Table of Contents
- What is Bursitis?
- Steroid Injection for Hip Bursa Inflammation
- Trochanteric Bursal Injection Procedure
- Bursal Injections Bring Pain Relief
Hip bursitis is a painful condition that develops in the hip joint’s bursae and can interfere with your lifestyle. Resting the hip when the bursae are inflamed may relieve some pain when inflammation subsides. However, a steroid shot for bursitis may be needed to reduce inflammation.
What is Bursitis?
Trochanteric bursitis is a medical condition in which one or more bursa in the hip become irritated. The hip joint has closed, fluid-filled sacs that support tendons and muscles to glide over bones during movement.
Painful bursitis develops when any of the more than 150 bursae in the body become inflamed. Bursitis develops in more than the hip, including the knee, elbow and Achilles heel. The trochanter is the name of the two bony protuberances where the muscles attach to the tip of the thigh bone, thus the name trochanteric bursitis.
Trochanteric bursitis can develop for many reasons. The reasons include injury, spinal conditions, overuse, inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, regularly maintaining positions that put pressure on the hip bursae and infection. There has also been research on the relationship between osteoarthritis and hip bursitis. In one study, 14.5% of patients undergoing hip arthroplasty (hip replacement) due to osteoarthritis were found to have bursitis.
Also, if the iliotibial band that runs down the outside of your leg from the hip to the knee becomes too tight, it can rub against the hip bursa and cause inflammation. This is why athletes have a higher risk of developing trochanteric bursitis.
It can become a very painful condition, leading people to the doctor for pain treatment. One of the common treatments is a bursitis hip injection.
Steroid Injection for Hip Bursa Inflammation
The first treatment approach is conservative, which involves testing the hip and taking NSAIDs. A lot depends on what causes the inflammation. When the bursitis pain persists, or physical functioning is impeded due to the pain, a steroid injection in the hip bursa may be recommended to reduce the inflammation and pain. The corticosteroid injections are safe, and doctors recommend not delaying them because the pain often causes a level of disability.
Trochanteric Bursal Injection Procedure
Steroid injections for hip bursitis are usually done as an outpatient procedure. The basic steps are as follows.
- Patient lies on the side without bursitis
- Site of the bursitis shot is prepped with an anesthetic
- A thin needle filled with a mixture of anesthetic and corticosteroid is inserted toward the trochanter
- The mixture is injected directly into an inflamed bursa
- If more than one bursa is inflamed, additional injections are given
The doctor may or may not use image guidance like ultrasound. It is often not necessary because the inflamed area is tender and obvious. It is up to the doctor. You can go home after an injection for bursitis in the hip. The hip will likely be numb for a few hours due to the anesthetic. Rest for 24 hours and apply an ice pack if the treatment area hurts from the injection. You can also take over-the-counter NSAIDs or pain relievers.
It takes the steroid 2-3 days to provide pain relief.
Bursal Injections May Bring You Pain Relief
Once the steroid in the bursitis shot takes effect, you can expect relief for a few months up to one year. If the inflammation persists, getting another injection for bursitis in the hip may be necessary. However, limiting the injections to two with 3-6 months in between treatments is necessary. Your doctor will also recommend joint strengthening exercises to hopefully prevent a bursitis recurrence.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4511649/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573083/