Hip bursitis is a common ailment resulting in pain and impacts daily activities. A bursa is a fluid filled sac that provides cushion and/or reduces friction between bones, muscles, or tendons. At times the bursa can become inflamed, thus producing pain. Often a pain related to a bursa is more constant in nature and less on/off as can be typically of a muscle/tendon issue.

A person actually has 3 bursas in the hip region, so location of pain generally indicates which one is the issue. The bursa people think most about is the trochanteric bursa, which sits on the outer hip region. When irritated it can be rather point tender to touch and activities such as walking, climbing stairs and even sitting can be aggravating. A second bursa is the iliopsoas bursa, and that lives in the front aspect of the hip often causing groin pain. Irritation of this bursa can be an issue sitting (especially a low seat), walking, and any activity that flexes the hip. The third bursa in the hip region is the ischial bursa. This lives basically on your “sit” bone and is the area where your gluts and hamstrings connect. When this bursa is inflamed, sitting is often a major irritant.

Regardless of which bursa is irritated, conservative treatment is often successful. Many folks will try heat/ice/NASIDS. For some that may work, but for many more needs to be done. Often addressing strength and/or flexibility issues will be critical in resolving a hip bursitis.

You can look online for exercises, BUT…will they be the correct ones for you? The BEST solution is to have an evaluation by a muscle and joint specialist. This individual will be able to determine exactly what muscles need to be strengthened and/or stretched if necessary. Additionally soft tissue treatments or dry needling have been shown to be effective when implemented selectively.

If this sounds like something you are struggling with for more than 2-3 weeks, it is time to address the problem. Don’t let a small issue become bigger and impact your desired daily routine and activities. Click the following LINK to connect with a muscle and joint expert who can help solve your problem/concern.