If the swelling in the bursa is causing a slow recovery, a needle may be inserted to drain the blood and speed up the process. There is a slight risk of infection in putting a needle in the bursa. Chronic pre-patellar bursitis is sometimes a real nuisance. The swelling and tenderness gets in the way of kneeling on the knee and causes pain. For people who do things requiring kneeling, this creates a real hardship - both in their occupation and recreation activities.
Treatment usually starts by trying to control the inflammation.
Medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin may be suggested by your doctor to control the inflammation and swelling. A knee pad may be useful in making it easier to kneel on the affected knee. People who work on their knees frequently should probably consider knee pads before the problem starts. If the bursa remains filled with fluid, a needle may be inserted and the fluid drained. During the drainage procedure, if there is absolutely no evidence of infection, a small amount of cortisone may be injected into the bursa to control the inflammation.