Hip Bursitis: Causes, Research-Backed Treatments & Relief Strategies

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• "Hip bursitis" is the everyday name for what is more accurately called greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). The condition affects roughly 17.6% of adults aged 50 to 79 years, with women affected more often than men.
• In most chronic cases, the dominant pathology is gluteal tendinopathy (degenerative changes in the gluteus medius and minimus tendons), not a primary bursa inflammation. This matters for treatment because the right plan addresses the tendons and the surrounding kinetic chain, not just the bursa.
• The strongest evidence base is for two interventions: structured exercise (particularly hip abductor and gluteal strengthening) and extracorporeal shockwave therapy. A 2024 systematic review concluded that exercise should be a first-line treatment, and a separate 2024 meta-analysis found shockwave therapy produces meaningful pain reduction at 2 to 4 months.
• Corticosteroid injections give the fastest short-term pain relief, but the longer-term outcomes are worse than exercise or shockwave. Repeated injections also carry a risk of tendon weakening over time. The decision to use cortisone is best discussed with the physician offering the injection, with this trade-off in mind.
• Most cases improve significantly over weeks to a few months with a structured plan. Recurrence is real if the underlying contributors (weak gluteal stabilisers, sleep-position pressure on the affected hip, training-load issues) are not addressed.
• Sudden severe pain, fever, inability to bear weight, or signs of infection over the hip are red flags that need physician evaluation before any rehabilitation work.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• What hip bursitis actually is in 2026
• Why it happens, and why it sticks around
• What the research shows about the main treatments
• How treatment works at Unpain Clinic
• What to do at home between visits
• When to see a physician
• FAQ
• Further reading from Unpain Clinic

INTRODUCTION

Chronic outer hip pain is one of the most common (and most under-recognised) musculoskeletal complaints in adult primary care. The classic pattern is recognisable: a steady ache or tenderness on the side of the hip, worse when lying on that side, worse climbing stairs or getting up from a low chair, often present for months before it is even formally assessed.

Most people end up with the label "hip bursitis" at some point. The clinical picture is more layered, and the modern evidence base has a fairly clear message about what works and what does not.

This article walks through what hip bursitis actually is in current musculoskeletal medicine, what is driving the pain, what the published research says about the main treatment options, and how a structured plan is built at Unpain Clinic. This is the broader overview. For a dedicated deep-dive on the shockwave-specific evidence, see our companion article shockwave therapy for hip bursitis.

This is general education, not individual medical advice. If your hip pain is severe, came on suddenly after a fall or impact, or is associated with fever, weight loss, or inability to bear weight, that needs to go to a physician before any rehabilitation work.

WHAT IS HIP BURSITIS, REALLY?

"Hip bursitis" is the popular name for a condition that current musculoskeletal medicine usually calls greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). The umbrella term reflects what years of imaging studies and clinical research have shown: chronic outer hip pain is rarely a simple bursa inflammation in isolation. It usually involves a combination of bursa irritation, gluteal tendinopathy, and surrounding soft-tissue changes.

The anatomy. On the outer side of the hip, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus tendons attach to a bony prominence called the greater trochanter (the bump you can feel about a hand-width below the top of your pelvis). Between these tendons and the overlying iliotibial band sit small fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which cushion the tendons against the bone. When the area becomes painful, it has historically been called "trochanteric bursitis," which assumes the bursa is the main culprit.

What we now know. In most chronic cases, the dominant tissue change is degenerative changes in the gluteal tendons themselves, not the bursa. Imaging studies in chronic GTPS frequently show tendinopathy of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons, sometimes with partial tearing, and the bursa may or may not be inflamed. This is why the broader name (GTPS) has replaced "trochanteric bursitis" in the medical literature. The bursa is part of the picture in many cases. It is rarely the whole picture.

How common is it? The condition is more common than many realise. The 2024 systematic review by Rhim and colleagues in JBJS Reviews reports that GTPS affects approximately 17.6% of adults aged 50 to 79 years, with women affected more often than men. The peak age is the perimenopausal and postmenopausal years.

Who is most affected. GTPS is more common in women than men (some series report up to four times higher), particularly in middle age and beyond. It is also common in runners and other active adults with high cumulative hip-loading demands, and in people with concurrent low back pain, hip osteoarthritis, or biomechanical contributors elsewhere in the kinetic chain.

