When there is a problem with your hip, everyday movements that you do unconsciously can become difficult. Hip pain and stiffness can interfere with your ability to comfortably sit down in a chair or climb stairs in your home. There are a number of potential hip conditions that can affect your everyday routines, including hip bursitis.
Hip bursitis refers to inflammation of the bursae surrounding the hip joint. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that works as a cushion between the hip joints and surrounding muscles, bones and soft tissue. They can become inflamed from overuse, leading to pain and tenderness.
Physical therapy treatments can help alleviate the symptoms. One effective PT option is shockwave therapy.
3 ways that shockwave therapy can help hip bursitis
Shockwave therapy is a noninvasive treatment used to reduce and manage pain. It involves sending acoustic sound waves from a transducer to the affected hip. Shockwave therapy works to increase blood flow and inflammation as a way to trigger the body’s natural healing response.
A physical therapist may include shockwave therapy in your hip bursitis treatment plan for a few reasons, including:
- Quick results — When you’re in pain, you want relief as soon as possible, hopefully instantly after treatment. While it can be different for everyone, many patients who undergo shockwave therapy feel improvement almost immediately. However, even if you don’t experience pain relief right away, take heart —most patients report significant improvement in the first two months after finishing treatment.
- Repair of damaged tissue — It’s one thing to try to stop current symptoms with treatment. However, it’s another to try to repair the damage that’s already been done by the condition. Shockwave therapy works to create collagen in the hip to replace the tissue that has been affected by the hip bursitis.Â
- Improved hip function — Physical therapy techniques like shockwave therapy are meant to do more than reduce hip pain. They’re also used to help improve the overall function of the affected area. It can reduce the risk of future or recurring issues. Shockwave therapy can help you improve or restore your hip function by breaking down built-up calcium. It also brings the necessary nutrients to the affected soft tissue.
At REPAIR SI, we have several treatment options that we may recommend to help your hip bursitis, including shockwave therapy. Other options that may be included in your personalized treatment plan include targeted exercises, dry needling and joint mobilization.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.