Hip Bursitis

Symptoms & Causes

Treatments

What is it?

Hip Bursitis is a condition that occurs when the bursae, small fluid filled sacs that sit between the bones in your joints and the soft tissue that surrounds them, become inflamed and swell. Bursae help your joints to move freely as they act as cushions to reduce friction between bone and soft tissue. There are two main bursae in the hip, each may give you slightly different symptoms. The most common trochanteric bursitis affects the outer aspect of your hip. Less common is iliopsoas bursitis which affects the front of your hip and groin area.

Symptoms

Pain in the hip; this may start with sharp, intense pain but then become dull and ache. Pain is localised to the area where the bursae is located e.g. outer hip or front of hip/groin area
Pain on exercise or when you perform repetitive actions such as walking or climbing stairs
Pain when you move you leg out to your side or bring it back in such as when getting out of the car or stepping sideways
Tenderness on palpation of the area
Pain at night or when sitting for long periods

Causes

Trochanteric Bursitis
- Excessive pressure on the hip due to an injury or poorly positioned joint
- Inflammation or to the gluteus medius tendon which is a muscle in the outer buttock region
Both types
- Osteoarthritis can irritate bursae as well as other conditions that strain the hip such as a scoliosis
- Injury due to a fall
- Overuse of the hip due to repetitive actions
- A difference in leg length
- History or hip surgery can also increase the risk

Treatment options

Avoiding activities that are causing the problem or correcting poor mechanics
Physiotherapy
Remedial massage
Shockwave therapy
Dry needling
Cryotherapy

Exercises at home

The Isometric Clam
- Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent with a pillow between your knees
- Keeping your ankles together, gently lift your upper leg so that you only just touching the pillow (do not actually lift the pillow) and hold for between 10-30 seconds
- Relax and repeat over a period of 2 minutes