What it feels like. The hallmark is pain on the outer hip, tender to direct pressure over the greater trochanter, often worse with side-lying, climbing stairs, getting up from a low chair, or single-leg loading (such as carrying a heavy bag on one side or standing on one leg). The pain may radiate down the outer thigh and sometimes mimics low back or knee pain. Morning stiffness and pain in the first few steps out of bed are common.

WHY DOES HIP BURSITIS HAPPEN?

Hip bursitis rarely appears out of the blue. It usually develops from a combination of factors that load the lateral hip beyond what the surrounding tissues can adapt to.

Repetitive overload. Running, hill walking, cycling, and other repetitive hip-loading activities can outpace the capacity of the gluteal tendons to adapt, particularly if the volume or intensity has increased recently. Sudden changes in training (a new running plan, a hiking trip, a new job that involves more walking or stair climbing) are common triggers.

Pressure on the hip. Side-sleeping directly on the affected hip, particularly on a firm mattress, can compress the bursa and the gluteal tendon attachments. Habitually carrying a child on one hip, sitting with legs crossed, or sitting on a hard surface for long periods can also keep the area irritated.

Weakness of the hip stabilisers. The gluteus medius is the main side-stabiliser of the pelvis during single-leg loading (walking, stairs, running). When it is weak, the pelvis drops on the opposite side with each step, the iliotibial band tightens against the greater trochanter, and the gluteal tendons take more load with each cycle. Hip abductor weakness is one of the most consistently identified contributors to chronic GTPS.

Tight surrounding tissues. The iliotibial band, the tensor fasciae latae, the lateral quadriceps, and the lateral hip muscles all influence the compressive forces on the greater trochanter region. Tightness or imbalance in any of these can keep the bursa and gluteal tendons irritated.

Biomechanical contributors elsewhere in the chain. Leg-length discrepancy, foot mechanics (overpronation, flat feet), an old ankle or knee injury that changed gait, lumbar spine stiffness, or pelvic alignment issues can all change how load passes through the hip. As Unpain Clinic founder Uran Berisha discusses in the podcast episode on hip joint function and the blog article unlocking the hidden power of your hip joints, old injuries or surgical scars (for example, an old ankle sprain, a C-section scar) can subtly alter how you walk and load your hips for years afterwards.

Concurrent musculoskeletal conditions. Hip osteoarthritis, lumbar radiculopathy, low back pain, and other lower-limb conditions can coexist with GTPS and complicate the picture. A proper assessment helps separate what is contributing to the lateral hip pain from what is a parallel issue.

The recurrence pattern. Hip bursitis often comes back if the underlying contributors are not addressed. Cortisone settles the inflammation. Rest unloads the irritated area. Both can produce short-term relief without changing the mechanical reasons the area got irritated in the first place. When normal activity resumes, the cycle restarts. This is the most common reason people end up with "hip bursitis for years."

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH ACTUALLY SHOW ABOUT TREATMENT?

The evidence base for GTPS has matured considerably in the past decade, with several systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials now informing practice. Here is what the published research actually shows, treatment by treatment.

EXERCISE THERAPY: FIRST-LINE TREATMENT

The strongest broad recommendation is for structured exercise. The 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis by Kjeldsen and colleagues in Physiotherapy examined the effect of exercise compared to control conditions or other conservative treatments in patients with GTPS. The conclusion: exercise should be a first-line treatment, producing slight reductions in pain and slight improvements in physical function and disease severity. Importantly, compared with corticosteroid injection, exercise was superior for increasing the likelihood of meaningful global improvement.

The honest framing is that exercise effects in the published trials are real but modest at the group level. The certainty of evidence is low to moderate, mostly due to small trial sizes and methodological variability. What this means in practice: structured, progressive exercise is the most evidence-supported foundation for GTPS treatment, and patients who do the work consistently tend to do meaningfully better than those who rely on passive treatments alone.

