Persistent knee bursitis for a year

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi, Im a 20 year old female and I've got bursitis of the knee and it has been almost a year. I was prescribed Naproxen twice, but both times it failed to make a difference. My doctor tells me the swelling is minimal and that I should just let it get better by itself but i disagree. If I walk for about ten minutes my knee starts hurting and the pain spreads to the whole of my right leg and the right side of my back. The pain lasts for a few days and then just comes back when I start walking again. What treatment is recommended? please help im really worried.

Dear Kay: First of all,  try not to over stress your knee with movements or activities in a repetitive way that reproduces the pain. The healing time is different for each patient, and also depends on the severity of the initial injury; you have to give enough time to your knee to recover. Try to start walking for 20-30 min. a day as long as you tolerate it without pain or discomfort, you can use ice packs after the exercise routine to decrease inflammation and/or pain, try avoiding activities that reproduce the pain, and keep using anti inflammatory drugs (example: “Motrin”). Try this routine and see how you are feeling day by day. Remember, the pain is just letting you know that may be you are going beyond your own limits and you may need more time to heal in order to be functional again.