Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa sac. Bursa sacs are small sacs filled with fluid dispersed throughout the body that help decrease friction between muscles and tendons against bone.
Without bursa sacs any movement would irritate the area and be terribly painful. With bursitis the inflammation causes the bursa to lose its ability to provide a smooth motion between bone and soft tissue resulting in a painful movement.
If an athlete develops bursitis in the hip (hip bursitis) it was either due to direct impact to the bursa, known as traumatic bursitis or, more commonly, through repetitive wear during practices and demanding workouts.
If an athlete notices pain upon running and climbing that radiates down to the outer thigh and gets worse over time, they could have hip bursitis. Our Orthopedic Physical Therapy in Downer's Grove would suggest several methods for healing.
The athlete should rest until there is no pain and apply ice to the area. If the injury is mild enough this should do the job. If the injury is more severe they would need rehabilitation to correct for any muscle imbalances that may be causing the inflammation.
They will also need to learn stretching techniques to help in the rehabilitation process.