Slangy Terms for Joint Afflictions Now in Vogue

ATLANTA — If you have clergyman’s knee, tailor’s seat, tennis elbow or trigger finger, what you really have is a form of bursitis or tendinitis, the Arthritis Foundation points out.

These and other slang expressions are often used to describe certain types of bursitis or tendinitis which affect structures around different joints.

Sudden stress, from a sports injury, for example, or from repeated use of a joint, as on certain jobs, may bring on this condition. However, the exact cause is often unknown.

--Clergyman’s knee, an inflammation of the bursa (a cushion in front of the kneecap) just below the knee, is actually bursitis.

--Tailor’s seat or weaver’s bottom describes inflammation over the bone in a person’s “seat,” caused by remaining seated for long periods at a time.

--Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the ligaments below the elbow, which can affect anyone who uses the muscles in the hand and forearm frequently.

--Trigger finger is due to an inflammation of the tendons used in bending the fingers.

With proper treatment, these forms of inflammation usually last only a short time and do not usually cause permanent damage, the Arthritis Foundation reports.