November 4, 2016 by Sarah Klein in Uncategorized Website MayoClinic says hip pain interfering with quality sleep is common. Though age can play a part, the truth is that hip pain is not something that only happens to the elderly. Regardless of the circumstances, sleeping with hip pain is frustrating. Hip pain is usually associated with inflammation of the hip joint, or hip bursitis. The pain can be mild or searing. It can gradually dissipate or stay throughout the day. Sufferers have been unable to get a good night’s rest because of hip pain. This is a widespread complaint among side sleepers. The bursa is a sac between soft tissue and the hip bone. Filled with fluid, if it is damaged, pain in the hip will spread. This is a consistent pain that can worsen while standing or sitting for prolonged periods, or during the night when resting on the problem side. The sciatic nerve travels down the spine into the back of your legs. It can contribute to hip pain, especially at night.
While sciatic is more of a spine issue, sciatic and pelvic injuries can lead to hip pain. If hip joint tendons become irritated, inflamed or damaged, it can result in tendonitis. These symptoms can escalate as we age and muscles lose durability. Tendonitis is also common among the physically active or individuals who start working out and end up straining muscles. Sleeping and resting on the hip can aggravate the condition. Arthritis is one of the most common causes of hip pain with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis topping the list. Pain can stay throughout the day while inactive activity like sleeping will agitate symptoms. Treatment of hip joint pain can go in many directions. Home remedies include RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). Clinicians and physical therapists may develop a personalized exercise or stretching regimen to reinforce range of motion. Medications and steroids may be deployed to alleviate pain. In some cases, surgery might be necessary.
Hip pain sufferers, especially those who sleep on their sides, will benefit from a quality mattress that conforms to the natural curves of the body. Many people find relief with a latex mattress or those constructed with a pressure-relieving memory foam. Here at Wildcat Mattress, we stock a huge inventory of quality sleep set-ups by some of the industry’s leading manufacturers like Simmons, Aireloom and Sugar Bed. Stop by our Nicholasville outlet, just outside of Lexington, to speak with a Sleep Specialist about your needs!PureBliss 3" Latex MattressToppers, Latex Pillows, Waterproof Mattress Protector. EverEden talalay latex mattress topper on the too firm Simmons Beautyrest. ILD rating on soft and medium all natural EverEden talalay latex mattress toppers? Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that serves as a cushion to the bones, tendons, and muscles that surround your joints. The job of the bursae is to reduce friction between the moving parts of your joints and help prevent damage from developing in the course of everyday activity.
Occasionally, bursae can become inflamed, resulting in discomfort and pain, among other symptoms. This is called bursitis. Bursitis of the hip is when this inflammation occurs in one of the bursae in the hip. Bursitis cases are categorized based on the region of the body and the exact bursa affected. The hip has two major bursae—the trochanteric bursa and ischial bursa. Appropriately, the types of hip bursitis, or bursitis of the hip, are named after these two: If you have ever looked at a femur, you will notice a sort of “hump” near the ball-like part that connects to the pelvis. This hump is the greater trochanter and the trochanteric bursa lies next to it. Trochanteric bursitis is when this bursa gets inflamed. The symptoms of trochanteric bursitis are more likely to feel one-sided and can be provoked by activities involving lifting motions with the legs, such as walking up the stairs or getting out of a car. The ischial bursa lies between the ischial tuberosity and the hamstring.
The ischial tuberosity is easily identified since, when standing, it’s covered by the gluteus maximus. A less medically precise explanation is that the ischial tuberosity is your “butt bone.” Ischial bursitis, due to its location, produces symptoms that can be initially mistaken for a pulled hamstring or are otherwise connected to sitting or standing. Regardless of which type of bursitis of the hip you have, the symptoms will be more or less the same. Bursitis causes pain, stiffness, and inflammation within the affected area along with stiffness or an aching sensation. The main difference between bursitis types is where this pain will be located and what can worsen it. Additionally, there may be an angry redness around the joint in question. Bursitis of the hip is most commonly caused by repetitive motions or prolonged stresses. This usually means things like regular lifting or running, leaning on the bursa, prolonged sitting on a hard surface, or prolonged standing (for trochanteric bursitis) are the culprits.
