Hip

Hip

Hip Bursitis

Hip bursitis is a frustrating condition that often presents itself in combination with hip external rotator tendinopathy. Hip bursitis will most often feel like a deep ache on the side of the hip that is painful during activities such as running, walking, cycling and laying on the painful side.

Hip bursitis is caused by a dysfunction in the biomechanics of the hip that irritates a bursa in the hip causing it to be inflamed. Hip bursitis can be classified into four groups; trochanteric, iliopsoas, gluteal and ischial bursitis.

Treatment of your hip bursitis centres around two main objectives; correcting poor biomechanics of the hip through strengthening stabilising muscles and reducing inflammation and pain of the affected bursa. Reducing inflammation and pain can be achieved through a number of measures such as dry needling, trigger point therapy, NSAID’s, massage, activity restriction and in extreme cases an ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection which can be referred directly by your physiotherapist.

It is important to understand that although a corticosteroid injection will likely give relief of pain by settling the inflammation of the bursa, it will not correct the biomechanics deficiencies of the joint which has caused bursitis. it is therefore paramount that even if you are not experiencing pain due to a CS injection, you seek and participate in strengthening hip stabilising muscles to prevent your bursitis returning.

Hip External Rotator Tear

Hip external rotators are one of the main contributors to hip stabilisation during weight-bearing activities. When we walk it is one of the main jobs of the hip external rotator group to hold our supporting hip in line with our body. If these muscles do not work our hips would swing out with every step. This is the reason why a tear or tendinopathy of the hip external rotators will often present itself in conjunction with hip bursitis.

Your hip muscles, like any damaged muscle, will initially need a period of rest followed by a strengthening and stretching routine that will help you to avoid any further injury to the muscle. In addition to these measures, it is likely you will need some treatment for secondary problems such as hip bursitis that arise from the poor hip biomechanics the muscle injury has caused.

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