Hip pain can be caused by a lot of factors. Sometimes, you don’t know which factor might be causing pain in your hip. However, if you feel pain when getting up after sitting for a while, when trying to move, or when sleeping on your hip at night, hip bursitis might just be the culprit. This pain might be intense at the beginning but get dull over time. Physical therapy is great for providing relief to hip pain without harmful drugs or surgery. A therapist will evaluate your hip, and put you on a specific treatment plan to restore full motion to your hip. Request an appointment with one of our physical therapists and learn how you can get rid of your hip pain.
Bursitis occurs when the bursa sac is inflamed. A bursa is a thin fluid-filled sac that helps to reduce friction, and ease rubbing between tendons, bones, ligaments, and skin. There are about 160 bursae in the body, and the major ones are found in the hip, shoulder, elbow, and knee. Inflammation of the bursa is usually characterized by pain, redness, and swelling. Hip bursitis occurs when a bursa in the hip becomes inflamed. There are two bursae in the hip. One covers the bony point of the hip bone that is called the greater trochanter. Inflammation of this bursa is called trochanteric bursitis. The other bursa – iliopsoas bursa – is located on the inside of the hip (the groin area). When this bursa is inflamed, the pain is felt in the groin area. This condition is not as common as trochanteric bursitis, but it is treated the same way.
The major cause of hip bursitis arises from stressing the bursa. Risk factors that could lead to the development of hip bursitis include:
- Overuse: cycling, running, climbing, etc., done for long periods of time could inflame the bursa
- Injury to the hip as a result of a direct fall or hit to the hip
- Other medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, diabetes
- Spine disease such as scoliosis
- Previous surgery around the hip can irritate the bursae
- Bone spurs
Remember that your hip bursa helps to reduce friction between the tendons and bones in your hip. When the bursa now becomes inflamed, you are bound to feel pain when you move your hip. The pain usually begins as intense and sharp. Over time, it may become dull and achy, and spread across a larger area of the hip. You may notice the pain at night when lying on the affected hip, or getting up after sitting for a long time
Physical therapy is effective for treating hip bursitis. Surgery is rarely needed, and anti-inflammatory drugs can also be avoided. Your physical therapist will create a custom treatment plan for you to relieve the pain, and restore flexibility and strength to your hip. You will be required to discontinue activities that may worsen the symptoms. Ice bags can be placed on the hip to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Depending on the severity of the pain, a crane or crutches may be prescribed by your therapist for a period of time. Your therapist will educate you on exercises you can do on your own at home to recover quickly.
