What is hip bursitis?
Hip bursitis, also known as greater trochanteric bursitis, is a condition that affects the outside region of the hip. The greater trochanter is the bony prominence on the lateral side of the leg and the attachment for many hip and pelvic muscles. In hip bursitis, that region becomes inflamed and painful.
What causes hip bursitis?
There are many causes, from acute traumatic injuries to overuse etiologies. The most common cause is some form of overuse syndrome. Running, cycling and activities that do not naturally include side-to-side movement can lead to the dysfunction.
What are the classic symptoms of hip bursitis?
Classically, hip bursitis presents as lateral hip pain, not localizing to the groin, which is worse with the inciting activity, direct pressure on greater trochanter (side sleeping), or prolonged sitting. On physical exam, a patient is tender directly over the greater trochanter, and possibly a tight iliotibial (IT) band may be found.
How do you treat hip bursitis?
There are many treatment options for hip bursitis from the conservative to the invasive. A patient can start with oral anti-inflammatories and a home stretching program. If that fails, a round of formal physical therapy with or without a steroid injection can be beneficial. In recalcitrant cases, regenerative medicine injections such as PRP (see previous blog posts) or surgical debridement may be needed.
Should you have any other questions or desire evaluation if you believe you have hip bursitis, please feel free to visit us as Advanced Orthopaedic Specialists.