If you are one of the people who experience pelvic pain, we recommend that you read more. In this article, we will introduce you to one of the most common causes of pelvic pain called trochanteric bursitis. This complication is caused by inflammation of the trochanteric bursa (a small sac located on the outside of the thigh called the trochanter).
Before addressing the causes and symptoms of trochanteric bursitis and the treatment of this common pelvic pain, it is best to get a little familiar with the structure and anatomy of this area.
what you will read next :
What is a bursa?
In the skeletal structure of our body, to facilitate the movement of tissues together, small bags called bursa are placed between the tissues and help them move together more easily. The bursae have a thin wall and there is a slippery fluid inside them, the bursae inflammation is called bursitis. If you want to learn more about the causes and types of bursitis or know that can bursitis kill you, read the mentioned article.
What is a trochanter?
The head of the femur is a large protrusion that connects to the pelvis and is called the great trochanter. The importance of this part of the femoral head is that many important muscles of the pelvis and a group of buttock muscles are connected to this part of the bone.
When we are physically active, the tendons of the buttock muscles (a group called the gluteal muscles) are stretched on the trochanter. Between this tendon and the large trochanter bone, there is a bursa that softens these movements.
Sometimes this bursa, called the great trochanteric bursa, becomes inflamed and actually causes trochanteric bursitis.
What causes trochanteric bursitis?
These factors include:
- Blow into that area
- Continuous abrasion of the tendon on the trochanter
In the human body, there is a wide, long band on the outside of the pelvis that extends below the knee (the name of this band is fascia lata). This wide band passes over the trochanter of the femur, in other words, the hip muscle tendon is attached to this wide band, so every step we take, this wide band is also pulled on the trochanter.
Then :
- Running and walking on steep and rough surfaces
- Weak hip muscles
- The length of the right and left legs is not the same
- History of pelvic surgeries
- And…
In whom is trochanteric bursitis more common?
The following factors play a role in this complication:
- High age
- Gender (women are more affected)
- Repetitive movements such as cycling, going up and down the stairs, standing for a long time …
- People with rheumatoid arthritis
- Damage to the location of the large trochanter of the thigh
- People with lower back vertebral disorders
- People with a history of pelvic surgery
- Difference between right and left foot length
- Sometimes there is an extra bone in the area
How is the treatment of trochanteric bursitis?
Most patients recover without surgery. These non-surgical methods include:
- Reduce activities that aggravate pain
- Use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs during acute pain
- The most important part of treatment is to perform standard stretching movements under the supervision of a doctor or physiotherapist
- Use a cane to go through an acute period of pain
- Heat therapy
- Inject corticosteroids at the site of the bursa to reduce inflammation
If the patient’s pain does not improve with all the above treatments, surgery is recommended.
Surgery can be done with incisions in the fascia lata to reduce stiffness, or the entire area may become inflamed.
Prevention of trochanteric bursitis
The following factors may be helpful in preventing this complication:
- Weight Loss
- Do stretching exercises to strengthen the buttocks muscles and keep the tendons soft and flexible
- Use the right shoe insole if there is a difference between the length of the right and left foot
Here are some common exercises to strengthen the gluteal muscles and increase the flexibility of the tendons that are effective in reducing trochanteric bursitis:
- Gluteal muscle stretching
- Iliotibial band stretching (wide and long band on the outside of the thigh muscle) from the side
- Iliotibial band stretching in standing position
- Open the hip joint while lying on your stomach
- Raise your legs to the side while lying on your side
The final words
There are several bursae in the pelvis; the most common bursa that is inflamed is the large trochanter bursa, which was discussed in the article above.