In most situations, elbow bursitis may be treated at home with medication and self-care. The bursa may take many weeks to recover and the swelling to go away. In rare circumstances, your doctor may remove excess fluid from the bursa. Alternatively, they may inject medication directly into the bursa to alleviate discomfort. In these cases, the bursa removal is called an arthroscopy and the procedure usually takes about an hour. Bursae are sacs within joints that act as lubricants for moving parts within the joint. There are three major bursas in the body: the shoulder bursa, the hip bursa, and the knee bursa. They help reduce friction between moving bones within the joint. People often get bursitis in their elbows. This common condition affects the bursa, the fluid-filled sac located between muscles and bone on the outside of the arm just above the wrist. The bursa acts as a cushion for the tendons and ligaments that attach muscle to bone. It helps prevent trauma to the tendon or ligament from occurring while still allowing movement to occur when raising your arm toward the sky or swinging a club. Elbow bursitis occurs when the bursa becomes inflamed. The cause is often unknown but it may be related to repeated movements that irritate the area or force it into tight flexion.