Do you ever lay awake at night, unable to sleep because you have burning, searing, and horrible aching pain on the sides of your hip. Or perhaps the sides of your hips become unbearably painful while walking up stairs or getting up out of a low chair? This pain might simply be “Trochanteric Bursitis” which is an inflammation of the bursa (a small sac of fluid by your hip), and will be eased simply and quickly with our revolutionary techniques.
This horrible hip pain is often quite common if you are elderly, but, it can also appear if you are younger and even highly active. If your hip muscles and tendons are tight and weak, beginning a new activity or increasing the intensity suddenly, (such as biking, walking or running without appropriate stretching) might irritate the bursa which is located deep on the side of the hip. This irritation will lead to the pain and inflammation we call “bursitis”.
Common symptoms of Trochanteric Bursitis.
- Pain on the side of your hip, especially when lying on your side.
- Significant tenderness when pressing on the side of your hip.
- Moderate to severe pain on the side of your hips when you climb stairs, get out of a low car, rise from a low chair, or a deep couch.
Common causes which can lead to Trochanteric Bursitis:
- Sudden increase in activity levels and intensities beyond your current capabilities.
- Lack of activity leading to tight and weak hips.
- Injuries: If you fall onto your hip, or bump into a table in the middle of the night, – or laying on your side for extended periods of time.
- Poor posture: whether from weakness, arthritis or degeneration of your hip joints.
Don’t despair! There is help available when working through the pain of “Trochanteric Bursitis”. You might be helped simply with a visit to your Primary Care Physician, where they frequently perform a cortisone injection directly to the painful site. While often useful, these injections do reduce your pain for a little while, the underlying mechanical problems which led to the bursitis can still be there.
If you have this horrible hip pain, and it is limiting your active lifestyle, I have some wonderful solutions available to you that I am really excited about. Most people with “Trochanteric Bursitis” benefit from some these revolutionary yet straightforward activities and techniques including gentle stretching and strengthening for the hips. The directed exercises and interventions can quickly eliminate 80-100% of your pain.
How can Physical Therapy help?
As Physical Therapists, we understand intimately how your body functions and moves. Our job is to help you reduce your pain and increase your activities safely, while unlocking your inner healing potentials. We do this primarily through prescribing home exercises which are designed to meet your individual needs and ultimate goals, and offering revolutionary treatment choices including the ML830 “low level laser therapy”.
While many of the exercises and stretches we give are quite simple to do. You will probably need some initial focused direction and training for your exercises, to make sure you are not causing more harm in your effort to heal.
As Physical Therapists, we have several tools, or “modalities” available which may be beneficial when used in appropriate and limited ways. One revolutionary tool which I have mentioned above, and have seen some amazing results and benefits with includes the ML-830 Low Level “cold” Laser. This “cold” laser increases the energy production within your injured tissues, immediately beginning and kick starting the pain relief cycle, quickly restoring you to a higher level of functioning.
Make sure you are wary of clinics which rely heavily upon modalities including excessive ultrasound, electrical stimulation and heat packs. While these can be helpful for feeling good for a few hours, they are not healing your tissues for you, and if misused may actually increase the inflammatory response. You should be learning something new, gently increasing your exercises appropriately each and every visit with the Therapist.
If you are unable to come see me immediately, while at home, try alternating between moist heat and ice to the inflamed area every 5 minutes before and after your activities. This might ease the pain and irritation for a while. Gentle stretches which focus on the appropriate muscles of the hip, as well as strengthening the same muscles will reduce the pressure on the bursa of the hip.
You might be hesitant to attend Physical Therapy because it seems rather expensive, or perhaps you have very high deductibles on your insurance. You would be delightfully surprised to find it commonly only requires 4-6 visits at the most to deal with your hip pain. We have special packages available to work with, and can accommodate most all people with financial hardships.
Remember:
You can progress quickly through the pain of Trochanteric Bursitis with a quick trip to your Physical Therapist. Learning the appropriate gentle exercises and stretching techniques to address your condition is vital to becoming healthy and active again, restoring you to being pain-free again. If you are suffering from this horrible hip pain, call me immediately to schedule your screening, and begin the healing now.
Some simple stretches and exercises to help.
Hip Stretch – Side Leaning: This is simply side leaning against a wall. Stand about one foot length from a wall, with your painful hip towards the wall. Lean to the side against the wall with your shoulder. Cross your non-painful leg over the other and lean your painful hip gently towards the wall, feeling a stretch. Repeat this on the other side, holding for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times.
Hip Stretch – Standing: Standing upright, cross your unaffected leg in front of your painful leg, as in the first stretch above. Bend forward at the hips, trying to touch your toes with your fingers, gently feeling a stretch. Repeat this on the other side, holding for 30 seconds, repeat 3 times.
Leg Raise to the side: Laying on your non-painful side. While keeping your knee straight and in line with your body, tighten the muscles of your upper thigh of the painful hip, and raise that leg 8 to 10 inches above the floor. Hold the position for 1-2 seconds and repeat. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions, with muscle tiredness but not increasing the hip pain.
Hip Extension: Laying on your stomach, place your hands besides your sides. Now, while keeping your knee straight with tight leg muscles, slowly raise the affected leg above the floor. Hold that leg in the raised position for 1-2 seconds and bring it down slowly. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions, with muscle tiredness but not increasing the hip pain.
The pain of Torchanteric Bursitis will limit you during your daily life and can keep you from sleeping, leading to a less productive and more restricted lifestyle. To heal your hip pain quickly, you should call us, your local Physical Therapy office directly to schedule an appointment.
Jesse Elliott, DPT is a therapist at Siskiyou Physical Therapy.
He has worked and studied in outpatient orthopedic clinical settings for over 10 years, and enjoys helping his clients unlock their inner healing potential. Here at Siskiyou Physical Therapy, our Physical Therapists are highly trained clinicians who are Doctors of Physical Therapy. We specialize in improving your mobility, and training you, the individual, to become fully independent in a short amount of time.
You can contact us directly at 1-800-958-2588, or via our website at http://www.siskiyoupt.com for more information regarding our revolutionary treatments available.
