Home Remedies for Hip Bursitis

If you have pain and swelling in the hip joints, your quality of life is reduced. This condition is known as hip bursitis, and it is mildly irritating at best and can lead to further complications (including possible surgeries) if left untreated. Home remedies can be an effective treatment for hip bursitis, but it is important to use the correct home therapies to treat the condition or your pain and swelling may just get worse.

Take a look at some of the most effective home remedies for hip bursitis below.

What is Hip Bursitis?

Hip bursitis (technically called trochanteric bursitis) or inflammation of the hip is caused by the fluid-filled part of your hip joint becoming inflamed and swelling. This leads to pain in the hip, and it is one of the most common forms of hip pain.

Symptoms of hip bursitis include:

• Pain on the outside of the hip
• Pain while lying on your hip
• Pain when pressing on the hip
• Pain that gets worse the more you use your hip
• Pain in the hip while walking upstairs

Hip bursitis is typically caused by one of the following actions:

External stress on the hip: This is usually caused when your hip is out of alignment or when you have arthritis. Hip injuries: Usually caused by falling, bumping, extreme exercise, or by placing too much pressure on the hip for extended periods.

Incorrect posture: Sitting improperly can place excess strain on the hips, leading to inflammation and irritation.

Exercise: Commonly, climbing stairs, climbing, and standing for long periods can lead to hip pain.

Surgery: Any surgery to the hip area will likely cause minor pain for a few weeks to months.

Disease or health conditions: Any form of arthritis, gout, psoriasis, thyroid disease, and several other health conditions can lead to hip pain. Hip bone spurs or calcium deposits: Extra bone around the hip will cause inflammation and pain.

Treatment for Hip Bursitis

Since hip bursitis is generally mild, most treatment can be completed at home. The goal of treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation, heal the inflamed tissue, and preventing the recurrence of the problem. When pain occurs, treatments include taking mild painkillers, physical therapy to strengthen the joint, and possible steroid injections in cases that occur frequently.

Another treatment option focuses on prevention, which generally includes a combination of exercise, diet, and supplements that reduce inflammation and strengthen the joints.

How to Prevent Hip Bursitis

The easiest way to prevent hip bursitis is to prevent joint stress in the hip area. The inflammation occurs when the hip joint is used unnaturally, or when you have weak joints. Things like obesity, improper posture, poor technique in exercise and sports, and physically demanding jobs can all lead to strain on the hips.

A little extra concentration during physical labor can generally reduce strain on hip joints. Additionally, there are a few diet, supplement, and lifestyle changes you can make that will reduce your chances of seeing hip pain in the future.

Implement these changes and your hip joints will strengthen from the inside out.

Home Remedies to Cure Hip Bursitis

Implement the following changes in your day-to-day life to strengthen your joints and prevent and heal hip joint pain and bursitis.

Exercise Daily

Every medical professional in the world recommends daily exercise. Daily exercise is important to keep the joints strong and healthy. Exercise also strengthens the muscles around the joints, reducing inflammation and making your joints less prone to injury. Exercises that stretch the hip muscles, like bridges, lunges, and squats work to strengthen the muscles around your hips and prevent further injury. Wait to implement these exercises until your existing hip pain disappears to prevent further pain and inflammation in the hip joints.

Reduce Inflammation

If you feel pain in your hips, you can use ice or a cooling pad to reduce inflammation in the area. Placing ice on the area for about 10 minutes at a time several times a day will reduce pain and swelling and speed the healing of the hip joints. Do not use heat pads for bursitis pain, as this will actually make the injury and pain worse.

Stay Away from High-Impact Exercise

High-impact exercises (like jumping) are not recommended when you are experiencing hip pain. Additionally, if you have chronic pain in your hip joint, stick to low-impact exercises that won't place strain on the area. Walking, swimming and biking are all low-impact exercises that do not place strain on the hip joints.

Lose Weight

If you are overweight, even by just a few pounds, it can place extra stress on your joints. This makes it easier to become injured when exercising or engaging in any physical activity. Losing a few pounds can relieve pressure on the area and will lessen your chances of injuring your hip joints again.