Although the most common, these are not the only possible causes of bursitis in the hip, and some other sources are more apparent than others. In most cases, your doctor can diagnose bursitis of the hip through a medical history and physical exam. Sometimes, however, the inflammation isn’t apparent enough to be conclusive or other causes need to be ruled out. For this, imaging tests such as an X-ray, an ultrasound, or an MRI may be used to either confirm bursitis or to rule out other causes. A blood test may also be used, since there are certain markers that appear during inflammation. Natural hip bursitis treatments take steps to comfort the joint, minimize strain, and ease inflammation. 1. Rest and Immobilization Hip bursitis affects joints related to walking and standing, so resting them means a good deal of lying down. However, since hip bursitis can be aggravated by prolonged contact with a solid surface, you may need to get creative. Try to lie down on your stomach or make sure you are sitting on a cushion or mattress.
When moving, especially if getting up or sitting down, take care not to place pressure on the bursa in question—this may require assistance or at least something else to support your weight (an armrest or a banister, for example). Cold temperatures can help reduce the swelling. Make sure to never put the ice directly on your skin. Wrapping ice cubes in a cloth or thin towel should be enough to protect yourself while still letting the cold do its work. If the swelling has gone down but the joint is still giving you trouble, a hot compress may be able to soothe it or at least help take your mind off the bursitis. Getting heat therapy is as simple as filing a hot water bottle to your personal preferred temperature and getting comfortable. You can also alternate between hot and cold. It’s important to keep weight off the affected bursa while recovering. For trochanter bursitis, this means you may need a walking stick or crutches for a week or so while the inflammation dies down.
5. Exercise and Stretches As a form of physiotherapy, you can try certain stretches and exercises that work on the area around the bursa and can help restore mobility in the face of hip bursitis. Your doctor may be able to recommend some, but you can also check the section below. When performing any of the following hip bursitis stretches, each stretch should be held for about 20 to 30 seconds and then gently released. If you ever feel a sharp pain during these exercises, stop and wait an hour before trying again. The abductors are the muscles that run along the outer thigh from the hip joints. Begin this exercise for hip bursitis in a standing position, then cross the unaffected leg in front of the affected one and begin leaning away from the bursitic side of your body. Continue leaning until you feel a stretch along the outer hip, then hold and release. The adductor muscles are in the same area as the abductors but are responsible for inward leg motions. Begin this stretch in a standing position with your legs more than shoulder-width apart.
Slowly bend the non-bursitic knee out to the side until you feel a stretch on the inner thigh of the bursitic side. This targets the muscles that help rotate the leg at the hip. Begin in a sitting position and rest the ankle of the bursitic-side foot on the thigh of the non-bursitic leg. Gently press down on the knee of the bursitic side until you feel a stretch in your buttocks. The flexors are the muscles that help raise the leg towards the front of your body. Begin in a standing position and bend the knee of the bursitic side so that your heel is being brought towards the buttocks. Continue until you can grab your ankle with your hand, then hold and release. Note: you do not necessarily have to be standing to perform this stretch; it can also be done on your side or stomach. It takes about six weeks to fully recover from a case of hip bursitis. Fortunately, your activities will only see major restrictions during the initial period when the symptoms are at their worst. Once the symptoms die down, you can carefully increase the amount of activity you undertake so long as you avoid movements that will aggravate the bursitis.
A doctor’s visit is always helpful when you want to be certain of the diagnosis, but most cases of bursitis of the hip will resolve without medical attention. There are certain conditions, however, where you should definitely arrange to speak to your medical provider, such as: Sources for Today’s Article: “Bursitis: Causes,” Mayo Clinic web site, August 20, 2014; /diseases-conditions/bursitis/basics/causes/con-20015102, last accessed March 18, 2016. “Bursitis: Tests and Diagnosis,” Mayo Clinic web site, August 20, 2014; /diseases-conditions/bursitis/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20015102, last accessed March 18, 2016. “Bursitis: Risk Factors,” Mayo Clinic web site, August 20, 2014; /diseases-conditions/bursitis/basics/risk-factors/con-20015102, last accessed March 18, 2016. “Bursitis: Prevention,” Mayo Clinic web site, August 20, 2014; /diseases-conditions/bursitis/basics/prevention/con-20015102, last accessed March 18, 2016. “Bursitis: Lifestyle and Home Remedies,” Mayo Clinic web site, August 20, 2014;