Try sleeping on your back or, if you're a side sleeper, sleep on the side that doesn't hurt and put a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned. Around your hip bone and other joints are small sacs filled with fluid that cushion the joint when it moves.
Tendons in the hip may become inflamed or break down due to compression or overloading without having time to recover. This can cause hip pain at night.
The best solution? Sleep on your back. If changing your sleep position is hard, try putting a pillow between your knees or slightly behind your back to relieve pressure and keep your hips aligned. A mattress topper or more supportive mattress might also help.
Activities or positions that put pressure on the hip bursa, such as lying down, sitting in one position for a long time, or walking distances can irritate the bursa and cause more pain. It is also important to learn the hip bursitis exercises to avoid making the condition worse.
Pain that doesn't go away
Hip bursitis (trochanteric bursitis) may be a sign of a more serious issue. If you continue to have bursitis pain at the hip that has not improved despite extensive treatment, you may have a tear of a muscle located next to the bursa called the gluteus medius.
Hip bursitis happens when the bursa fills with extra fluid and becomes inflamed. This inflammation puts pressure on the nearby tissue and causes discomfort.
Inflammation in the bursa can cause significant pain while lifting or performing a rotational motion with the shoulder. When you lay on your side, the bursa in the shoulder can be compressed, leading to increased pain at night or when trying to sleep that may persist until proper treatment is provided.
Doctors may recommend over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to reduce inflammation in the bursa and tendon and relieve pain. These medications are typically recommended for a few weeks while the body heals.
The main symptom of hip bursitis is pain. Other hip bursitis symptoms can include hip swelling. Pain from bursitis in your hip tends to get worse after you've been sitting or lying down. The pain may also increase when you do a repetitive activity, like climbing stairs.
The main symptom of trochanteric bursitis is pain at the point of the hip. The pain usually extends to the outside of the thigh area. In the early stages, the pain is usually described as sharp and intense. Later, the pain may become more of an ache and spread across a larger area of the hip.
Apply ice 10 to 15 minutes at a time, as often as twice an hour, for 3 days (72 hours). You can try heat, or alternating heat and ice, after the first 72 hours. Use pain relievers. Use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to reduce pain and inflammation.
Since prepatellar bursitis is quite superficial, topical NSAIDs such as diclofenac topical gel (Voltaren Gel) can be very effective, with minimal systemic side effects.
Turmeric, boswellia, and white willow are three herbs that may reduce inflammation.
Sudden inability to move a joint. Excessive swelling, redness, bruising or a rash in the affected area. Sharp or shooting pain, especially when you exercise or exert yourself.
If you have chronic bursitis, try to minimize flare-ups by stretching each day to increase range of motion. And avoid activities that you know will result in pain. Repetitive-motion activities are especially bad for bursitis. If you do have a flare up, remember that resting your hip is important.
It's also really important when suffering this type of pain, to avoid sitting with you legs crossed. At least until your symptoms settle down. It's also important that you sit with your hips a little bit higher than your knees to prevent compression of the hips tendons and bursa.
Radiating pain.
Initially, the pain may be located primarily at the outside of the lower hip. Over time the pain may radiate down the outside of the thigh or to other points in the body, such as the lower back, buttock, or groin, and may extend down the outside of the thigh towards the knee.
Avoid sitting cross legged. When you sit cross legged the bursa is compressed between the Greater Trochanter (bony part of the hip) and the Gluteal tendons, further irritating the inflamed bursa.
Hip bursitis or trochanteric bursitis is a tricky condition. It's sometimes called “the great mimicker” because its symptoms are easily mistaken for other conditions like back pain or gluteal muscle injuries.
It can usually be treated at home and should go away in a few weeks.
Why can't I use Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel for shoulders, hips, etc.? Voltaren has not been studied for the relief of arthritis pain in the shoulders, hips, and back.
Foods that can trigger inflammation may make your pain worse so these are ones to avoid if you can. This includes processed foods (ready meals, sliced meat), caffeine, fizzy juice, sugars (cakes, biscuits etc.), and alcohol.