The exercise components most consistently used include hip abductor and gluteal strengthening (clamshells, side-lying leg raises, banded hip abduction, hip bridges, single-leg balance work), kinetic chain conditioning (core stability, hip rotators, lumbar mobility), and load management (modifying the activities and positions that aggravate the hip). Early in irritable cases, isometric loading is often used before progressing to dynamic strengthening.

CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS: FAST, BUT NOT DURABLE

Cortisone injections into the trochanteric bursa have been a standard treatment for decades. They produce real, fast short-term pain relief in many patients. The longer-term picture is more complicated.

The landmark trial is the 2009 randomised controlled trial by Rompe and colleagues in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, which compared three treatments in 229 patients with refractory unilateral GTPS: a home exercise program, a single local corticosteroid injection, and a course of radial shockwave therapy. The results unfolded over 15 months in a way that is now well established.

At 1 month, the corticosteroid injection group had the best results (75% reported a successful outcome, compared with 13% for shockwave and 7% for home exercise).

At 4 months, the picture had reversed. Shockwave therapy now showed a 68% success rate, compared with 51% for corticosteroid injection and 41% for home exercise.

At 15 months, home exercise produced the best long-term result (80% success), followed closely by shockwave (74%), with corticosteroid injection trailing at 48%.

A more recent randomised trial by Yağcı and colleagues in 2023 in the Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation compared three sessions of shockwave therapy with a single corticosteroid injection in 60 patients with GTPS. Both groups improved significantly from baseline at 3 weeks and 3 months, with no significant difference between groups at those time points. The trial did not extend to longer follow-up, so it does not contradict the Rompe 2009 finding of cortisone losing ground over the medium and long term.

The practical takeaway: cortisone for GTPS is genuinely the fastest short-term relief option. It is also the worst long-term performer in the comparative trial data available, and repeated cortisone injections to a tendinopathic site carry a risk of further tendon weakening. Most clinical guidelines recommend limiting cortisone injections at the same site (typically no more than 2 to 3 per year). The injection decision is best discussed with the physician offering it, with this trade-off in mind.

EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCKWAVE THERAPY: A USEFUL ADJUNCT WITH GROWING EVIDENCE

Shockwave therapy (ESWT) has accumulated a substantial evidence base for chronic GTPS over the past 15 years. The 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis by Rhim and colleagues in JBJS Reviews examined 8 randomised controlled trials with 754 patients (169 male, 585 female). The pooled analysis found that shockwave therapy produced significantly lower pain scores than other treatments at 2 to 4 months follow-up. Functional improvements were also seen in the medium term. Notably, the analysis suggested that focused shockwave was more effective than radial shockwave for pain reduction in GTPS. The certainty of the evidence is limited (most included trials had a high risk of bias), and the authors note that more high-quality research is needed. But the directional conclusion is supportive: shockwave therapy is a useful option for chronic GTPS, particularly focused shockwave.

A separate 2023 cross-over trial by Notarnicola and colleagues in the Journal of Personalized Medicine compared focused shockwave with an eccentric exercise program in chronic GTPS, with a cross-over design for patients who did not respond to the first treatment. Both interventions produced significant improvements, and patients who failed one treatment often improved when crossed over to the other. The implication is that shockwave and exercise have somewhat different mechanisms and can rescue cases that do not respond to either alone. Combining or sequencing them is a reasonable strategy.

The shockwave protocol in most of the GTPS literature is 3 sessions, one per week, with around 2000 pulses per session. Some clinical settings use longer protocols (4 to 6 sessions) for more chronic cases.

For a more detailed walkthrough of the shockwave evidence base specifically, see our companion article on shockwave therapy for hip bursitis and our condition-specific shockwave therapy for greater trochanteric pain syndrome page.

OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been studied for gluteal tendinopathy. The evidence is mixed, with some trials showing benefit and others not, and the heterogeneity of PRP preparations makes comparison difficult. PRP is not part of standard care at Unpain Clinic; if your physician has recommended it, the conversation is between you, them, and the orthopaedic specialist involved.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce pain during acute flares and during the early rehabilitation phase. Topical NSAID gels are a reasonable starting point for localised relief without the systemic side-effect profile of oral NSAIDs. NSAIDs do not address the underlying mechanical issues; they support the rehabilitation work rather than replacing it.

