A good night's sleep is essential, but it's nearly impossible when simply rolling over onto your side causes a deep, aching pain in your hip. If you're experiencing pain on the outside of your hip that worsens at night, when climbing stairs, or when getting out of a deep chair, you may be suffering from greater trochanteric bursitis.
Despite its intimidating name, this is a very common condition, and the good news is that it's highly treatable.
Understanding the Pain
To understand bursitis, you have to know about bursa sacs. These are small, jelly-like sacs located throughout the body that act as cushions between bones and the soft tissues (muscles and tendons) that glide over them.
You have a large bursa situated over the bony prominence on the outside of your hip (the greater trochanter). When this bursa becomes irritated and inflamed—often due to repetitive friction from the overlying muscles and tendons—it results in greater trochanteric bursitis.
What Causes the Irritation?
This inflammation can be triggered by a sudden injury, like a fall onto your hip. However, it's more commonly caused by repetitive stress. Long-distance running, standing for long periods, or even a slight imbalance in how you walk can put extra friction on that bursa.
The Thrive Orthopedics Approach
Living with chronic hip pain is exhausting. At Thrive Orthopedics, we want to help you get back to sleeping soundly and moving easily. During your assessment, our team will pinpoint the exact cause of your pain and rule out other hip issues.
We focus on personalized treatment strategies that go beyond just masking the pain. We aim to calm the inflamed bursa, often through rest, ice, or targeted anti-inflammatory treatments. Just as importantly, we'll work to correct the underlying mechanical issues—such as tight IT bands or weak hip muscles—to prevent the friction from returning.
You don't have to live with nagging hip pain. Let the experts at Thrive Orthopedics help you find relief. Schedule your assessment today and get back to a comfortable, active life.
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