At-Home Exercises Can Treat Hip Pain
Pain in your hip can be caused byhipbursitis.
If you have hip bursitis, you may benefit from working with adoctor of physical therapy(DPT/PT).
A therapist can assess your condition and determine the causes of your symptoms.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
What Causes Hip Bursitis?
You have a bursa on the outside of each hip.
One is called thetrochantericbursa and the other on the inner part of your hip is called theiliopsoasbursa.
Sometimes, excessive rubbing of soft tissue over the bursae causes inflammation and pain.
Trochanteric hip bursitis usually starts as pain on the outer (lateral) side of your hip.
Iliopsoas bursitis is usually felt on the inner part of your hip and groin.
You may also feel warmth on the outer part of your hip, which is a sign of inflammation.
If pain and inflammation are present for months or keep returning, the bursa can become calcified and thickened.
Over time, hip bursitis can lead to more pain and less mobility.
A PT will ask you about your hip pain and how it started.
They will want to know if your symptoms are changing and what makes your pain better or worse.
Your PT will also ask you how the hip pain from bursitis is affecting your functional mobility.
Mild cases of hip bursitis cause some pain, but functional mobility is not always affected.
More severe cases of hip bursitis cause major limitations in activities like walking and sleeping.
PT treatment for hip bursitis uses strategies that reduce inflammation and pressure on the hip bursa.
Most people with hip bursitis benefit from working with a PT who is anorthopedic specialistor sports therapist.
That means you do nothing while the PT does the moving for you.
While passive exercises are part of therapy, they are not the only ones youll need to do.
The most effective treatments for hip bursitis are active and include stretching, strengthening, and balance exercises.
Hip Bursitis Exercises
Exercise is the main treatment for hip bursitis.
The exercises recommended by your PT can also improve your ability to walk or run normally without hip pain.
Strengthening this muscle can be an effective strategy for the treatment of trochanteric hip bursitis.
Hip Bridges
Hip bridges strengthen your gluteal and back muscles.
They help treat both iliopsoas and trochanteric hip bursitis.
Outlook
Episodes of acute hip bursitis may last a few days.
More severe cases may last several weeks to months and become recurrent or chronic.
Many people with hip pain benefit from working with a PT 2-3 times a week for a few weeks.
They can have fewer visits with their PT as their symptoms get better.
Summary
Hip bursitis is when the bursa on your hip is inflamed and irritated.
While hip bursitis is not fatal, it can have a serious effect on your quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Physical therapy can be extremely effective in managing hip bursitis.
In this arthroscopic procedure, the inflamed and thickened bursa is removed.
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