Manual therapy and massage can address the surrounding muscle tension that contributes to GTPS (iliotibial band, tensor fasciae latae, lateral quadriceps, lumbar paraspinals). This work is supportive of the broader plan, not a stand-alone treatment.

Surgery is rarely required for GTPS. It is considered only after a fair conservative trial has failed and significant structural pathology (such as a confirmed major gluteal tendon tear) is present. Most patients with chronic hip bursitis can be successfully managed without surgical intervention.

"The honest pattern for chronic hip bursitis is that exercise builds the foundation, shockwave can re-stimulate the healing response in tendons that have stalled, and cortisone is a short-term option to be used carefully. The right plan combines these tools based on what your specific case calls for, and addresses the kinetic chain factors that drive the recurrence." Uran Berisha, BSc Physiotherapy, Founder of Unpain Clinic

HOW DOES TREATMENT FOR HIP BURSITIS WORK AT UNPAIN CLINIC?

At Unpain Clinic in Edmonton, treatment for hip bursitis (GTPS) follows the same pattern as the published evidence base, anchored to a thorough assessment-and-plan process.

The first visit is an assessment, not a treatment session. The plan depends on whether the picture is mostly tendinopathy, mostly bursa irritation, mixed, or something that mimics GTPS (such as hip osteoarthritis, lumbar radiculopathy, or a different lateral hip pathology). The assessment covers the lateral hip itself (palpation of the greater trochanter, specific provocation tests for the gluteal tendons), hip strength and range of motion, lumbar spine mobility, foot mechanics, single-leg balance, and gait.

From there, the toolbox we draw on is built around what the evidence supports.

Physiotherapy with progressive gluteal loading is the backbone of the plan. Following the principles supported by the Kjeldsen 2024 meta-analysis and the original Rompe 2009 home training program, we work with patients on a structured program of isometric loading early (in irritable cases) progressing to dynamic strengthening for the gluteus medius and minimus, with the surrounding kinetic chain (lumbar spine, hip rotators, single-leg balance) addressed in parallel. The work is dosed for the irritability of the tendons. Sessions in clinic teach the work and progression. The bulk of the work happens at home, between visits.

Focused shockwave therapy (True Shockwave) is the primary modality we use to re-stimulate the healing response in the gluteal tendons. Focused shockwave can be targeted precisely to the deep tendon attachments on the greater trochanter, and the Rhim 2024 meta-analysis specifically supports focused shockwave over radial for pain reduction in GTPS. A typical course is 3 to 6 weekly sessions of about 15 minutes each.

Radial shockwave therapy is often layered in for the surrounding superficial soft tissue (the iliotibial band, the tensor fasciae latae, the lateral hip muscles), particularly when these structures are contributing tension to the picture.

EMTT therapy is selectively used as a complementary modality in cases where the deeper tissue picture has stalled or where surrounding inflammation is part of the picture. EMTT delivers a high-powered pulsing magnetic field to the area, with effects on inflammation modulation and tissue healing. It is positioned as an adjunct, not a primary treatment.

NESA neuromodulation is selectively considered for patients whose chronic pain has developed a strong central sensitisation component (high pain reactivity, sleep disruption from pain, signs that the nervous system has become more reactive than the tissue findings alone explain). NESA is not a primary GTPS treatment but is a tool we draw on in selected cases.

Massage therapy supports the broader kinetic chain, particularly for the iliotibial band, the lateral quadriceps, and the gluteal muscle tension that often accompanies chronic GTPS.

Education and habit change. A consistent feature of the patients who recover well is that they understand which daily habits are aggravating the area and which can support recovery. The most common changes are sleeping with a pillow between the knees (to reduce direct pressure on the trochanter), avoiding sitting with the legs crossed for long periods, modifying high-impact training during the active rehabilitation phase, and addressing footwear and walking surface choices.

A note on cortisone injections. We do not provide corticosteroid injections at Unpain Clinic. If your physician has recommended one and you are weighing it up, the Rompe 2009 data is worth knowing: cortisone gives the best 1-month result (75% success vs 13% for shockwave) but the worst 15-month result (48% vs 74% for shockwave and 80% for home exercise). Repeated cortisone to a tendinopathic site also carries a risk of tendon weakening. The decision is yours and your physician's; we work alongside whatever decision is made.

