Bursitis Hip Exercises

Bursae are fluid filled sacs which are present in almost all parts of our body. These sacs are located between a tendon and a bone, thus, a bursa acts as a shock absorber between these two. When any bursa gets inflamed it causes pain in the respective part of the body and is known as bursitis. When the bursa is inflamed, it contains more fluid. Before moving on to bursitis hip exercises, let us know what is hip bursitis and its types.

Hip Bursitis
Hip bursitis is when the bursae in the hip are inflamed. There are a number of causes that can lead to hip bursitis. Some of the causes are injury, arthritis, infection, surgery, pressure on the hips for longer period of time, etc. Hip bursitis usually leads to pain, hardness and severe aching in the hips and usually depend on the type of hip bursitis. There are basically three type of hip bursitis, they are, trochanteric bursitis, ischialgluteal bursitis and iliopectineal bursitis. Trochanteric bursitis is pain in the sides of hip, ischialgluteal bursitis is pain in the buttocks, while iliopectineal bursitis is groin pain.

The initial treatment for bursitis hip is rest and relieving the pain caused. One should avoid activities that will bring stress on hips. Ice therapy also helps in reducing the pain in the hip. Physicians administer certain medications that help to decrease the symptoms of hip bursitis. Once the initial treatments are provided to the patient, he/she may be advised to follow some exercise program to strengthen the hip muscles. Hip bursitis exercises are specially designed for patients who suffer from hip pain. These exercises usually include stretching exercises for hip bursitis, that help the movement in the hips by reducing the pain.

Bursitis Hip Exercises
Hip bursitis exercises should be performed only on a physician's advice. Before starting the exercises for bursitis in hips, the initial symptoms of the hip bursitis should be relieved. Physical therapy exercises for hip bursitis and stretching exercises are usually recommended by physician. Physical therapist usually provide the patient with a proper plan of exercises to be performed and also provide ultrasound therapy. Here are some of the important hip bursitis exercises that make the hip movement easy and reduce the pain.

Leg Raise

• Lie down on your back on an exercise mat and keep your legs in a straight position.
• Now tighten the muscles of the upper thigh of the leg which is affected by hip bursitis.
• Then slowly raise that leg from the floor, 6-8 inches.
• While raising the leg, keep the upper thigh muscles tightened.
• Then bring down the leg slowly to reach the floor
• Repeat the steps 10 times, 3 sets.

Cross Leg Pull

• Sit in a chair and cross the affected leg over the other.
• Hold your knee and pull the affected leg to the other side without rolling your pelvis.
• Ensure that your buttocks are flat while pulling the leg.
• You will feel a sensation of pulling in the hip area.
• Hold the knee for few seconds and repeat the steps.

Ball Squat

• Stand straight with your face opposite to a wall.
• Place an exercise ball behind your back and lean against the wall.
• Keep your body straight and squat down slowly to make your thighs parallel to the floor.
• Hold the position for ten seconds and slide up on the wall.
• Repeat the steps 10 times, 3 sets.

Do not forget to perform warm up exercises before starting the bursitis hip exercises. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes while exercising. Consult your physician for proper footwear that should be used. Do not perform the exercises continuously. Rest in between and if you feel any pain, stop doing the exercise. Hip bursitis exercises will not only strengthen your muscles, but will also improve movements and stabilize the joints in the hip.