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“It is an ailment that was once called” religious pain “because the nuns prayed on their knees so often that they fell ill” – this is how Pope Francis commented on his mobility problems during an audience on April 25. The ailment that the Holy Father struggles with is often called “the maid’s knee” or “the miner’s knee”. What is “nun’s disease”, what are the symptoms, can it be cured? We explain.
- Difficulties with walking and limping of the Holy Father are disturbing. It has long been said that he suffers from sciatica, in winter the Pope himself spoke of ligament inflammation in the right knee
- On April 25, during the audience, the Holy Father mentioned an ailment that prevented him from getting up to greet everyone. As he said, it was formerly called “the pain of nuns”
- This is how the prepatellar bursitis is sometimes called – other names used are “maid’s knee” or “miner’s knee”
- Most often, the disease is caused by frequent kneeling (excessive pressure on the bursa) and is chronic. What are the symptoms and treatments for this ailment?
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
«It is an ailment that was once called» the pain of a nun «»
In July 2021, Pope Francis underwent surgery to remove part of his large intestine (the effect of symptomatic stenosis of diverticular colon), but it is believed that he is in good health. However, people are worried about difficulties with moving around and limping of the Holy Father. It has long been said that he suffers from sciatica, which causes pain in the lower back and legs and, consequently, difficulty walking. These ailments often forced changes in the pope’s public schedule. And Francis himself calls his condition “troublesome guest”.
It is also known that the pope is very bothered by the pain of his right knee. Is it related to sciatica? Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the spine, not the knee, but it is known that pain can radiate to the legs. However, the problem with the knee was commented on by the Holy Father himself. In winter, the Pope spoke of ligament inflammation in his right knee, joking: “Doctors told me that only old people get this, so I don’t know why it happened to me.”
On April 24, during an audience at the Vatican, he also mentioned an ailment that prevented him from getting up to greet everyone. «After the photo I say hello, but sorry, I have to do it while sitting, because my knee … It is that ailment that was once called “the pain of a nun” because it was a time when they prayed so often on their knees that it made them sick! » – the pope explained, stressing that “it will heal”. What was the Pope talking about? What is the pain he mentioned or the nun’s disease?
“Nun’s disease” is an inflammation of the prepatellar bursa. Where does it come from?
Nun’s disease is sometimes defined as pre-patellar bursitis. Sometimes this disease is also referred to as “nun’s knee”, “maid’s knee”, “miner’s knee” or “carpenter’s knee”. These names echo what Pope Francis said: kneeling frequently. Anyone affected is at risk of developing bursitis (there is excessive pressure on the bursa when kneeling).
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Although it is the most common cause of the disease, it can also occur as a result of a single acute event (e.g. a fall, impact), the consequence of an underlying medical condition (e.g. gout or rheumatoid arthritis), infection, repeated repetition of the same movement. Bursitis can also be idiopathic, that is, it simply occurs for unknown reasons.
Photo. Shutterstock/ Pikovit
What is a prepatellar bursa anyway? You could say it’s a small, fluid-filled bag that sits under the skin at the front of the knee above the kneecap (the bone at the front of the knee joint). Its purpose is to provide a friction-free surface that allows movement and to protect the kneecap (e.g. when falling or kneeling for a long time).
It is worth emphasizing that bursitis may also affect other areas of the body, including shoulder, elbow, pelvis, heel.
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Symptoms of “nun’s disease”. Two common symptoms
A characteristic feature of pre-patella bursitis is pain located above the kneecap, as well as when kneeling, walking or even sitting.
The second common symptom is pronounced swelling in the front of the knee. Severe swelling results in a large, soft pocket of fluid over the kneecap. The knee looks like half a softball has been pushed under the skin. The swelling occurs in the bursa and not in the knee joint itself. People with prepatellar bursitis usually feel more comfortable lying down with the knee extended.
This ailment also shows stiffness and tension when bending the knee due to the swelling of the prepatellar bursa.
If there is septic bursitis (when the bursa becomes infected), the skin over the kneecap may turn red and hot, and you may develop a fever.
How is “nun disease” treated?
Diagnosing bursitis is usually based on symptoms and a physical examination. If there is a suspicion of infection or, for example, gout, it may be necessary to collect fluid from the affected bursa for examination. Imaging, such as an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, is usually not needed, although in some cases it can help a lot – such as when cartilage or ligament tears need to be ruled out.
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The treatment itself usually focuses on relieving inflammation and pain, treating infection (if any), maintaining range of motion, and preventing complications and future relapses. In most cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), sometimes steroid injections, are used. In many cases, physical therapy is also helpful.
A very important part of treatment is to protect the affected joints. This helps heal the bursa, but it can also prevent the problem from getting worse or recurring. Conservation measures that can be implemented include avoiding or modifying activities that cause pain, using pads or cushions for people who have to kneel or sit frequently, use a pad inside the shoe to raise the heel. Gel heels for pain in the heel and FootWave SOFTY spurs available at Medonet Market at a favorable price will work here.
We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to yoga. How to start your yoga adventure? How to benefit from it not only because of pain in the spine, joints or muscles? Check what non-obvious benefits this practice brings and what are the contraindications for practicing it. Listen:
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