To diagnose bursitis, your health professional will review your medical history and daily activities and conduct a physical exam to check your overall health, areas of pain and tenderness, and strength and range of motion. Your exam may also include checking your nerve function (feeling and reflexes) and blood circulation (pulses). If your symptoms are related to use of a tool or sports equipment, your health professional may want you to demonstrate how you use it.

If your medical history and physical exam indicate bursitis, you will probably not need additional testing. If you have a swollen bursa, however, fluid may need to be removed from the bursa (aspiration) to check for infection.

If your symptoms are severe or have not improved with treatment, additional tests may be helpful. These may include:

• Aspiration of the bursa with or without injection of pain-relieving medication. Removing fluid from the bursa can help with diagnosing the cause of symptoms and can also be an effective treatment.
• X-rays, which can show any bone-related problems or calcium deposits in tendons or joint structures.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which can show small tears and injury to soft tissues such as tendon, ligament, cartilage, and muscle.
• Ultrasound, which can show thickening, swelling, or tears in soft tissues such as the bursae and tendons.