Hip bursitis refers to inflammation of one of the bursae surrounding the hip joint. Bursae are small sacs that act as cushions between the joint and the surrounding soft tissues. The condition usually causes localized pain of varying degrees. Stretching and strengthening exercises that target the muscles surrounding your affected hip may help treat hip bursitis. Seek advice from your doctor or physical therapist to determine which exercises are most appropriate, based on your individual circumstances.
Gluteal Stretch
The gluteal stretch targets the gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles, which extend your hip, and the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles, which abduct your hip, moving your thigh sideways away from your body.
Start in a pushup position, then flex your painful hip and knee, drawing the knee toward your chest. Rotate your hip outward, crossing your lower leg under your abdomen and placing the outside of your knee on the floor. Lower your body until you feel a gentle stretch through your buttocks, then hold for at least 10 seconds.
Hip Flexor Stretch
The hip flexor muscles cross the front of you hip joints and allow you to move your knee toward your chest or kick your leg forward, decreasing the angle between your thigh and torso.
For the hip flexor stretch, start in a lunge position with your unaffected leg 2 to 3 feet in front of your injured leg. Place your hands on your hips and squat down, keeping your torso erect, until your back knee rests on the floor. Flex your front knee to shift your weight forward slightly, and extend your back hip, lightly stretching the hip flexors of your painful leg. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds or more, then relax.
Hip Abduction
Performing the hip abduction exercise involves separating your legs, or moving them away from the midline of your body. Lie down on the side opposite your affected hip with your legs stacked on top of each other and knees flexed to 90 degrees. Lift your top knee as far as possible, keeping the insides of your feet together. Lower it back down slowly, and repeat. You can also perform the exercise with both legs extended by repeatedly raising and lowering your entire leg.
Up-and-Over Exercise
The up-and-over exercise targets numerous muscles that surround your hip joint. Lie on the side opposite your injured hip, resting your head on your arm. Flex your top hip and knee, placing your knee on the floor in front of your bottom thigh. Lift your top leg over your bottom leg, touching your foot on the floor behind your bottom knee, then reverse back to the starting position. Continue moving your leg back and forth for several repetitions, but stop if the pain worsens. Keep your top leg straight and repeatedly touch your foot in front of and behind your lower leg to make the exercise more challenging.
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