How Chiropractic Care Helps With Hip Bursitis

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How chiropractic care helps hip bursitis isn’t always obvious at first glance, but conservative care can make a real difference.

In this guide, you’ll learn how targeted adjustments and progressive rehab reduce pain and improve movement, without relying on surgery. We’ll also cover what to try at home and when an in-person evaluation makes sense so you can move toward lasting, confident steps.

What is Hip Bursitis?

Hip bursitis happens when a small fluid-filled sac (a bursa) near the hip becomes irritated or inflamed. The most common form, trochanteric bursitis, causes tenderness on the outside of the hip and discomfort when pressure or repetitive motion rubs the area.

It often starts from simple, everyday issues: overuse (running, long walks), a recent fall, prolonged side-lying, or changes in how you walk. Sometimes muscle imbalances or decreased hip mobility let one area take more load than it should, which irritates the bursa over time.

The good news is that in many cases, bursitis responds well to conservative care that reduces friction, restores better movement patterns, and eases inflammation.

Common Symptoms and Triggers

People often notice hip pain on the outside of the thigh or over the bony point of the hip. It usually worsens with common activities such as:

Lying on the affected side.

Walking long distances or climbing stairs.

Standing up from a low chair or after prolonged sitting.

Pressing on the tender spot

Common triggers include repetitive activities (running, long walks on sloped surfaces), muscle imbalances, reduced hip mobility, and footwear that alters your gait. Addressing these underlying drivers, along with focused in-office care, helps calm symptoms and reduce the chance of repeat flare-ups.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Hip Bursitis

At SpineFix, we focus on practical steps: restore smoother joint motion, reduce local tissue irritation, and rebuild strength where it matters so you can return to daily activities with less pain and risk of recurrence. The services below are used alone or together, depending on your exam and goals.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic Care targets the pelvis and lower spine to restore balanced movement. When pelvic and lumbar mechanics improve, the hip transfers load more evenly, and the bursa faces less friction.

A chiropractor often combines gentle mobilizations with targeted adjustments to reduce guarding and make walking and daily tasks easier.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy builds the foundation for long-term change. Targeted exercises strengthen the gluteal muscles and core, improve hip rotation and extension, and retrain gait patterns.

Your plan will include simple pacing techniques so the progress you make during visits carries over to daily movement.

Massage Therapy

Tightness in the outer hip and IT band can keep the bursa irritated. Massage Therapy reduces muscle tension, improves local circulation, and helps tissues glide more smoothly.

Paired with Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy, hands-on soft-tissue work can make exercises more comfortable and speed up day-to-day relief.

At-Home Tips and Simple Exercises

A few small, consistent steps can calm irritation and support progress between visits:

Protect the area early on: Avoid lying on the sore side; if you must, use a thicker pillow to reduce pressure.

Short, frequent walks: Gentle movement boosts circulation without overloading the hip.

Activate, then strengthen: Start with light glute sets and bridges; progress to side-lying leg lifts or banded walks as symptoms allow.

Stretch gently: Focus on hip mobility rather than aggressively stretching the IT band. Hold each stretch for 15–30 seconds, 2–4 reps, and stop if you feel sharp pain.

Pace stairs and slopes: Use the handrail, take shorter steps, and avoid long hills until your strength improves.

Ice or heat as needed: Ice helps after activity to reduce soreness; heat can loosen tight muscles before mobility work.

These measures complement in-office care and support broader goals like arthritis pain relief and improved hip mobility. Stop and get evaluated if you notice sudden severe pain, marked swelling or warmth, fever, or increasing weakness or numbness.

When to Seek an Evaluation

It’s reasonable to book an appointment if any of the following apply:

Pain limits walking, sleeping, or work for more than a couple of weeks,

You can’t lie on the affected side, or you can’t tolerate stairs despite rest and basic self-care.

Symptoms followed a fall or a sudden increase in activity and haven’t started to improve.

There’s noticeable swelling, warmth, or pain that wakes you at night.

You have progressive numbness or weakness, or you can’t bear weight on the leg.

Seek immediate medical attention for severe signs such as sudden loss of bowel or bladder control, rapidly worsening weakness, or fever with a very painful, hot joint.

Most people notice steady improvement within a few weeks of consistent conservative care. Full recovery depends on factors like activity level, underlying health, and how closely you follow your plan, so early assessment and a targeted program speed recovery and reduce the chance of recurrence.

What to Expect at SpineFix

Your visit begins with a focused conversation and a movement assessment to pinpoint what increases your pain and what helps. From that exam, we build a concise, personalized plan that blends hands-on care, guided exercises, and activity pacing to reduce irritation and restore safer movement.

You’ll leave with a personalized home plan and simple movement guidance, and we’ll schedule a follow-up to measure progress and refine treatment.

Building Better Hip Health for Long-Term Relief

Hip bursitis can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to limit your life. With a targeted plan that combines Chiropractic Care, Physical Therapy, and Massage Therapy, you can reduce pain, rebuild strength, and return to the activities you care about.

If you’re curious about how chiropractic care helps hip bursitis in your situation, schedule an appointment at SpineFix to start a personalized plan and make steady, measurable progress.