For broader context, our team has produced related content: a podcast episode on the hip joint as the body's transmission, a blog article on unlocking the hidden power of your hip joints, and a related piece on why shockwave therapy has become a go-to option for persistent hip pain. For an adjacent condition often confused with hip bursitis, see our article on shockwave therapy for hip osteoarthritis. For information on the shockwave devices and protocols used in clinic, see shockwave therapy in Edmonton and Summerside. The same conservative-first principles apply to bursitis in other joints, as outlined in our knee bursitis treatment guide.

WHAT TO REALISTICALLY EXPECT FROM A COURSE OF CARE

A reasonable timeline for chronic hip bursitis (GTPS) is 8 to 16 weeks of structured care. The active in-clinic phase often spans the first 4 to 6 weeks, with the surrounding rehabilitation work continuing alongside and after.

The pattern of improvement is rarely dramatic in the first week. Many patients notice the first shifts in weeks 2 to 4, often as a reduction in night pain, easier side-sleeping, or less pain getting out of a chair. By weeks 6 to 12, bigger gains tend to appear: longer walks without flare, improved tolerance for stairs, less morning stiffness.

A few principles tend to separate the patients who recover well from the patients who plateau.

Consistency with the exercise program. The Kjeldsen 2024 meta-analysis showed meaningful benefits from exercise. Those benefits only show up if the exercises are actually done, consistently, over weeks. The Rompe 2009 home training group ended up with the best 15-month outcomes, but only because they kept doing the work.

Patience with the timeline. Tendons remodel on a months-to-a-year timeline. Two weeks of work and no dramatic change is not failure; it is normal.

Mechanical aggravators addressed. Sleeping pressure on the affected hip, crossed-leg sitting, sudden mileage increases, and habitual one-side weight bearing all need attention alongside the in-clinic treatment, or the gains will not hold.

The kinetic chain. Hip strength alone is not enough if the lumbar spine is stiff, the foot mechanics are not supporting the chain, or the breathing-and-core pattern is uncoordinated. The plan addresses what the assessment finds, not just the painful spot.

WHAT CAN I SAFELY DO AT HOME BETWEEN VISITS?

This is general education, not individual medical advice. The principles below assume you have been cleared by a clinician and that conditions requiring physician care (acute injury, possible fracture, suspected infection) have been ruled out. Specific dosing should be matched to your case by a clinician.

1. Reduce the obvious aggravators. Side-sleeping pressure on the affected hip is the most common ongoing aggravator. A pillow between the knees when side-sleeping on the unaffected side, or sleeping on the back with a small pillow under the knees, often reduces night pain. Avoid sitting with legs crossed for long periods, and avoid prolonged sitting on hard surfaces.
2. Stay active, but smartly. Complete rest tends to slow recovery. Walking on flat ground is usually fine. Hill walking, long runs, or new training programs should be modified during the early phase. Low-impact alternatives (stationary cycling at low resistance, swimming, pool walking) maintain fitness without aggravating the hip.
3. Start with isometric gluteal holds. Side-lying with the top leg straight, lift the leg slightly off the lower one and hold for 30 to 45 seconds, repeated 3 to 5 times, once or twice a day. Isometrics often settle the tendon enough to allow the progressive loading work to start.
4. Move to a structured gluteal loading program. Side-lying clamshells, side-lying leg raises, banded hip abduction, single-leg bridges, and side planks are the standard progression. Build up gradually; the published protocols use weeks of consistent loading.
5. Address the kinetic chain. Gentle lumbar mobility (pelvic tilts, knee-to-chest, lower trunk rotation), single-leg balance work, calf and hamstring flexibility, and foot intrinsic strengthening all support the broader picture.
6. Reasonable use of ice or heat. Ice for 10 to 15 minutes after activity that flares the pain can help settle it. Heat before stretching or activity can help relax surrounding muscles. Either is reasonable; neither is the treatment itself.
7. Modify shoe and surface choices. New running shoes that change your gait pattern, switching to minimalist footwear, or a new harder running surface can all trigger or worsen GTPS. Returning to your usual setup during recovery often helps.
8. Be patient. The Kjeldsen 2024 meta-analysis described the effect of exercise as "slight" at the group level, but the patients who do best are those who keep doing the work over months, not weeks. Persistence is the most underrated factor in good outcomes.