Listen to What Your Body is Telling You

Your body is a pretty good indicator of what you can and cannot do. If you have had hip bursitis once or twice before, you probably recognize the signs of when you are doing too much and can stop it before the pain gets serious. Women who have been pregnant are more susceptible to joint pain in the hips because pregnancy and childbirth stretches ligaments, muscles, and joints in that area, making it easier to injure later. Stop engaging in activities that place strain on your hips at the first sign of pain and you are less likely to cause damage.

Stretch Regularly

Stretching your hip joints can relieve and prevent bursitis pain. Kneeling on the ground and tilting your pelvis forward and back will gently stretch the area and can relieve pain. Repeating the stretch several times a day until the pain subsides will help alleviate any pain from hip bursitis. Stretching the thigh muscles will also help reduce hip joint pain by strengthening the supporting tissues around the area.

External Home Remedies for Hip Bursitis

When hip pain strikes, try these home remedies to reduce joint pain until the joints heal and pain dissipates.

Dimethylsulfoxide

Dimethylsulfoxide (also known as DMSO) is a sulfur-rich liquid that can help reduce swelling and inflammation. This liquid is applied externally to swollen joints and where the hip hurts the most.

Castor Oil

Castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties that are effective at reducing hip pain. Applied externally, castor oil can reduce pain and swelling in hip joints. Make a castor oil pad by soaking pieces of flannel in warm castor oil and applying directly to sore hips. Wrap the castor oil in an old bath towel to prevent oil from getting onto clothing or furniture. Keep the castor oil pack in place for an hour a day until the pain subsides.

Internal Home Remedies for Hip Pain

Take these supplements and make a few diet changes to stop joint pain from the inside out.

Remove Calcium Deposits

In some cases, long-term hip pain is caused by calcium deposits on the bones and surrounding your joints. Calcium deposits will only make hip pain worse, so getting rid of these deposits will work within just a few weeks to reduce pain. One of the easiest ways to reduce calcium deposits is by taking a daily dose of apple cider vinegar. Upping your calcium intake will also help remove calcium deposits from the joints, which are generally added by the body as a way to strengthen the joints when your calcium intake is low.

Take Joint-Supporting Supplements

In addition to physical therapy, certain herbs and home remedies can heal bursitis and prevent it from returning from the inside out. These natural therapies for hip bursitis have been implemented for hundreds of years and are an effective preventive measure.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Some of the inflammation of the joints can be prevented with a healthier diet. Eating a poor diet increases the overall inflammation level of the body, which means that pain in your joints is much more likely to occur. Exchange an unhealthy diet for one rich in vegetables, fatty fish, fruit, and whole grains. Avoid foods high in sugar and processed ingredients. The healthier your diet, the easier it will be for your body to heal from the inside out.

Glucosamine Sulfate

This supplement is made from a substance found in cartilage. Healthy cartilage is important for joint health. The higher the content of glucosamine sulfate in your body, the stronger your joints will be. The supplement is particularly well known for reducing inflammation in the joints and reducing hip pain.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a general antioxidant that reduces overall inflammation. Vitamin C also boosts the immune system and healing response of the entire body, which can help speed the healing of inflamed joints. Vitamin C is particularly effective at repairing connective tissue. Omega-3 Fats Omega-3 fats are inflammation fighters and joint protectors. Over time, a diet rich in omega-3 fats reduces the amount of total inflammation in the body.

Bromelain

Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples. This inflammation-fighting enzyme is used often as a supplement for reducing inflammation and joint pain.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a powerful inflammation fighter that not only reduces total inflammation, but it can also make other inflammation-fighting herbs and nutrients more effective.

Boswellia

Boswellia is another anti-inflammatory herb, in use for thousands of years. Numerous studies indicate that supplementing with boswellia helps reduce pain and swelling in joints and throughout the body.

White Willow

White willow is the plant that aspirin was originally made from. White willow reduces inflammation and pain in joints. Do not combine white willow supplements with aspirin or blood-thinning medication.

Home Remedies for Hip Bursitis Work

As bursitis is generally a mild condition, home remedies are the ideal treatment method for most cases. Actively implementing exercises, cooling packs, and topical treatments during flare-ups will reduce pain and swelling in the area and speed healing. A healthy diet and anti-inflammatory supplements will reduce the risk of hip bursitis returning in the future. Combining these two home remedies for hip bursitis is the best treatment for this common health problem.