Trochanteric Bursitis Physical Therapy Protocol

Wall Squat With A Ball:

Top 3 Exercises For Trochanteric Hip Bursitis

Stand with your back, shoulders, and head against a wall and look straight ahead. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your feet 2 feet away from the wall and a shoulders width apart. Place a soccer or basketball-sized ball behind your back. Keeping your back upright, slowly squat down to a 45-degree angle. Your thighs will not yet be parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly slide back up the wall. Repeat 10 times. Build up to 3 sets of 10.

Physical Therapy Guide To Greater Trochanteric Bursitis

Read Time:

Greater trochanteric bursitis is one of the most common causes of hip pain. Although GTB affects both active and inactive individuals, it is most commonly diagnosed in moderately active, middle-aged females or those who have recently increased their activity level. In all individuals, pain on the outside of the hip from GTB can result in a limited ability to lie on the involved side, walk, climb stairs, squat, or participate in recreational activities. Physical therapists treat people experiencing GTB with a combination of stretching, strengthening, and movement retraining activities to decrease irritation in the hip, resolve pain, and help restore normal function.

Physical therapists are movement experts. They improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement. You can contact a physical therapist directly for an evaluation. To find a physical therapist in your area, visit Find a PT.

What Kind of Physical Therapist Do I Need?

How Is It Diagnosed

If you see your physical therapist first, the physical therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation that includes taking your health history. Your physical therapist also will ask you detailed questions about your condition, such as:

How and when did you notice the pain?
Have you been performing any repetitive activity?
Did you receive a direct hit to the hip or fall on it?

Your physical therapist will perform special tests to help determine the likelihood that you have hip bursitis. Your physical therapist will gently press on the outer side of the hip to see if it is painful to the touch, and may use additional tests to determine if other parts of your hip are injured. Your physical therapist also will observe how you are walking.

Your physical therapist will test and screen for other, more serious conditions that could cause lateral hip pain. To provide a definitive diagnosis, your physical therapist may collaborate with an orthopedic physician or other health care provider, who may order further tests to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other damage to the hip, such as a fracture.

Don’t Miss: Inspire Physical Therapy And Wellness

Prevention Of Trochanteric Bursitis

Adopt the exercises that helped resolve your problem as a routine warm up/cool down when resuming your usual exercise/sport routine.
Maintain a healthy weight to reduce stress to the hip.
Start any new physically demanding activities slowly.
Wear well-fitting and supportive shoes to reduce abnormal stress to your hips.

What Kind Of Physical Therapist Do I Need

All physical therapists are prepared through education and experience to treat greater trochanteric bursitis. However, you may want to consider:

A physical therapist who is experienced in treating people with greater trochanteric bursitis. Some physical therapists have a practice with an orthopedic or musculoskeletal focus.
A physical therapist who is a board-certified clinical specialist or who completed a residency or fellowship in orthopedic or sports physical therapy. This physical therapist has advanced knowledge, experience, and skills that may apply to your condition.

You can find physical therapists who have these and other credentials by using Find a PT, the online tool built by the American Physical Therapy Association to help you search for physical therapists with specific clinical expertise in your geographic area.

General tips when you’re looking for a physical therapist :

Get recommendations from family and friends or from other health care providers.
When you contact a physical therapy clinic for an appointment, ask about the physical therapists’ experience in helping people who have greater trochanteric bursitis.
Be prepared to describe your symptoms in as much detail as possible, and describe what makes your symptoms worse.

You May Like: Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Therapy

Trochanteric Bursitis Physical Therapy: Will Pt Help

You may be wondering, Will physical therapy for trochanteric bursitis help me get rid of my pain?

The answer is yes! Trochanteric bursitis physical therapy exercises can be beneficial in easing your pain and symptoms.

Your physical therapist will start by assessing your condition and then help you design a physical therapy treatment program for trochanteric bursitis that will improve your:

Strength
Flexibility

Greater trochanteric bursitis physical therapy exercises will help reduce your pain and swelling.

If trochanteric bursitis surgery is necessary, your physical therapists job may be to help you:

Heal and regain strength post-surgery
Learn at-home exercises
Get back to regular activities in the safest and most efficient way

Trochanteric bursitis physical therapy can help you return to your normal lifestyle.

Surgical Trochanteric Bursitis Treatment

Treatments for trochanteric bursitis that require surgery include:

Tendon repair and iliotibial band release If your IT band is too tight or a tendon is injured, this can lead to friction and irritation on the trochanteric bursa. Surgery can be done to lengthen the IT band or repair the injury.

Osteotomy This involves a surgeon shaving off a portion of the femur to reduce friction and stress on the bursa.
Trochanteric bursectomy The surgeon will create a small incision on the side of the thigh and remove any inflamed or infected bursa.

Also Check: Arizona Board Of Massage Therapy

Trochanteric Bursitis: Effective Exercises For Relief

At the American Hip Institute, we recommend our patients try out trochanteric bursitis stretching to relieve their pain. Here are a few exercises and stretches we recommend if you struggle with trochanteric bursitis. Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list. If you find any of these trochanteric bursitis exercises to be too challenging, or causing more pain, speak to a physical therapist for more recommendations.

Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes

How to Self-Treat Pain On the Side of Your Hip. (Trochanteric Bursitis, Gluteal Tendinopathy)

Interprofessional education is important for both the diagnosis and treatment of trochanteric bursitis. Primary care physicians and nurse practitioners should be educated in the diagnosis and treatment as they are often the first to encounter patients with trochanteric bursitis and can prevent the increased healthcare costs associated with specialist consultation. For most patients, the outcomes are excellent, but recovery may take a few weeks.

Best Hip Pain Exercises For Trochanteric Bursitis

Maintaining strength and flexibility in hip muscles through hip pain exercise reduces the friction that causes Trochanteric Bursitis. Trochanteric Bursitis is caused by the inflammation of your bursa, a jelly-like, fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between moving tissues in your body. Inflammation can cause stiffness and pain, making it difficult to sit, walk, stand or sleep.

Start each exercise slowly, and ease off the exercise if you start having pain. You can do the first 3 stretches to begin stretching the muscles that run along the outside of your hip, continue with the strengthening hip pain exercises when the sharp pain lessens.

Wall Squat With A Ball

Stand with your back, shoulders, and head against a wall. Look straight ahead. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your feet 3 feet from the wall and shoulders width apart. Place a soccer or basketball-sized ball behind your back. Keeping your back against the wall, slowly squat down to a 45-degree angle. Your thighs will not yet be parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly slide back up the wall. Repeat 10 times. Build up to 2 sets of 15.

You May Like: Physical Therapy For Broken Ribs

Best Physical Therapy Exercises

The first steps medical experts recommend for treating chronic bursitis and muscle weakness include anti-inflammatory medications and strengthening exercises to help reduce symptoms. If pain persists and reduces your ability to move or walk normally, the doctor may suggest surgery.

At Advance Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation, Inc., surgery is never the first option for our patients. Our sports medicine experts will discuss physical therapy, specific activities, and other treatments to improve your mobility and restore your quality of life.

Clam Hip Pain Exercise

Lie on your uninjured side with your hips and knees bent and feet together. Slowly raise your top leg toward the ceiling while keeping your heels touching each other. Hold for 2 seconds and lower slowly. Do 2 sets of 15 repetitions.

Experiencing foot and ankle pain? Click here to find out more about physiotherapy for foot and ankle pain relief and how Core Concepts Singapore can effectively manage ankle, foot, knee, hip pain Physiotherapy.

Recommended Reading: Sound Wave Therapy For Arthritis

Iliotibial Band Stretch: Standing:

Cross one leg in front of the other leg and bend down and touch your toes. You can move your hands across the floor toward the front leg and you will feel more stretch on the outside of your thigh on the other side. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat 3 times. Reverse the positions of your legs and repeat.

Trochanteric Bursitis Physical Therapy

The main goal of physical therapy is to reduce pain and irritation at the side of the hip so you can get back to performing normal activities without limitations. Trochanteric bursitis is treated on an outpatient basis in outpatient physical therapy.

Physical therapy for trochanteric bursitis typically involves:

Therapeutic exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the hips
Manual therapy to reduce tension, tightness, and spasm in the hip muscles
Thermal therapy with cold packs to reduce inflammation at the hip
Patient education, including postural awareness to avoid positions that can increase hip irritation and activity modification to avoid activities that will worsen symptoms

Verywell / Joules Garcia

Exercise For Hip Joint Problems

Doing hip exercises routinely can help reduce bursa swelling, improve mobility, and strengthen the muscles supporting your hips.

Before any motion, it is essential to stretch your legs and arms. Start slowly and stop if you start feeling pain or increased pressure in the hip, knee, or thigh.

Plank

Raise yourself from the ground using your arms and core muscles
Make sure your legs are straight
Keep your arms in line with your shoulders
Stay in this position for 20-30 seconds

Hip Bridge

Keep feet flat on the floor
Bend your legs

What Causes Trochanteric Bursitis

Hip/Trochanteric Bursitis? (Watch This!)

Bursitis commonly occurs in women and middle-aged or elderly people.

Although in many cases the origin of trochanteric bursitis is unknown, there are several potential causes including:

Direct impact injuries These may cause the bursa to fill with blood , irritating the bursa and leading to inflammation.

Overuse Repetitive physical activities like running, biking, or jumping increase the chance of inflammation in your hips bursa sacs.

Bone spurs These may develop on the greater trochanter and rub against the bursa.

Tendon injuries Abductor tendonitis, for example, is linked to the development of trochanteric bursitis.

Chronic disease Rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriasis, thyroid disease, and more may put you at a greater risk for developing trochanteric bursitis.

Excessive pressure Pressure on the outside of the hip can cause trochanteric bursitis. This could be from things like poor posture or sleeping on hard surfaces.

Obesity Excess weight puts greater pressure on your hips and surrounding areas.

Previous surgery If youve had hip surgery in the past, such as a replacement, youre at risk for developing trochanteric bursitis.
is An infection in the bursa that may also lead to trochanteric bursitis.

