Understanding Hip Bursitis and the Best Exercises to Fix It

Hip bursitis can be painful and disruptive to daily life, but effective exercises and treatment can help you manage it well. Here's what you need to know about this common condition and what you can do to improve your hip health.

What is hip bursitis?

Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction between tissues around joints. Hip bursitis occurs when the bursa on the outside of the hip becomes inflamed, causing pain typically felt on the outer hip, which can radiate down the outside of the thigh.

Common causes

Hip bursitis often develops from repetitive activities that irritate the bursa (walking, running or cycling in excess of what the hip is conditioned for), muscle imbalances or weakness around the hip and pelvis, direct trauma such as a fall onto the hip, and changes in gait patterns, sometimes related to other joint issues like knee or back problems.

Symptoms

Pain on the outside of the hip, often worse when lying on the affected side, walking, climbing stairs, or after prolonged sitting, is the hallmark of hip bursitis.

How physiotherapy and exercise help

Contrary to what many people assume, complete rest often isn't the answer for hip bursitis — the right graduated exercise program is usually more effective. Useful approaches typically include:

• Hip and glute strengthening — weakness in the muscles supporting the hip is a common contributing factor, and targeted strengthening addresses the root cause
• Activity modification — temporarily reducing aggravating activities while symptoms settle, without stopping activity altogether
• Manual therapy — to help manage pain and improve movement
• Gait and movement assessment — identifying and correcting any patterns contributing to ongoing irritation
• Gradual return to activity — a structured plan back to walking, running or your usual activities

When symptoms persist

Most cases of hip bursitis improve well with a proper rehabilitation program. If symptoms persist despite consistent treatment, further investigation may be warranted to rule out other contributing factors.

If hip pain is affecting your daily life, book an assessment with our physiotherapy team to get a tailored plan to ease your symptoms and address the underlying cause.