THE FOLLOWING ARE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED BY THE WASHINGTON ACUPUNCTURE CENTER. BURSITIS Bursitis is an inflammation of a bursa, which is a fibrous sac containing fluid located around a joint and acting as a cushion. Bursitis may result from injury, malnutrition or diseases, such as arthritis. Especially if a person has a deficiency of Vitamins, C, D and Pantothenic acid, the walls of the bursar may calcify from chronic irritation and not heal properly. This condition is very painful and limits the movement of the joint involved. The shoulder and knee joints are the ones most commonly involved. Some surgeons will attempt to cut away the calcium but it usually returns as a response to the surgical injury. Injections of hydrocortisone directly into the joint space is usually painful but will reduce the inflammation temporarily. The pain may be relieved for as long as a month by this procedure if it is performed skillfully, but in many cases attempts at these injections aggravate the symptoms. Acupuncture is usually effective for relieving the pain and stiffness from bursitis. Six treatments are enough in most cases. Taking the vitamins mentioned above, drinking plenty of water, avoiding coffee, tea, cola, alcohol and chilling will improve metabolism and discourage calcification of the bursar. next