What is Trochanteric Bursitis?
‘Bursa’ is a fluid-filled sac near a joint. Trochanteric Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa at the outside point of the hip, known as the greater trochanter. When the bursa, that is located between the hip, the muscles and the tendons of the thighs, becomes inflamed, it causes pain in the hip. This pain is three times more common in women than in men and is most common in middle aged or elderly women.
What causes Trochanteric Bursitis?
- Incorrect posture or bad posture
- Physical trauma or injury to muscles, tendons
- Play or work activities that cause overuse or slow injury to the joint areas
- Hip bone spurs or calcium deposits in the tendons that attach to the trochanter
- Any previous hip surgery
- Prolonged pressure on the bursa
- Inflammation
- Activities that require twisting or fast joint movement, such as running or cycling
What are the symptoms of Trochanteric Bursitis?
- Pain when you lie on the affected area
- Pain when you press on the outside area of your hip
- Swelling of the area where you feel pain
- Buttock pain that spreads to the outer thigh and knee
- Soreness and redness
- Sharp or burning hip pain
How can Trochanteric Bursitis be treated?
Treating Trochanteric Bursitis is just like treating any other soft tissue injury. It includes reducing pain and inflammation, preserving mobility and preventing disability and recurrence. The treatment method incorporates combination of rest, splints, icing 10-20 minutes several times a day, stretching exercises.
Weight loss may be useful as well as avoiding long periods of standing, running upstairs or other strenuous activities. Consulting a physiotherapist for further help is quite essential, if home treatment proves insufficient and not useful. A physiotherapist will diagnose your hip pain and accordingly will advise you some stretching exercises.
How to prevent Trochanteric Bursitis?
Most cases of trochanteric bursitis are caused by overuse, hence the best treatment is to prevent it. Most importantly, strenuous activities should be reduced and modified to avoid extensive pressure on your joints. Conditions such as length differences, improper posture, poor technique in sports or work must be corrected.
Whenever you are about to perform rigorous activities, take it slow at first and gradually build up your activity level. Use restricted force on your hips and cease if unusual pain occurs.
Trochanteric Bursitis is very dangerous if you ignore to cure it. If it reaches a level when diagnosis is in doubt or when there are signs of infection and there is no relief from various injections or physiotherapy, then you might have to undergo surgical excision of the bursa. Therefore, in order to avoid surgery, you should make sure that you visit a physiotherapist at the earliest when you identify any symptoms of Trochanteric Bursitis.
