Zoe Ball is back on the airwaves once more. The BBC Radio 2 star returned to the studio to start presenting a brand-new weekend slot.
But during her return, she also mentioned that she had been struggling with a health condition called bursitis.
The news came after Ball mentioned she’d recently signed up to a gym, and had been assessed by one of the staff on hand.
"Thank you to Seth, who gave me... a rating of, was it a four or five [out of ten] on the fitness level?” she said during the show.
"You've gotta start somewhere, haven't you? For goodness' sake. He's helping me with my bursitis. Yes, it's come to that - 54 and I’ve got bursitis."
What is Bursitis?
As described by the NHS, the condition happens when “when the fluid-filled sacs (bursa) that cushion the joints have become painful and swollen (inflamed).”
It’s often uncomfortable, and symptoms include painful joints, swelling, and discomfort that comes from moving or applying pressure on that affected joint. The area in question might also feel tender or warm, especially when compared to the skin around it.
According to the NHS website, bursitis can happen anywhere, but it’s most commonly contracted in the shoulders (like Ball), hips, elbows and knees.
The good news is that it’s curable: the symptoms should go away by themselves within a few weeks. But the process can be sped along with a bit of rest, avoiding activities that put pressure on the joint, and using ice on the affected area.
Ball herself stepped down from presenting the breakfast show (and passed the baton on to Scott Mills) after six years last December, after taking a break over the summer.
Before she left, Ball also wrote on Instagram that she was suffering from another health condition, waking up with “daily headaches” thanks to her Temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
"I have TMJ and wake most days with awful headaches from tension and jaw clenching,” she wrote.
TMJ is a condition that affects the muscles used for jaw movement. It’s not serious, but it also causes tenderness, swelling, headaches and vision problems for people that suffer from it.
