More About that Chronic Hip Pain

In January’s first blog we got into the cause of many cases of chronic hip pain, inflammation of the trochanter bursa. Known as trochanteric bursitis, this inflammation in the outer hip area can be quite painful, and if the patient continues to create the stresses that are inflaming the bursa, their bursitis is likely to continue.

In this second blog, let’s get into how Dr. Trujillo diagnoses and treats trochanteric bursitis in our patients from Show Low and the surrounding areas.

Diagnosing hip bursitis

When a patient comes in exhibiting the symptoms that point to possible hip bursitis, Dr. Trujillo will first discuss your symptoms and medical history. For instance, he’ll want to know if you’ve had a prior injury to the area or if you perform activities, such as distance running, that could cause inflammation.

Next, he’ll perform a physical examination, looking for tenderness in the area of the point of the hip. If he needs confirmation, he may also order imaging studies, such as x-rays, bone scans, or magnetic resonance imaging.

Treating trochanteric bursitis

Hip bursitis rarely needs invasive procedures. Dr. Trujillo can usually get the patient’s pain to resolve and the bursa to calm with these non-invasive treatments:

• Activity modification — If you’re running stairs every day, you’ll need to change your ways to let the bursa calm.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications — Ibuprofen, naproxen, and other NSAIDs all work to calm inflammation. They’re not meant for long-term use, but they can have great results for shorter periods.
• Physical therapy — Dr. Trujillo may assign a course of physical therapy to help you increase your hip strength and flexibility. Your therapist will work with you and then will give you exercises to perform on your own. The therapist may also use ultrasound, ice, heat, and rolling therapy.
• Steroid injections — Injection of corticosteroid combined with local anesthetic is a common treatment for hip bursitis. Dr. Trujillo performs these injections in our offices in Show Low. They can provide temporary or permanent relief (especially if you change behavior that was causing inflammation). The number of corticosteroid injections must be limited over time.

If you have pain when you’re sleeping on one side or when climbing the stairs, you may have hip bursitis. Give us a call at Summit Healthcare Pain Clinic Associates, (855) 768-4968, and have Dr. Trujillo help you get past the pain.