When a person experiences hip bursitis, they feel pain and inflammation in the area surrounding their trochanteric bursa. This tiny membrane covers the head of the hip bone and helps it fit snugly in your hip socket. The condition can make you feel uncomfortable and limit your activities. In some cases, hip bursitis can be treated with ice, rest, and completing the exercises prescribed by your doctor or physical therapist. If your symptoms don’t improve, you may need a corticosteroid injection to decrease the inflammation and relieve your pain.
When treating hip bursitis, it’s important to start new exercises and sports slowly to allow your body to adjust gradually. You should also ice the affected area a few times per day and take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories to reduce the inflammation. However, the most important thing to do is follow your doctor or physical therapist’s program and complete all of the exercise he or she prescribes for you. This will ensure that your muscles aren’t weakened and you don’t lose the flexibility, strength, and range of motion that you’ve gained through doing the exercises.
Some of the best hip bursitis exercises for seniors are dynamic in nature. These types of exercises strengthen and tone the inner thigh muscles that support your hips. This will help to relieve your pain and prevent the condition from returning. Try the clamshell exercise by lying down on one side of your body with your knees angled at forty-five degrees and your legs stacked above each other. Drive your navel to your spine with engaged abdominal muscles and raise the top leg as high as you can, keeping it pointed. Slowly lower the leg back to the starting position. Repeat this movement ten times on each leg.
Another dynamic hip bursitis exercise is the straight leg lift to the side. This exercise also works the hip abduction, or rotation, muscle. Start by laying on your side with your injured leg on the bottom and your other leg crossed over it. Slowly lift the top leg toward the ceiling as high as you can, making sure to keep the foot pointed. Hold for five seconds and then return the leg to the starting position. Do 10 of these on each side of your body.
Sitting leg circles are another hip bursitis exercise that you can do at home. This exercise will work the hip flexors, gluteal muscles, and quadriceps. This will help to promote flexibility, range of motion, and strength in your legs and hips. To perform this exercise, sit down on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly raise the leg of your injured hip to about three inches off the ground. Hold for a few seconds and then lower it down. Repeat this ten times on each leg.
One of the most effective hip bursitis exercises for seniors is the standing hip flexor stretch. This exercise will strengthen the hip flexors, which are small muscles that are responsible for the lowering and raising of your legs. To perform this stretch, stand with your back against a wall or any other sturdy surface for stability and then place the affected leg across the other. Bend the hip of the affected leg and use your hand to push against it until you feel a light stretch on the front of your hip. Hold this position for about 10 seconds before lowering your leg down.