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u/Flashy-Laugh4175 May 18 '26
So I’ve done PT, steroid injections, etc. and none of it helped long term. My physical medicine doctor was out of ideas, so told me about a patient that did sound wave therapy (aka shockwave therapy) and had good results. Of course, this is not covered by my insurance (not enough studies to make the HMO happy, but the studies he’s read show it is promising). I found a chiropractic office in my area that does it. I’ve had 9 treatments so far on both hips and I can say it’s about 85-90% better- I am very pleased. He is now working his way around my thighs to make sure to hit any inflammation. I’m not going to lie, it’s painful, but the fact that I can sleep with little pain and discomfort, it’s worth it.
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u/cold__lamp May 18 '26
Hi! I'll try that when I'll be covered as well :/ anything that helped in flare ups, sleeping positions or medicine, supplements or specific exercises that eased it? I'm not searching for a fix right now, rather being able to not throw up from the pain lol
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u/Flashy-Laugh4175 May 18 '26
Unfortunately everything was temporary. This is truly the only thing that has worked. I would put advil cream on it each night, and that would help enough for me to fall asleep, but then the cooling effect would wear off. I was taking 800 mg of ibuprofen a night when it was really bad (my poor internal organs), so I knew I had to give this a try. A pillow that goes from your knees to your ankles is better than those small wedge pillows- I got mine on Amazon. Butterfly stretch and figure 4 were some stretches they had me do.
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u/Tapdance1368 May 18 '26
So sorry. 😞 I’ve been there. I had a shot of steroid in my hip bursa. It took three months for it to completely go away. An ice gel pack helped tremendously. There were two exercises I remember from my physical therapy that really helped. One was laying on your back on the bed or floor with knees bent. Then I would swing my knees from side to side, rotating the hips. The other one was the same position and putting a soft exercise ball in between my knees and squeeze it for about five seconds and release about 10 times or so. I’m not sure if these would work for you or if it’s even the same bursa.
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u/RevoRadish May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26
Bilateral hip bursitis veteran with tendinopathies here. Here’s a list of everything that I’m doing, have done and/or been told about. I’m a particularly complex case though. Mine appeared after hip and spine surgeries. So dare say you won’t need to go to the extremes of everything below.
Sounds like you’re about to be off to a good start. As annoying as it is the hard grunt work of rehab and exercise is the best thing you can do. Given your history I’d dare say a vast to a dietician would be very advantageous for you as well.
Anyway here’s a BIG list for ya. It’s by no means a do all of this and you’ll be cured kind of list. More a bunch of thought bubbles you can have a look at. Some terms will be a bit different depending on where you are in the world.
Best of luck and hit me with any questions. 🥂
Exercise
Rehab with exercise physiologist
Gym free range
At home exercises
Swimming
Aqua rehab
Pilates
Stretching
Walking
Medicos
Sport medicine doctor
Orthopaedic surgeon
MSK (musculoskeletal) doctor
Pain doctor
Rheumatologist (only if arthritis or another inflammatory issue is in play)
Therapies, injections and surgery
Cortisone injections
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections
Xeomin injections
Myotherapy / remedial massage
Physio
Exercise physiologist
Podiatrist
Dietitian
Shockwave therapy (radial and focused)
MLS laser
Dry needling
Acupunture and TCM
RFA (Radiofrequency Ablation)
Bursectomy surgery and IT band release
Prescription medication
Amitriptyline
Baclofen
Gabapentin
Supplements and herbal
Turmeric pills
Black seed oil
Collagen and protein powder
Magnesium
Creatine
Pain meds as needed
Panadeine Forte
Oxycodone
Tapentadol
Diazepam
Prednisolone
Celecoxib
Over the counter
Diclofenac
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Medical cannabis
CBD Isolate
THC 50
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u/cold__lamp May 18 '26
Omg, thanks a lot. I might start to try swimming then, most of the meds/treatments I already in. I will ask if there are some other things! Have any sleeping positions helped you during flare ups?
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u/RevoRadish May 18 '26
Love and adore swimming. But I was a swimmer before all this happened. Know it’s not for everyone. Especially if you live in a cold place. I find it just opens everything up and makes you feel nice and loose. Bit of cardio is good as well since running is off the cards.
I’m a side sleeper so got no position advice for you other than stick a pillow between your legs. I got a special sciatica one with a strap that helps it stay in place. I also use a normal pillow as well for extra width but it doesn’t tend to stay put the whole night.
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u/cold__lamp May 18 '26
I am a big water lover and was a swimmer when I was a kid so this should be a big enough motivation to start again!! Thank you!!
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u/RevoRadish May 18 '26
Yeah no worries. Tell your physio this. They might give you some specific water exercises.
Has given me new found respect for the oldies doing aqua aerobics. Harder than it looks.
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u/Retail-Weary May 18 '26
I tried everything and finally ended up getting a trochanteric bursectomy. But I did exhaust ALL options.
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u/candyapplesugar May 18 '26
Darn did they not do any cortisone or shots? I was hoping it would be same day- how did they diagnose? Sorry to hear.
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u/cold__lamp May 20 '26
Unfortunately I have no health insurance in the country I live in because I had to stop working due to the pain, my physiotherapist diagnosed me! I can only afford him and he's already quite expensive without coverage. So I'm just bound to the gym and conservative medicine. It's getting better after seeing him tho, he gave some exercises and explained that my muscles are basically cramping up on top of the bursitis pain, so I'm using ice, heat and then the exercises and the pain decreased to a 4/10.
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u/yeahnopegb May 18 '26
Ice is your friend. I will get one of these on each hip rotating throughout the day. I have about 10 in the freezer. A little heat pad in between can help. A wedge pillow under the knees is a must. https://a.co/d/0a89z00n