Hip bursitis

Bursitis is an inflammation of the small sacs of fluid (bursae) that cushion and lubricate the areas between tendons and bones.

The trochanteric bursa is a large sac separating the greater trochanter of the hip and the muscles and tendons of the thighs and buttock.

Bursitis can affect many of the bursae around the hip, but trochanteric bursitis is the most common. Trochanteric bursitis occurs more often in middle-aged or elderly women than in men or younger people.

Symptoms of trochanteric bursitis may include:

• Hip pain, and sometimes buttock pain that spreads down the outside of the thigh to the knee area. Pain may be worse during activities such as walking, running, or sitting cross-legged with the leg over the opposite knee. Pain may be severe enough at night that it disturbs your sleep.
• Tenderness when you press on the affected area or lie on the affected side.
• Limping.
• Swelling from increased fluid within the bursa.
• Redness and warmth (from inflammation or infection).

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about your hip and overall health. During the exam, the doctor will look at your hip and check for tenderness. You may also have imaging tests, such as an X-ray, an ultrasound, or an MRI.

Home treatment is often enough to reduce pain and let the bursa heal. Your doctor may give you a shot of medicine to reduce pain and swelling. The doctor may also suggest physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around your hip joints. Some people need surgery to drain or remove the bursa.

Home treatment for bursitis includes:

• Rest.
• Ice packs to the affected area.
• Medicines to relieve pain and swelling.
• Weight loss, to reduce pressure on the hip.
• Exercises to strengthen the hip muscles.
• Stretching exercises for the hip and lower back.
• Avoiding prolonged standing and the activity that causes pain.
• Using a cane or crutches to reduce pressure on the hip.
• Using a lift in your shoe, to reduce pressure on the hip if one leg is shorter than the other.

If home treatment does not relieve pain from bursitis, medical treatment such as lidocaine or steroid injections into the trochanteric bursa may help.

Warmth and redness in the area may be a sign of infection, which may require evaluation by your doctor. Surgery is rarely needed.