Hip Bursitis Symptoms

Hip Bursitis symptoms may occur in Bursae, which are sacs filled with fluid that cushion areas of friction between tendons and bone or skin. These sacs reduce friction between any moving part of the body, and there can be as many as 160 of these sacs.

Each one is lined with special cells that secrete a lubricant that is rich in proteins and collagen. If this lubricant should become infected for any reason or becomes irritated by too much movement in an area, we develop a condition known as bursitis.

This is a common condition in athletes, workers who are on their feet a lot, and the elderly. The elderly will especially develop hip bursitis.

Hip bursitis is caused by any number of reasons: aging, infection, trauma and crystal deposits. Trauma will cause inflammation from repetitive injuries, and will cause blood vessels in the area to become wider.

This condition allows proteins and extra cellular fluid to back up into the bursae and become swollen. This can occur through repetitive motion or direct blows.

When the bursae are close to the skin, they can get infected with any common organism, especially the Staphylococcus.

When this happens, the condition is known as septic bursitis. Patients with diabetes, kidney issues, undergoing steroid treatments or that have issues with alcoholism are more prone to develop septic bursitis than any other patients.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and gout may develop bursitis from crystal deposits.

Patients with these conditions have a hard time breaking down uric acids, and because of this the acids may flood joints from time to time and form crystal deposits.

This is a primary cause of hip bursitis in the elderly.

Symptoms

The iliopsoas bursa is one of the largest in the body, and will lie in front of, and deep into, the hip joint. Hip bursitis is commonly associated with hip problems like arthritis and injury, especially from running.

? Pain: The pain of bursitis will radiate down the front and middle areas of the thigh, to the knee, and may increase when the hip is extended and rotated. Because extension of the hip while walking is painful, the patient may begin to limit their strides and alter the way they walk, limping on the affected side and taking shorter steps.

? Swelling in groin: at times a mass may be felt in the area between the groin and hip, resembling a herniated muscle pull. This mass is the bursae that are located in and around the hip area, and will swell when they are irritated or inflamed.

? Tingling or numbness: Depending upon how irritated or inflamed the bursae are when the hip is injured, the swelling may press down upon adjacent nerves, causing tingling and numbness in the affected hip.

Because bursitis can be infectious and normally treated with antibiotics, it is important to seek medical attention at the first sign of any of these symptoms.

If you develop a fever, this is a sign that the fluid is infected, and needs to be removed as soon as possible.

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