Try to always stand up nice and tall and straight, with your weight evenly distributed between both feet. 2. It's also really important when suffering this type of pain, to avoid sitting with you legs crossed. At least until your symptoms settle down.
The main symptom of hip bursitis is pain. Other hip bursitis symptoms can include hip swelling. 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.
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.
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.
Repetitive motions: Lifting heavy boxes at work, climbing up and down stairs a lot or standing for a long time can all cause bursitis. So can playing sports or doing physical activity that puts a lot of stress on your hips (like cycling or running).
It's also really important when suffering this type of pain, to avoid sitting with you legs crossed. At least until your symptoms settle down. It's also important that you sit with your hips a little bit higher than your knees to prevent compression of the hips tendons and bursa.
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.
Pain that doesn't go away
Hip bursitis (trochanteric bursitis) may be a sign of a more serious issue. If you continue to have bursitis pain at the hip that has not improved despite extensive treatment, you may have a tear of a muscle located next to the bursa called the gluteus medius.
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.
If you have chronic bursitis, try to minimize flare-ups by stretching each day to increase range of motion. And avoid activities that you know will result in pain. Repetitive-motion activities are especially bad for bursitis. If you do have a flare up, remember that resting your hip is important.
So, the best hip bursitis exercises should strengthen the glute muscles at the sides of the hips. This helps stabilize the legs with movement and supports the glute tendons to reduce friction on the underlying bursae. Strengthening exercises can also correct muscle imbalances to prevent hip bursitis from recurring.
Hip bursitis happens when the bursa fills with extra fluid and becomes inflamed. This inflammation puts pressure on the nearby tissue and causes discomfort.
Unfortunately, the recovery time for hip bursitis can take quite a while. Many patients tend to recover in about six weeks, but others can spend as many as 12 weeks recovering from hip bursitis. One way patients can speed up their recovery time is with physical therapy.
Pain that is sharp or intense at first, but may become more of an ache. Difficulty walking. Joint stiffness. Swelling and warmth of the hip joint.
Hip bursitis can occur acutely, with a flare-up over a few hours or days, or be chronic, with inflammation lasting up to several weeks. Acute bursitis can become chronic if left untreated or activities continue.
The best solution? Sleep on your back. If changing your sleep position is hard, try putting a pillow between your knees or slightly behind your back to relieve pressure and keep your hips aligned. A mattress topper or more supportive mattress might also help.
Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to reduce pain and inflammation. NSAIDs come in pills and also in a cream that you rub over the sore area. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can also help with pain.
Avoid High-Impact Activities
Running and jumping can make hip pain worse, so it's best to avoid them. The AAOS recommends switching to lower-impact choices, like walking or cycling.
Traumatic injury
Any traumatic injury to the point of your hip (where the bursa is located) can trigger bursitis. This includes falling onto the outside of your hip, banging your hip into a hard surface, or even lying on your side for an extended period.
Resting the affected area and using bandages and anti-inflammatory medications usually helps to make the inflammation go away. Antibiotics are used if bacteria are involved. If the symptoms don't improve, surgery to remove the inflamed bursa is considered.
It is essential that you avoid all outer hip and gluteal stretches, during your recovery as this can create pain and limit your progress! You will need to avoid any stretch that takes your knee or your ankle towards your opposite shoulder.
Steroid injection.
Injection of a corticosteroid along with a local anesthetic may also help to relieve symptoms of hip bursitis.
Prolonged bursitis can even result in permanent damage. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help prevent bursitis from developing or coming back.
Your physician or physical therapist will recommend when to start and how often to do your hip bursitis exercises. The general recommendation is to do the stretches 2 to 3 times a day and the exercises 1 to 2 times a day as tolerated. A floor mat can be useful and you will need a cushion or pillow.