Bursitis doesn't just happen

This is not medical advice.

Sometimes people fall on the hip causing inflammation of the bursa, however most of the time bursitis happens as a result of weakness, limping and/or poor mechanics of the hip.

The hip is an amazing structure that we take for granted. When we walk, there is a brief moment in time where we are balancing most of our body weight on a ball in a socket. And the ball is not directly under us, it’s off at an angle. It does not appear very stable.

Location of bursitis pain

There are a bunch of soft tissue structures that try to hold it together; a capsule, a labrum, ligaments, and muscles. The muscles are very important at trying to hold this all together, mechanically, while we walk.

Snowballs

Rarely do hip patients have one problem. We might get a referral for “bursitis”, but there are a myriad of mechanical problems going on, and different sources of pain.

There are problems of pain and weakness that seem to snowball on each other. Because you’re in pain, you limp and get weaker, and vice versa.

Rehab for the hip requires strengthening and gait training to stop the limping.

How to stop limping

A long list of issues

Sciatica and/or piriformis syndrome

Sometimes one diagnosis is listed, yet the patient will present with 3 of these issues; bursitis, osteoarthritis, piriformis syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome, sciatica, sacroiliac joint syndrome, leg length discrepancy, flat feet, etc.

I see far more women with bursitis. There are likely several factors to this, but one is that women’s hips are relatively wider, placing greater torque at the hip joint.

I’ve seen several total hip replacements that then start to have irritation of the sciatic nerve. Usually we are not allowed the stretch new hips too far due to post surgical restrictions. Strengthening and soft tissue massage can help decrease this pain.

The industry wants to give you an expensive band aide

Sacroiliac or SI joint pain

I’ve seen injections for pain work about 50% of the time.

Gentle massage helps to decrease bursitis. You can do this with your fingers, or you can use a foam roller. A foam roller can help decrease symptoms related to bursitis, sciatica and a tight IT band.

The ITBand runs from your hip to your knee

Using a foam roller on the floor with all your body weight can be too aggressive for some people. In those cases I teach people to lean against the wall.

Strengthening is the long term solution. These links have some good suggestions.