Recommended Reading: What Does Light Therapy Do

How To Heal Hip Bursitis Fast

While age and other hip conditions can slow the recovery from hip bursitis, healing from hip bursitis rapidly has much to do with how aggressively the hip bursitis sufferer responds to the condition. At the first sign of a painful hip, ice packs should be applied every 4 hours for 20 minutes at a time. Rest is necessary initially as any activity is going to worsen the problem.

The next step should be to contact a qualified orthopedic physician specializing in bursitis of the hip and other conditions causing hip pain such as arthritis, tendinitis, and even fractures.

Before worrying about exercises that are good to do and those exercises to avoid with hip bursitis, it is important to ensure that any hip pain is caused by bursitis. An orthopedic specialist at the Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey is the doctor to see.

Find an orthopedic hip specialist near you. With three urgent care centers, contacting OINJ now can save you time in pain, worry, and limited activity.

Can This Injury Or Condition Be Prevented

GTB may be the result of changes in the bodys shape, such as one leg being longer or shorter on the involved side. This condition can occur from an injury to the lower extremity or subtle differences that occur in the bodys growth and development.

Maintaining appropriate lower-extremity mobility and muscle strength, and paying particular attention to your exercise routineespecially changes in an exercise activity, the volume of exercises performed, and your footwearare the best methods for preventing GTB.

Your physical therapist will help guide you through a process that will progressively reintegrate more demanding activities into your routine without overstraining your hip. Keep in mind that returning to activities too soon after injury can cause the condition to be more difficult to fix, and often leads to persistent pain.

Also Check: Performance Physical Therapy Wayne Nj

Iliotibial Band Stretch Side

Stand sideways near a wall with your injured side closest to the wall. Place a hand on the wall for support. Cross the leg farther from the wall over the other leg. Keep the foot closest to the wall flat on the floor. Lean your hips into the wall. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

In Motion Oc Is Here For Your Trochanteric Bursitis Physical Therapy Needs

In Motion O.C. has treated many patients suffering from trochanteric bursitis. We want to help you overcome this condition and get back to living your life the way it should be pain-free.

We were voted the #1 physical therapy clinic in the country on Yelp and are here to help you with all your physical therapy needs.

Also Check: Health Quest Chiropractic & Physical Therapy

How Effective Is Physical Therapy For Hip Bursitis

Hip bursitis typically improves with conservative measures such as activity modification and physical therapy, with an expected symptom improvement rate of 90% or more, according to a 2011 systematic review of clinical trials. Despite positive outcomes, symptom recurrence is common, requiring patients to keep up with their corrective exercises prescribed by their physical therapist in order to prevent ongoing problems.

Hip Flexor Stretch And Rotation

With this trochanteric bursitis exercise, you can loosen your hip muscles along with different muscle groups in the body. It is effective and will become easier over time, as you incorporate the hip flexor stretch and rotation into your regular regime. Heres how to do this exercise:

Place one knee touching the floor
Bend the other knee at a 45-degree angle in front of you with your foot on the floor
Lean forward to stretch the knee that is touching the floor
Squeeze your glutes tostretch the hip flexor
Hold the position between 30 seconds and two minutes
Repeat with the opposite leg

Also Check: How Much Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Pay For Therapy

Trochanteric Bursitis: Best Exercises And Stretches

Posted in:Tags:Posted on:

Trochanteric bursitis refers to the inflammation of the bursa of a patient’s hip. This swelling causes lateral hip pain that can seem unbearable. However, wIth the right advice from a healthcare professional and effective stretching exercises, this condition is manageable and treatable.

Trochanteric bursitis often occurs due to repetitive microtraumas caused by running or exercising, or from a significant injury like a fall. Usually, treatment for trochanteric bursitis includes pain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories , stretching and physical therapy. Sometimes surgery is necessary to repair the bursa when non-operative solutions are ineffective.

Lying Lateral Leg Raises

How to fix Hip Bursitis (aka “trochanteric bursitis”)

Lying lateral leg raises will help strengthen and develop your tensor fasciae latae and iliotibial band , which spans the outside portion of your upper leg.

This vascular band is partially responsible for side-to-side leg motion. It often gets neglected in a running routine, since the running stride is forward and backward. Thus, its pertinent to spend some time enhancing the stability and strength it provides.

Equipment needed: none, yoga mat optional

Muscles worked: gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, quadriceps, TFL and ITB

Lie on your right side with your right arm extended out for balance.

Lift your leg up as far as you can extend it, trying to achieve the greatest range of motion possible.

In a controlled motion, bring your left leg back down so that its in line with your right leg.

Complete 15 repetitions with that leg, then roll over onto your left side and perform 15.

Finish 3 sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.

Lying on your side can irritate hip bursitis. If this position irritates you, try putting a pillow or foam mat between the floor and your hip joint. If this is still irritating, you can perform this exercise standing.

Performing lying leg circles will help promote the range of motion, flexibility, and strength in all of the small muscles that make hip and leg rotation possible.