Greater trochanteric bursitis, or more commonly known as "trochanteric bursitis" is an inflammation of a sac of fluid that covers the outside part of your hip.
Bursitis is often caused when the bursa becomes inflamed. The bursa is a small, jelly-like sac that often contains a small amount of fluid inside of it. These bursae are located throughout the body. The most important locations are the shoulder, knee, hip, elbow and heel. They serve as a cushion between the bones and all of the overlying soft tissues. They also work to help reduce friction between the bones and
the gliding muscles.
The bony part of the outside of the hip is known as the greater trochanter. It is an attachment point for the muscles responsible for moving the hip joint. The trochanter has relatively large bursa that lie over it, which can end up becoming irritated on occasion, resulting in what is known as bursitis.
Sometimes trochanteric bursitis can be difficult to diagnose, but in many cases the primary cause of the problem is a change in walking gait. So if you have been limping previously from a back problem, or knee problem, or a sprained ankle, that change in gait can change the biomechanics at the hip joint leading to a bursitis. Changes in shoes can also be a problem, especially for runners and long distance walkers. Other causes can be a wide-hip angle, hence women with a wider hip angle are more likely to get trochanteric bursitis. For the same reason, it's far more common in women than in men (as men tend to have a narrower pelvis).
Patients tend to report pain when lying on the affected side, especially in bed or if they have a hard mattress. Patients also report pain that radiates down the leg into the front and lateral part of the thigh, often to the knee joint.
Trochanteric Bursitis Anatomy
Bursitis is often responsible for pain on the side of the hip, which can make it difficult to lay on that side. The bursa has the job of protecting all of the other tissues from compression and friction. Too much stress, such as that of a direct blow can end up causing the bursa to become inflamed. The job of the bursa is to prevent any friction between the tissue known as the Iliotibial Band and the Greater Trochanter.
How to Treat Greater Trochanteric Bursitis:
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