Hip bursitis will often get better on its own as long as it is not caused by an infection. To heal your hip bursitis, you will need to rest the affected joint and protect it from any further harm. Most patients feel better within a few weeks with proper treatment.
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.
Bursitis usually lasts for only days or weeks, but it can last months or years, especially if the cause, such as overuse, is not identified or changed.
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.
When properly treated, bursitis doesn't result in permanent joint damage or disability. Many soft tissue conditions are caused by muscle overuse, so the first treatment may include resting the painful area or avoiding a particular activity for a while.
Chronic bursitis can go away and come back again. Acute bursitis can become chronic if it comes back or if a hip injury occurs. Over time, the bursae may become thick, which can make swelling worse. This can lead to limited movement and weakened muscles (called atrophy) in the area.
Other things that can aggravate hip bursitis include too much pressure on the hip, poor overall posture, and engaging in activities that overuse the muscles in the hip. Even climbing a single flight of stairs can cause pain for some people with hip bursitis.
The most common causes of bursitis are injury or overuse. Infection may also cause it. Bursitis is also associated with other problems. These include arthritis, gout, tendonitis, diabetes, and thyroid disease.
Injections. A corticosteroid drug injected into the bursa can relieve pain and inflammation in your shoulder or hip. This treatment generally works quickly and, in many cases, one injection is all you need.
Exercise is often prescribed to improve joint pain, so walking could be a vital part of managing your bursitis symptoms.
While it isn't common for the inflamed bursa in your hip to become infected, when it does happen, it's called septic bursitis – and it can be dangerous. See a doctor right away if you have pain and redness at the hip along with fever, chills or nausea.
Symptoms of hip bursitis
Early, the pain may be sharp and intense. But as the condition continues, the pain may become less intense and be more achy than sharp. It may also spread farther across the hip and thigh area. Most people find that hip bursitis pain is worse at night when they lie on the affected hip.
Return to Play
Pain from trochanteric bursitis can last for 6 months or more. Early diagnosis of trochanteric bursitis, identification of why it occurred, and correction of the underlying problem can ensure that an athlete is able to return as soon as possible.
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.
Bursitis is inflammation of one or more bursa—fluid-filled sacs located beneath your skin in certain spots, most notably around your hips. This condition can make even the simplest tasks extremely painful. Prolonged bursitis can even result in permanent damage.
Do not massage right over the bursa. This will make it worse. However, massage can be done to other areas of the body to address imbalances: I recommend John F Barnes myofascial release. In conclusion, you should work with a physical therapist to progress these exercises slowly and correctly.
It can usually be treated at home and should go away in a few weeks.
Traumatic bursitis is most common before age 35. Bursitis is associated with occupations that require repetitive movements and/or prolonged pressure on the joints.
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.
Bursa Drainage and Removal
If the bursa is severely damaged, the surgeon may remove the entire inflamed sac. The incision is closed with stitches. Removal of a bursa does not affect the way the muscles or joints work and can permanently relieve the pain and swelling caused by bursitis.
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.
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.