WHEN SHOULD I SEE A PHYSICIAN INSTEAD OF (OR ALONGSIDE) REHABILITATION?

The following are not "wait and see" situations. Contact your physician promptly, or seek emergency care if symptoms are severe.

• Sudden severe pain after a fall, slip, or impact, particularly with inability to bear weight or significant bruising. This raises suspicion of a fracture (hip or pelvis) and needs imaging.
• Fever, systemic illness, severe redness or warmth at the hip, or sudden worsening of pain with signs of infection. Septic bursitis is uncommon but is a medical emergency that needs urgent treatment.
• Sudden onset of severe sharp pain with a snap or pop sensation and inability to use the leg, which raises suspicion of a tendon rupture and needs urgent assessment.
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness traveling into the leg, which suggests a possible lumbar spine or neurological cause rather than primary hip bursitis.
• Persistent pain that has not responded to a fair conservative trial of 8 to 12 weeks of structured care.
• Hip pain combined with unexplained weight loss, night pain that wakes you from sleep regardless of position, or a known history of cancer. These warrant physician evaluation before any rehabilitation work.
• Severe restriction in hip range of motion or a hip that feels locked, which suggests joint involvement that may need imaging.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is hip bursitis, and is it the same as trochanteric bursitis?

Yes, the two terms are used interchangeably in everyday language. Both refer to a painful condition of the outer hip centred on the greater trochanter. Current musculoskeletal medicine prefers the broader term greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), which acknowledges that the pain usually involves the gluteal tendons (gluteus medius and minimus) and the surrounding soft tissues, not just the bursa. The terminology shift matters because the right treatment plan addresses the tendons and the kinetic chain, not only the inflamed bursa.

How long does hip bursitis last?

It varies. Acute flares may settle in a few weeks with proper rest and treatment. Chronic cases (which is what most people who search online have) usually need 8 to 16 weeks of structured care to make meaningful progress, with continued maintenance work after that. Without appropriate treatment, GTPS can persist for many months or years. The factor that most reliably predicts good outcomes is whether the underlying contributors (gluteal strength, sleep-position pressure, training-load issues) get addressed.

Which is the best treatment for hip bursitis?

The strongest broad evidence supports two interventions: structured exercise (particularly hip abductor and gluteal strengthening) and shockwave therapy. The Kjeldsen 2024 meta-analysis supports exercise as a first-line treatment, and the Rhim 2024 meta-analysis supports shockwave therapy as effective for pain reduction at 2 to 4 months. Combining the two is reasonable in chronic cases. Cortisone injections are the fastest short-term option but underperform exercise and shockwave in longer-term comparisons.

What exercises should I avoid with hip bursitis?

During the early irritable phase, reduce or modify exercises that significantly aggravate the lateral hip: high-impact activities (running on hard surfaces, jumping, plyometrics), deep squats and lunges with heavy loads (which compress the hip structures), prolonged stair climbing, and steep hill walking. Side-lying leg raises with ankle weights, while a standard rehabilitation exercise, should start without weight if the hip is very irritable. Sharp lateral hip pain during any exercise is a signal to modify it. Most avoidances are temporary; as the hip recovers, gradual return to normal activities is the goal.

Is walking good for hip bursitis?

Yes, in moderation. Walking on flat ground at a comfortable pace is generally beneficial. It maintains hip mobility, supports general fitness, and avoids the deconditioning that comes with complete rest. Long walks on uneven terrain, steep hills, or new training programs that suddenly increase mileage are the patterns that aggravate the area. Listen to the hip; mild discomfort during a walk that does not increase afterward is usually fine. Significantly worse pain the next day is a signal to back the volume down, not stop entirely.

Will I need surgery for hip bursitis?

Almost never. The vast majority of GTPS cases are successfully managed without surgical intervention. Surgery is considered only after a fair conservative trial has failed and imaging confirms significant structural pathology (such as a major gluteal tendon tear). If your pain has not improved after 8 to 12 months of well-executed conservative care, your physician may refer you to an orthopaedic specialist for further evaluation. Most people do not reach that point.

