To understand the best treatment for hip bursitis, we will have to know some more information first. Better understanding exactly what the person is having pain with (activity or movement wise) and what limitations they have will better determine the best treatment plan.

For individuals who have weakness about their hips, in particular the abductors, this will be a great place to begin. Addressing this strength deficit will often be a key factor to “control motion” about the hip and pelvis that could be putting increase strain causing the bursitis.  

The next area to consider is the health of the back (muscles + spine). If the back is stiff or tight, this could be referring pain out to the hip region. Specific stretching or hands-on treatment for this tightness could be just the ticket to easing pain. Also if the muscles are not as strong as they could be, this weakness could be putting increased stress/strain on the hip/pelvis muscle and thus causing pain.

Another area to consider is tightness of the hip muscles. Many often associate tight muscles about the hips (ITB, TFL, hip flexors) as part of the problem. For some, the answer is Yes, but not always. If you have been stretching these muscles and it has made NO difference for more than a few minutes for how you feel, then most likely stretching here is not the answer.

Injections…many physicians will offer injections for “hip bursitis”. But, unfortunately their benefit is about same as flipping a coin. And if it does help, it may only last a few weeks. This is because while it may temporarily reduce pain or inflammation, it does not get to the root cause of the problem. This is where working on the above three suggestions is more likely to help.

So, while some may be looking for the quick fix with an injection, often times it is a combination approach that is MOST likely to generate the best results.

If you have been struggling with what you think is hip bursitis for more than 3 or 4 weeks, it is a good time to ask what can be done to get rid of the pain. Click on the following LINK to request a call on which you can get your questions answered so you can begin to feel better again.