Treating Hip Bursitis with Physiotherapy: What Works Best?

Hip Bursitis

Hip physiotherapy focuses on assessing and treating conditions and injuries related to the hip joint and surrounding structures. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, recovering from surgery, or trying to prevent future injuries, hip physiotherapy in Edmonton helps you regain strength, mobility, and overall functionality in your hip area.

What is Hip bursitis and How Does it Affect People?

Hip bursitis, also called trochanteric bursitis, happens when the bursa sacs near the hip joint get inflamed. These sacs are like cushions between bones, tendons, muscles, and skin, making movement smooth. It typically arises from factors like overuse, injury, or conditions like osteoarthritis. This causes pain in the outer side of the hip, especially when moving around. It affects people differently, depending on factors like age and activity level, and can make daily activities challenging. If not treated, it can lead to ongoing pain and mobility problems.

What are the effective physiotherapy interventions for managing hip bursitis?

Hip physiotherapy in Edmonton offers a range of hip bursitis treatments to alleviate these symptoms and help you return to normal activities. Here’s what works best in bursitis treatment through physiotherapy:

Manual Therapy:

Manual therapy techniques, including massage and mobilizations, are great for easing pain and boosting mobility in the affected hip. These methods get the blood flowing better to the bursa, which helps dial down inflammation and kick-start the healing process. Here are manual therapy techniques commonly employed to treat hip conditions:

Soft Tissue Mobilization:

This technique is all about the physiotherapist getting hands-on to work over the skin, muscles, and tendons around your hip. The aim here is to break up any sticky adhesions and scar tissue, get the blood flowing more freely, and ease up muscle tension. This can truly make a significant difference, especially if you’re dealing with hip bursitis, where inflammation and tight tissues are making things painful and stiff.

Myofascial Release:

This technique is all about easing pain and boosting how well you can move by promoting relaxation in the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles. Our physiotherapists help this by applying gentle, sustained pressure to the tissue, helping to smooth out any tight spots and get things moving normally again. It’s a solid approach for tackling those sneaky, indirect issues that can cause hip pain and mess with your mobility.

Stretching Exercises:

Tight muscles like the hip flexors, glutes, and the iliotibial band can really crank up the discomfort of bursitis. That’s why physiotherapists often recommend specific stretches that can ease the tension around these areas. These stretches are a big help in reducing the pressure on the bursa. Exercise recommended by our physiotherapists to target key muscle groups around the hip:

Hip Flexor Stretch:

Tight hip flexors may exert pressure on the hip joint and worsen bursitis pain.

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel on one knee, the affected leg in front, and the other knee on the ground or a padded surface. Push your hips forward gently until you sense a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold for 20-30 seconds. For a deeper stretch, raise the arm on the side of the stretched hip overhead and lean slightly to the opposite side.

Strengthening Exercises:

Strengthening the muscles around your hip joint and lower back is key for boosting stability and making sure forces are spread out evenly when you move. This can really help cut down on irritation. Exercises may include bridges, leg lifts, and clamshells tailored to your specific needs and abilities. Strengthening exercise commonly prescribed for hip rehab:

Bridges:

Bridges target the glutes, which are key stabilizers for the hip joint.

Basic Bridge: 

Recline on your back with your knees bent and feet resting flat on the floor, spaced hip-width apart. Activate your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off the floor, pushing through your heels. Pause briefly at the peak before gently lowering back down.

Ultrasound Therapy:

Ultrasound is a treatment modality used by physiotherapists to treat conditions like bursitis. It works by transmitting sound waves deep into your tissues, creating a warm effect that helps knock down inflammation, swelling, and pain around your hip. Here’s how ultrasound therapy is typically used in hip physiotherapy:

Thermal Ultrasound Therapy:

Thermal ultrasound therapy involves the application of continuous sound waves, which produce a heating effect that penetrates deep into the tissue. This heat can:

  • Enhance circulation to the specific region, helping to speed up the healing process.
  • Reduce joint stiffness and muscle spasms.
  • Soften and break down scar tissue and adhesions in the muscles and surrounding tissues.

Activity Modification:

Our physiotherapist will also guide you on how to modify your daily activities and movements to avoid aggravating your hip bursitis. This might include changing the way you perform certain tasks, using assistive devices to reduce pressure on the hip, or avoiding prolonged positions that strain the hip. Activity modifications that physiotherapists often recommend:

Change Sitting Positions

For those who sit for long periods, changing sitting positions can reduce pressure on the hip. It’s recommended to take regular breaks to stand and walk around. Utilizing an ergonomic chair that supports good posture can also help.

Modify Exercise Routines

Transitioning from high-impact exercises (like running) to low-impact activities (like swimming or cycling) can minimize stress on the hips while still promoting cardiovascular health and muscle strength.

Optimizing Recovery: 

Whether you’re struggling with hip pain due to overuse, injury, or underlying conditions like osteoarthritis, Family Physiotherapy in Edmonton provides the necessary support and guidance to help you regain strength, flexibility, and function. With a focus on individual needs and goals, hip physiotherapy offers a comprehensive approach to addressing hip bursitis, ensuring that you can move with greater ease and confidence. If you’re seeking relief from hip discomfort and limitations, remember that hip physiotherapy in Edmonton has the solution for your needs.

Ready to take the first step towards hip pain relief and improved mobility? Schedule a consultation with our registered physiotherapists today!