Diagnosing hip bursitis Your doctor might also ask you to do simple tasks like standing on the affected leg to see how your legs are functioning. Sometimes, your doctor will order an X-ray or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, too, to verify that the pain is due to bursitis and not a fracture or other problem.
Diagnosis of hip bursitis
Your doctor might order imaging tests such as x-ray, MRIs, ultrasounds, or bone scans. Ultrasound and MRI specifically are used to confirm the diagnosis when the bursae are too deep for regular inspection.
Cortisone shots usually work quickly. In many cases, one shot is all you need. Assistive device-Your orthopedic specialist may also recommend that you use an assistive device, such as a cane, to help reduce the pressure on your hip.
Disabling joint pain. Sudden inability to move a joint. Excessive swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area. Sharp or shooting pain, especially when you exercise or exert yourself.
The pain is often sharp in the first few days. It may be dull and achy later. You may notice it more when getting out of a chair or bed. You may also notice it when sitting for a long time and when sleeping on the affected side.
Pain from bursitis in your hip tends to get worse after you've been sitting or lying down. The pain may also increase when you do a repetitive activity, like climbing stairs.
Activities or positions that put pressure on the hip bursa, such as lying down, sitting in one position for a long time, or walking distances can irritate the bursa and cause more pain.
Rest and don't overuse the affected area. Apply ice to reduce swelling for the first 48 hours after symptoms occur. Apply dry or moist heat, such as a heating pad or taking a warm bath.
Inflammation of your bursa can cause stiffness and pain, making it difficult to sit, walk, stand, or sleep. Maintaining strength and flexibility in the hip muscles can help reduce the friction that causes the inflammation and pain.
Differentiating between bursitis and other conditions that affect these joints— such as arthritis, tendinitis, tendon or ligament damage, infection, fracture or neoplasm— can make it a challenge to diagnose.
You should call your doctor if you experience the following:
Warmth or redness over the joint. Inability to move the affected joint. Unusual swelling near the joint. Fever in addition to the above symptoms.
Leaving shoulder bursitis untreated can result in problems beyond mobility issues. In rare cases, it can also lead to a life-threatening complication. Septic (infectious) bursitis, in particular, can cause severe redness and warmth of the skin over the bursa, fever and chills, and tenderness at the site.
The main symptom of trochanteric bursitis is pain at the point of the hip. The pain usually extends to the outside of the thigh area. In the early stages, the pain is usually described as sharp and intense. Later, the pain may become more of an ache and spread across a larger area of the hip.
Over time, the bursae may become thick, which makes the swelling worse. This can lead to limited movement and weakened muscles (atrophy) in the area.
“The simplest way to understand the difference between hip bursitis and hip osteoarthritis is to understand where the pain is coming from,” says Dr. Sparling. “When you have hip osteoarthritis, the pain is coming from inside the joint. With hip bursitis, pain is coming from the outside.”
This particular bursitis is common with sprinters and hill runners as they have to flex the hip further than with flat and slower-paced running. Therefore, sprinting and hill running should be avoided. Deep squats are likely to aggravate as are resisted hip flexion movements.
Try sleeping on your back or, if you're a side sleeper, sleep on the side that doesn't hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned. Around your hip bone and other joints are small sacs filled with fluid that cushion the joint when it moves. These sacs are called bursae.
Most cases of hip bursitis are successfully treated with nonsurgical treatments and do not re-occur.
Management: Bursitis can be managed without surgery. A referral to a physiotherapist will help to settle your irritated bursa. Initially the physiotherapist will use techniques like electrotherapy, dry needling, taping and soft tissue massage to settle the pain and inflammation.
Avoid the activity or positions that irritated your bursa. Taking a break from activities that put pressure on that part of your body will give it time to heal and prevent further injury. Ask your provider how long you'll need to rest and avoid physical activities.
Initially, the pain may be located primarily at the outside of the lower hip. Over time the pain may radiate down the outside of the thigh or to other points in the body, such as the lower back, buttock, or groin, and may extend down the outside of the thigh towards the knee.
As with shoulder and elbow bursitis, repetitive use and stress that puts pressure on the bursa — also known as an overuse injury — is the primary cause of hip bursitis.
Bursitis is likely to improve in a few days or weeks if you rest and treat the affected area. But it may return if you don't stretch and strengthen the muscles around the joint and change the way you do some activities.
It can be a debilitating condition as it tends to persist in time and recur pain subsides. It is due to inflammation of a fluid-filled sac (bursa) around a part of the hip joint known as the greater trochanter.