“How long does it take for a bursitis to go away?”

The course of bursitis is variable. It may resolve quickly or may require prolonged treatment. If the pain is not resolving, consult a specialist. Physical therapy, medications and injections can be quite helpful in resolving this problem.

With proper treatment, there is an 80%-90% chance it will go away in 2-3 months. Proper treatment includes NSAIDS, injections, and physical therapy.
Hope it helps!!

Dr. Bose

How long it would take for bursitis to resolve would vary from patient to patient. It depends on how long it has been bothering you, what has caused it to begin with, as well as on the treatments you are doing. There is a range of treatments for bursitis from very conservative all the way up to surgery so obviously for people who eventually end up needing surgery for it, it does not go away without surgery so the longer you wait, the longer it will hurt.

The shoulder bursitis in the shoulder occurs with tendinitis of the rotator cuff. It will take very long time to go away without treatment. You should be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen, stretching and strengthening exercises with the physical therapy for few weeks. You also should avoid any heavy lifting, pulling or throwing. A steroid injection may help to calm down the bursitis and tendinitis. If you do not have any improvement in 6 weeks, I will recommend an MRI to rule out an injury to the rotator cuff.