Bursitis and tendinitis are conditions that are also known as soft tissue rheumatic syndromes. A syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and indicate a particular problem. This type of syndrome produces pain, swelling, or inflammation in the tissues and structures around a joint, such as the tendons, ligaments, bursae, and muscles. Because the structures affected by soft tissue rheumatic syndromes are near joints, pain in these areas may be mistaken for arthritis. The difference between arthritis and bursitis and tendinits is the source of the inflamation. Arthritis is inflammation in the joint itself, whereas bursitis, tendinitis and other soft tissue rheumatic syndromes involve inflammation in the tissues and structures around a joint.