Hip Tendinitis Treatment

Hip tendinitis normally results when the muscles surrounding the hip joint capsule become injured or strained, at which point the tendons attaching these muscles to the hip bone become irritated and inflamed. Treatments for hip tendinitis are varied, and most forms of treatment are designed to reduce irritation and inflammation of the inflamed hip tendons and associated soft tissues in the hip area.

Rest

• Hip tendinitis, especially recurring episodes, normally results from overuse or over-straining of the muscles surrounding the hip joint. Several strong, thick tendons attach these muscles directly to the hip joint. When the muscles become strained or inflamed, the attached tendons often times become aggravated and inflamed, a condition that is referred to as tendinitis. Simply resting the hip muscles and tendons is the best course of treatment for hip tendinitis. This means refraining from any physical activity that over-stresses or overtaxes the hip joint and the associated soft tissues in the hip and groin area. After a period of rest, swelling and inflammation of the hip joint muscles and tendons quickly subsides. Many times a prolonged period of rest and refraining from overly physical types of activities is all that is needed to heal a bout of hip tendinitis.

Physical Therapy

• In addition to rest, hip tendinitis treatment many times includes various physical therapy modalities including massage, the application of heat or cold to the painful inflamed area and electrical muscle stimulation. The main goals of these types of treatment are to reduce swelling and inflammation of the hip muscles and tendons and to increase blood flow and circulation to the injured and inflamed area, which helps to increase the rate and speed of soft tissue healing and repair. Depending on the severity of hip pain and irritation caused by hip tendinitis, physical therapy may be started immediately after symptoms appear or may be started after a short period of rest or when inflammation and swelling have greatly subsided.

Hip Stretching

• Gently stretching the muscles about the hip joint, including the hip flexors, extensors, quadriceps and hamstrings, is an effective treatment for hip tendinitis. Many times painful, inflamed hip muscles and tendons tighten up and shrink in length, which increases hip stiffness and further aggravates the already irritated area. Performing a thorough stretching routine consistently helps to keep the hip muscles and tendons flexible, elongated and somewhat protected from additional injury. Most stretching regimens begin when pain and irritation have subsided enough to allow for a full range of stretching movements. Stretches are done slowly in a smooth, controlled manner, and any stretches that cause severe pain are discouraged.

Anti-Inflammatory/Pain Medications

• Anti-inflammatory medications or various over-the-counter pain medications are commonly prescribed for the treatment of hip tendinitis. By helping to reduce the amount of soft tissue irritation and inflammation, and by reducing the amount of pain and discomfort, these types of medications can help speed the recovery process and enable an individual to return to her previous level of physical activity. Many anti-inflammatory and pain relieving-medications are available without a prescription and work extremely well in mild to moderate cases of hip tendinitis. For more severe hip tendinitis cases, prescription medication may be needed.

Steroid Injection

• In rare cases of very painful and/or long-lasting hip tendinitis, a steroid injection may be prescribed to help reduce pain and speed up the healing process of the inflamed, irritated tendons and soft tissues. Steroid injections are effective at reducing pain and swelling and they are commonly used to treat stubborn cases of hip bursitis, hip and knee osteoarthritis pain, and pain caused by bone spurs. Normally, a steroid injection is mixed with a topical anesthetic and injected directly into the painful area. A second, and sometimes third, injection is used if the initial injection fails to produce adequate results. Long-term use of steroid injections is rarely advised, as it can cause a series of negative side effects, but short-term use of steroid injections is a safe and effective form of treatment.