Do I need a doctor's referral to come to Unpain Clinic?

No referral is needed. Physiotherapists and chiropractors in Alberta practice as primary contact clinicians. Some insurance plans require a physician's note for reimbursement, so check your plan if you intend to claim. If our assessment suggests something that needs a physician's involvement (suspected fracture, suspected septic bursitis, possible significant tendon tear, signs of systemic illness), we coordinate that referral immediately.

How can I heal hip bursitis faster?

The honest answer is that hip bursitis recovery is measured in weeks to months, not days. There is no shortcut. The patients who improve fastest are those who: get a proper assessment to identify the underlying contributors, start a structured exercise program early and do it consistently, modify the obvious aggravators (sleep position, sitting habits, training load), use targeted treatments like shockwave therapy as an adjunct rather than waiting for symptoms to settle on their own, and stay patient with the timeline rather than abandoning the program after two weeks of no dramatic change.

Is hip bursitis treatment covered by insurance?

Most extended health plans in Alberta reimburse physiotherapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy under standard categories. Shockwave therapy and EMTT are typically billed under the supervising clinician's category as part of a treatment session. Public provincial health insurance does not typically cover any of this in a private clinic setting. Confirm with your plan, and a Health Spending Account through your employer can usually be used as well.

PATIENT TESTIMONIAL

“Recently Dr Lacina Barsalou treated me with shockwave for two separate injuries. Last season she successfully treated my Achilles tendinitis. After treatment the pain was significantly reduced and it healed well. More recently she has been treating me for a fall on stairs where I injured both knees and hip. Dr B can readily pinpoint the source of pain, administer shockwave therapy and offer home exercise to support the treatment. Her treatment and advice for both injuries has helped me tremendously. I highly recommend shockwave, the Unpain Clinic and Dr Lacina Barsalou. I’ve found it to be a miracle like therapy for pain and injury.”-Barbara Burton

FURTHER READING FROM UNPAIN CLINIC

• Shockwave therapy for hip bursitis (the dedicated deep-dive on the shockwave evidence)
• Shockwave therapy for hip osteoarthritis
• Unlocking the Hidden Power of Your Hip Joints
• Why Shockwave Therapy Is Becoming a Go-To Option for Persistent Hip Pain
• Unpain Clinic Podcast Episode 5: From Prehab to Rehab
• Shockwave Therapy in Edmonton and Summerside
• Shockwave Therapy for Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
• Knee bursitis treatment guide

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Written by Uran Berisha, Founder of Unpain Clinic and Medical Shockwave Institute. Uran has a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy and is an International Educator in Shockwave Therapy.

BOOK YOUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT

If you have chronic outer hip pain that has not responded to rest, basic stretching, or single-discipline care, the next step is a proper assessment. We will look at where exactly the pain sits, what tissues are likely involved (bursa, gluteal tendons, iliotibial band, or a combination), what your kinetic chain looks like, and what realistic timeline fits your case. The plan we build is honest, structured, and based on what the evidence actually supports. No referral needed. No long contracts. Book your initial assessment with Unpain Clinic.

REFERENCES

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7. Unpain Clinic. Unlocking the Hidden Power of Your Hip Joints: Why Your Hips Are the Body's Transmission and How to Keep Them Healthy. Unpain Clinic Blog. 2024. https://unpainclinic.com/en/articles/hidden-power-of-your-hip-joints
8. Unpain Clinic. Shockwave Therapy in Edmonton and Summerside. Unpain Clinic Treatments. https://unpainclinic.com/en/treatments/shockwave-therapy
9. Unpain Clinic. Shockwave Therapy for Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome. Unpain Clinic Treatments. https://unpainclinic.com/en/treatments/shockwave-gtps
10. Unpain Clinic. Why Shockwave Therapy Is Becoming a Go-To Option for Persistent Hip Pain. Unpain Clinic Blog. 2025. https://unpainclinic.com/en/articles/shockwave-therapy-persistent-hip-pain
11. Unpain Clinic. Knee Bursitis Treatment: Symptoms, Exercises and Pain Relief. Unpain Clinic Blog. 2025. https://unpainclinic.com/en/articles/knee-bursitis-treatment