elbow use. The total timeline varies widely depending on how much tissue was involved and your overall health. Your body eventually forms a new bursa in its place, though this replacement tissue is less prone to the same problem recurring.
Exercises to Restore Mobility
Once the acute swelling starts to subside, gentle stretching prevents stiffness and helps you regain full range of motion. Start slowly, and back off if any exercise increases your pain.
- Elbow extensor stretch: Lift your affected arm and bend the elbow with your palm facing you. Use your other hand to gently press the back of your forearm toward your shoulder until you feel a stretch in the back of your upper arm. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, repeat 2 to 4 times.
- Wrist flexor stretch: Extend your affected arm in front of you, palm down. Bend your wrist back so your fingers point toward the ceiling, then use your other hand to gently increase the stretch. Hold 15 to 30 seconds, repeat 2 to 4 times.
- Forearm rotation: Keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees and tucked against your side. Hold a pen or pencil and slowly rotate your forearm so your palm faces up, then down. Hold each position for 15 to 30 seconds, repeat 2 to 4 times.
These stretches target the muscles and tendons surrounding the elbow joint without putting direct pressure on the bursa itself.
Preventing Recurrence
Elbow bursitis comes back easily if the original cause isn’t addressed. If your work or hobbies involve repeated pressure on the elbow, wearing an elbow pad or cushioned sleeve is the simplest long-term fix. Look for one with adjustable straps so you can control the compression level, made from breathable material if you’ll wear it for hours at a time.
A compression sleeve serves double duty during recovery: it supports the joint, limits excess fluid buildup, and provides a physical barrier between your elbow and hard surfaces. Some people find a rigid brace helpful during the healing phase because it limits movement and reduces strain on the irritated bursa. Once the swelling resolves, switching to a lighter padded sleeve for protection during activities is usually sufficient. The goal is simple: keep direct, repeated pressure off the point of your elbow.