If you’re experiencing persistent pain on the outside of your hip—especially when walking, climbing stairs, or lying on your side—you may be suffering from hip bursitis. While commonly treated with anti-inflammatory medications or steroid injections, these methods often provide only temporary relief and fail to address the true cause of the problem.
In this article, we’ll explain what hip bursitis really is, why traditional treatments often don’t work for long, and how regenerative therapies like Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) are offering patients long-term pain relief by actually healing the underlying damage.
What Is Hip Bursitis?
Hip bursitis means there is inflammation in the bursa, a fluid-filled sac that cushions and reduces friction between tissues. The most commonly affected area is the bursa on the greater trochanter, located on the outside of the hip.
While bursitis is often labeled as the primary diagnosis, it’s important to understand that the bursal inflammation is usually a symptom—not the root cause—of a deeper issue. In many cases, underlying problems like tendonitis, degenerative tendinopathy, or small tears in the hip abductor tendons are what actually lead to the development of bursitis.
What Causes Bursitis in the Hip?
Contrary to the belief that hip bursitis comes out of nowhere, it is usually the result of biomechanical issues in the hip and pelvis over time. These can include:
- Small, undetected tears in the gluteus medius or gluteus minimus tendons
- Muscle weakness or atrophy, especially in the hip stabilizers
- Poor movement patterns due to posture, injury, or inactivity
- Degenerative tendinopathy, where the tendons gradually break down and lose strength
When the hip abductor tendons weaken or tear, the surrounding muscles and connective tissues are forced to compensate, increasing pressure and friction on the trochanteric bursa. This irritation leads to the inflammation and pain we associate with bursitis.
To summarize, bursitis is the byproduct of a deeper issue, not the main problem.
Common Symptoms of Hip Bursitis
Symptoms of hip bursitis often include:
- Pain on the outside of the hip, especially when lying on that side
- Tenderness to touch on the outside of the hip
- Increased pain when walking, climbing stairs, or standing after prolonged sitting
When left untreated or managed improperly, the pain can become chronic and significantly affect your ability to walk.
Why Steroid Injections May Make Things Worse
Corticosteroid injections “Cortisone” are commonly performed for hip bursitis. While they can reduce inflammation and offer short-term pain relief, they do not repair the underlying tendon damage. In fact, repeated steroid use can actually:
- Weaken the connective tissue, making tendon tears worse
- Cause atrophy of the hip muscles
- Accelerate degenerative changes in the joint
- Provide only temporary relief, often with the pain returning in weeks or months
Patients often find themselves stuck in a cycle of repeating injections every 2-3 months, without meaningful or lasting improvement.
The Link Between Tendonitis, Degenerative Tendinopathy, and Hip Bursitis
As mentioned earlier, hip bursitis rarely exists in isolation. Most cases involve some degree of hip tendonitis or degenerative tendinopathy. Over time, chronic overuse, improper mechanics, or previous injury can lead to microtears in the hip tendons, particularly in the gluteus medius and minimus.
As these small tears accumulate, the tendons become weaker, less elastic, and more prone to further injury — a condition known as degenerative tendinopathy. This breakdown sets the stage for inflammation of the bursa, resulting in the common bursitis symptoms.
Treating the bursa alone is like putting a bandage over a cracked foundation — you’ll never fix the real problem.
How PRP Can Heal the Underlying Cause of Hip Bursitis
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a regenerative treatment that uses concentrated platelets from your own blood to stimulate healing in damaged tissues. When injected into the site of tendon injury, PRP releases growth factors that help:
- Repair microtears in the tendons
- Strengthen connective tissue
- Reduce inflammation in a natural, long-lasting way
- Improve overall joint stability and function
At Integrative Rehab Medicine we treat Hip Bursitis with PRP injections specifically directed at the gluteus medius/minimus tendons and surrounding soft tissues—not just the bursa. These are done using precise ultrasound guidance treating all the affected areas. By healing the root cause of the inflammation, PRP provides more durable pain relief and helps patients get back to walking, exercising, and enjoying daily activities without chronic discomfort.
Clinical Evidence for PRP in Hip Bursitis and Tendinopathy
Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of PRP in treating gluteal tendinopathy, which is often the underlying cause of hip bursitis. Research shows:
- Significant reduction in pain scores
- Improved hip strength and function
- Better outcomes compared to corticosteroid injections
- Lower recurrence rates
In a randomized controlled trial published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, patients with gluteal tendinopathy treated with PRP had superior outcomes compared to those receiving corticosteroids. They showed that the improvement after the PRP injection was sustained at 2 years whereas those who underwent the steroid injection only had relief up to 3 months before the pain returned.
This growing body of evidence supports the idea that regenerative medicine offers a better long-term solution for chronic hip bursitis and related tendon damage.
The Bottom Line: Long-Term Relief is Possible
If you’ve been struggling with chronic hip bursitis, tendonitis, or degenerative tendinopathy, it’s important to realize that temporary fixes like steroids won’t solve the real issue. These conditions are typically caused by underlying tendon damage and muscle dysfunction, which need to be repaired—not just masked.
PRP therapy offers a safe, non-surgical option to heal tendon tears, strengthen hip stabilizers, and reduce inflammation naturally, helping you get back to pain-free movement and a better quality of life.
At Integrative Rehab Medicine, we specialize in advanced, non-surgical regenerative treatments for hip pain, including PRP and stem cell therapy. If you’re ready to move beyond short-term relief and find a long-lasting solution for hip bursitis, our team is here to help.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Ready to explore your options for PRP treatment for hip bursitis? Contact us today to schedule your initial evaluation and discover how regenerative medicine can help you heal, move, and live better — without surgery or chronic pain meds.
References
- Fitzpatrick J, Bulsara MK, O’Donnell J, Zheng MH. Leucocyte-Rich Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment of Gluteus Medius and Minimus Tendinopathy: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial With 2-Year Follow-up. Am J Sports Med. 2019 Apr;47(5):1130-1137. doi: 10.1177/0363546519826969. Epub 2019 Mar 6. PMID: 30840831.
- Fitzpatrick J, Bulsara MK, O’Donnell J, McCrory PR, Zheng MH. The Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Gluteal Tendinopathy: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial Comparing a Single Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection With a Single Corticosteroid Injection. Am J Sports Med. 2018 Mar;46(4):933-939. doi: 10.1177/0363546517745525. Epub 2018 Jan 2. PMID: 29293361.
