Hip bursitis is the inflammation caused in the bursae in the hip. This inflammation causes difficulty in movement of the hip joint. Chronic hip bursitis persists for a longer time and requires aggressive treatments. This type of bursitis is caused due to repetitive movement of the hips that causes irritation in the bursae over times. There is another form of hip bursitis known as acute hip bursitis. This type of bursitis is caused due to sudden trauma or injury to the hip due to accidents.

There are many bursae in the hip, which can be inflamed due to repetitive trauma. Some of the common bursae, which are inflamed frequently, are trochanteric bursae, iliopsoas bursae, ischial bursae and gluteus medius bursae. These bursae cushion various joints in the hip and prevent friction between the bones and the muscles. Amongst these bursae in the hip the most commonly injured bursae is trochanteric bursae.

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Causes of chronic hip bursitis:

• Chronic hip bursitis is caused due to overuse of the hip joint. It is therefore more common in dancers and athletes as they put their hip joints to excessive stress.
• Infection can also cause chronic bursitis of hip. This infection is mostly caused due to bacteria that live on the surface of the skin.
• Infection can also be caused due to diseases like gout and diabetes.
• In some cases acute hip bursitis can also lead to chronic hip bursitis. It happens only in case acute bursitis is not treated on time and persists for a long time.
• Chronic hip bursitis is also caused due to impaired bone structure.
• Uneven leg length will also increase the risk of irritation in the bursae.

Symptoms of chronic hip bursitis:

• Chronic hip bursitis causes difficulty in movement of the hip joint.
• It causes severe pain in the hip joint which lasts for a long time.
• There is inflammation in the bursae, which becomes irritated.
• You may also suffer from fever and flu as the pain lasts for a long time.
• You will notice tenderness where the bursa is inflamed as the skin over the swollen bursae also swells.
• Burning sensation over the swollen part of the bursae is also a common symptom shown in case of chronic bursitis.

Treatments for chronic bursitis:

• Treatments for chronic bursitis include, avoiding repetitive and forced movements of the hip joints.
• If you are an athlete or a dancer, you should take precautions to strengthen your muscles and avoid excessive stretching of the muscles.
• Wear proper shoes that will help you in reducing the stress on the hips. If you are uncomfortable with high-heeled shoes then avoid wearing them.
• If you are obese, try to eat a balanced diet and control your weight. Obesity can also increase the pressure on the bursae and cause irritation in them.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also help in this case. They will reduce pain caused due to inflammation.
• In case of chronic bursitis, it is always better to rely much on home remedies instead of taking medication, as the inflammation is not cured easily. You may have some side effects if you take medications for a long time.
• Alternative measures for bursitis other than medications include rest, ice compress, heat compress and support braces will also help you in relieving the pain.
• Most of the times in case of chronic bursitis, the inflamed bursae need to be removed from the joint, as the symptoms are not minimized easily.

Chronic bursitis of hip is most of the times caused due to the irritation of the bursae, which is already inflamed. Therefore, it is essential that you take enough rest if inflammation is diagnosed in your bursae.

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