The best treatment for trochanteric bursitis starts with conservative methods like rest, ice, activity modification, and NSAIDs, progressing to physical therapy (stretching/strengthening) and corticosteroid injections for persistent pain, with surgery reserved for rare, severe cases unresponsive to other treatments. A multimodal approach combining several non-surgical therapies often yields the best results, focusing on reducing inflammation and restoring hip function.
Trochanteric bursitis is swelling near your hip joint that makes it hard to move pain-free. The good news is that it usually gets better with a few weeks of rest.
Trochanteric bursitis exercises to avoid include side-lying exercises, wide-stance squats, and any movement that requires lying on the affected side. Focus instead on gentle range of motion exercises, water-based activities, and upper body strengthening that doesn't stress the hip.
While it isn't common for the inflamed bursa in your hip to become infected, when it does happen, it's called septic bursitis – and it can be dangerous. See a doctor right away if you have pain and redness at the hip along with fever, chills or nausea.
Causes of Trochanteric Bursitis
Repetitive Stress: Activities like running, cycling, or standing for long periods can irritate the bursa due to repetitive motion or overuse. Injury: Direct trauma to the hip, such as from a fall or bump, can result in bursa inflammation.
Surgical Treatment for Bursitis
If you're experiencing intractable hip pain, your orthopedic specialist will usually recommend surgery to remove or drain the affected bursa.
Bursitis is a condition that involves inflammation of the bursa. There are two major bursae in the hip that typically become irritated and inflamed: One bursa covers the bony point of the hip bone called the greater trochanter. Inflammation of this bursa is called trochanteric bursitis.
Hip Region Conditions Mistaken for Bursitis. Many hip conditions can look like bursitis, making it hard to diagnose. The hip area can get several conditions that might seem like bursitis. These include tendonitis, muscle strains, osteoarthritis, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
Seek medical care right away
You're not able to move your leg or hip. You can't put weight on the affected leg. Intense pain. Sudden swelling.
Symptoms of septic bursitis include pain over the affected bursa, joint stiffness, swelling, localized tenderness, fever, and if the bursa is superficial, redness and warmth of the overlying skin. Diagnosis of septic bursitis generally involves aspiration and analysis of the bursal fluid.
Bursitis can be managed without surgery. A referral to a physiotherapist services will help to settle your irritated bursa. Initially the physiotherapist will use techniques like electrotherapy, dry needling, taping and soft tissue massage to settle the pain and inflammation.
Shoes that provide proper support can help to reduce stress on the hip joint. Avoid high heels and shoes with a narrow toe box, as these can cause instability in the hip joint. Proper footwear can also help to prevent overuse injuries by providing shock absorption and reducing impact on the hip joint.
Surgery is rarely needed for trochanteric bursitis. It may be recommended in severe cases where the bursa does not respond to treatments, or if infection present. The bursa is not replaced and the hip can function normally without it.
The diagnosis of greater trochanteric bursitis is diagnosed by asking the patient to lay on the side (painful side up) and palpating over the burse of the greater trochanter. Tenderness should be appreciated. Pain is often self-limiting but can also be treated with NSAIDs.
Prolonging inflammation in the area will only lengthen the recovery period. However, some types of exercise, such as swimming and walking on flat surfaces, may be OK, so long as they don't make the condition worse. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
If you have bursitis, the swollen bursae will show up on an MRI. Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: This special ultrasound uses sound waves to show fluid in swollen bursae.
Mild cases typically resolve in 2–4 weeks with proper rest and treatment, while moderate cases may take 2–3 months. Severe or chronic bursitis can last 6+ months. Knee and elbow bursitis often heal faster (2–4 weeks), while shoulder and hip bursitis may require 6 weeks to 6 months for full recovery.
In most cases of bursitis that are brought for treatment at an urgent care clinic, the healthcare provider will recommend an anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen for temporary pain relief and to reduce any swelling, but many patients may also require stronger prescription medication or injections ...
Pain felt on the inside of the hip or in the groin area typically suggests issues within the hip joint itself. Hip pain on the outer side of the hip, upper thigh or outer buttock typically is related to issues with the muscles, ligaments, tendons or other soft tissues, such as bursal sacs, surrounding the hip joint.
Bursa Drainage and Removal
In the first procedure, the surgeon makes an incision in the skin over the affected area and drains the excess fluid from the bursa. If the bursa is severely damaged, the surgeon may remove the entire inflamed sac. The incision is closed with stitches.
Fortunately, most cases of hip bursitis don't require surgery. People who suffer from it primarily need to rest, use anti-inflammatories, and ice the area. Much of the pain will usually resolve within a week, and then they can return to their activity – but take it easy at first!
Be aware there are many other conditions that can mimic the pain associated with GTPS and trochanteric bursitis, the most common are: “Referred pain” from the lower back and/or sacroiliac joints (SIJ).
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), also known as lateral hip pain or trochanteric bursitis, is a common and painful condition which affects the outer side of the hip and thigh. It occurs when the tissues which lie over the outside of the hip bone (greater trochanter) become irritated.
If bursitis or tendinitis causes significant pain that is not relieved by over-the-counter NSAIDs, doctors may recommend an injection of corticosteroid medication directly into the area surrounding the bursa, which is a thin, fluid-filled sac that act as a cushion between the tendon and bone, or the tendon, which is a ...
Yes. The trochanteric bursa overlies the area of the hip where the sciatic nerve passes through. Inflammation in this region could theoretically aggravate the nerve, leading to sciatic symptoms descending the leg in addition to bursitis hip pain.