Watsonia Chiropractic Centre offer quality chiropractic care for hip bursitis to local residents in Watsonia & surrounding areas including Macleod, Greensborough, Yallambie, Mont Park, Latrobe & Bundoora
A bursa is a small fluid filled sack that lies between tendons, bones, skin and muscles throughout your body. There are around 160 in the human body and are a part of your normal anatomy. When a bursa becomes inflamed due to increased friction or from an injury or overuse it can become swollen and painful and can interfere with the tissue it’s meant to protect and this condition is known as bursitis.
The hip contains 3 groups of bursa that can become inflammed. The trochanteric bursa is on the outside of the hip, the iliopsoas is at the front and the ischiogluteal bursa is at the back, where the hamstring muscle attaches.
Causes of Hip Bursitis:
Trochanteric bursitis pain is typically on the outside of the hip and is painful to touch and sometimes swollen. The pain is often worse at night particularly when lying on the involved side in bed. It may be caused by trauma, overuse or from a chronically tight iliotibial band, a band of tissue that runs from the top of the hip down to the outside of the knee.
Iliopsoas bursitis pain is in the front of the hip and groin. The onset is often slow and may involve a snapping sensation from the hip when extending it. The most common cause is a chronically tight hip flexor and may be accompanied by chronic low back pain.
Ischiogluteal bursitis pain is frequently felt in the buttock when sitting. It may be caused by excessive sitting, activities that cause friction like riding or rowing or from a trauma like a fall on the behind. Pressing on the “sit bones” inside your butt cheek will aggravate the pain.
Diagnosis
All are diagnosed from the clinical history, location of pain and a physical examination. Diagnostic imaging may be required particularly if the cause is traumatic.
Treatment
Initial treatment is aimed at reducing the pain and inflammation in the bursa. This may include:
- Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
- Ultrasound therapy
- Ice
- Mobilization of the hip, pelvis and lower back
- Massage
- Dry needling
- Advice on how to avoid aggravating the condition
As the pain eases the emphasis is on strengthening the muscles around the hip, pelvis and lower back to prevent the bursitis from returning. Sometimes the bursitis does not respond to conservative care and may require referral for medical treatment, most commonly a corticosteroid injection.
