Hip Bursitis or Tendon Injury: Preventing Pain

Overview

Bursitis or a tendon injury (tendinopathy) can cause pain at the side of your hip when you rise from a chair and take your first few steps, climb stairs, drive, or lie down with direct pressure on the side of the hip.

To prevent and ease hip pain during work, play, or daily activities:

• Stay at a weight that's healthy for you. Talk to your doctor if you need help losing weight.
• Wear well-cushioned shoes, and avoid high heels.
• Walk up and down stairs one at a time, leading with your strong leg when you go up stairs or curbs, and with your weaker or sore leg when you go down.
• Warm up before activities.
• Avoid activities that make one side of the pelvis higher than the other, such as running in only one direction on a track or hiking or doing yard work sideways on a slope. Keep your hips level.
• Sleep on your uninjured side with a pillow between your knees, or on your back with pillows beneath your knees.
• Stretch after an activity, when your muscles are warm.