I was just with a patient, and they asked me “why do I keep getting outer hip pain?”
So….
Introduction
This is important to discuss because if you don’t know why your outer hip pain is there then you will not be able to resolve this issue. This will impact your ability to run, lie on your side when sleeping, lift, stand on your feet at social functions and be as active as you would like to be.
I don’t want that for you.
I want you to feel strong, confident and have full trust in your body. This includes the following:
- Standing for long periods of time
- Picking up objects
- Sleeping any way you want to
- Getting fit and active by moving your body with no roadblocks.
A cortisone injection is not the fix you think it is.
Your outer hip pain can leave you frustrated and confused. The typical treatment for this is to get a cortisone injection to the area. This settles the pain from the bursitis. This is a sack of fluid that sits between a tendon in the outer part of your hip and the femur bone (thigh bone) underneath.
Now, it is common for this to be effective as a pain reliever. Increased fluid in the bursa creates pressure, which leads to pain. You remove the pressure, you remove the pain. The bad news is that this is purely a band aid solution. If you don’t correct and build the support around the hip to prevent the bursa from being rubbed, the problem will likely return.
Hands on treatment should be used for a short term period to settle the pain
It is very common for practitioners at Freedom Sports Medicine to see clients with outer hip pain on the 2nd to 3rd episode. That is, the problem keeps coming back. It’s typical for clients to either have a cortisone injection for the hip through their GP initially. Prior to seeking Physiotherapy intervention. The other common pathway is only having hands on treatment. Hands on treatment aims to settle the tightness in the muscles around the hip. This can also relieve the pain in the hip just like cortisone can. This is the typical approach of a Massage Therapist, Myotherapist or even an Osteopath.
Now this is what I want to get very clear. Hands on treatment for outer hip pain is essential, this plays a big role in reducing your pain.
The real solution is to strengthen the muscles around your hip
If rehabilitation is not conducted after the hands on treatment then it is a band-aid solution. Instigating a rehabilitation plan designed to provide more support for your hip is essential. Without this step your outer hip pain will just come back. Hands on treatment should always be followed up with a thorough strengthening and rehabilitation plan. This provides you with a step-by-step approach to resolve the issue and stop it coming back. A fully qualified Physiotherapist at Freedom Sports Medicine can hold your hand through this process.
So a cortisone injection should only be used as a backup to the pain relief you should receive from hands on treatment. A cortisone is rarely the best option from the start. A cortisone should only ever be used if the initial hands-on treatment, education and advice has not resolved the pain for you.
Listen, I hope this was helpful
P.S: Want to learn more about how we can help you to resolve your outer hip pain?
