TL;DR. Hip bursitis is pain and tenderness on the bony point at the outside of the hip, the greater trochanter. It hurts when you lie on that side, when you stand up after sitting and when you climb stairs. It is far more common in women, it is often linked to how the whole leg moves rather than to the hip alone, and hip bursitis relief starts with finding out what is loading that spot. You can book an assessment at our Côte-des-Neiges clinic.
You know exactly where it hurts. You can put one finger on it. It is the bump on the side of your hip, and the worst moment of the day is rolling onto it in bed.
Here is what that spot is, why it gets irritated, and what we look at when you come in about it.
What hip bursitis actually is
Your thigh bone, the femur, has a pointed upper outside edge called the greater trochanter. Several tendons anchor there, and a small fluid-filled sac, a bursa, cushions the space between the bone and the tissue sliding over it. Bursae are like bubble wrap around joints: they are meant to be quiet.
Trochanteric bursitis is painful swelling of that bursa. Hip bursitis and trochanteric bursitis are the same condition; the second name just says which bursa.
There is a newer name too. Because pain in this region is frequently not accompanied by the signs of inflammation, warmth, redness or swelling, and because the tendons anchoring to the trochanter are often involved, researchers increasingly call it greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Same spot, same complaint, a more honest label.
What does hip bursitis feel like?
Hip pain is the main symptom, and it has a recognisable shape:
Why it gets irritated
Anything that irritates or damages the bursa over the greater trochanter can cause it. The Cleveland Clinic groups the common causes into three: repetitive motion, such as lifting, a lot of stairs, long standing, cycling or running; a hip injury, a fall, a bump, or lying on one hip for a long time; and issues with posture or alignment, including scoliosis, a difference in leg length, bone spurs and calcium deposits in the tendons.
The research adds something the everyday explanation leaves out. In a study of more than 3,000 adults aged 50 to 79, the condition was strongly associated with tenderness along the iliotibial band on the outside of the thigh, with knee osteoarthritis on the same side and, to a lesser degree, the opposite side, and with low back pain. Body weight, once the other factors were accounted for, was not associated with it. The authors' reading is that altered lower-limb biomechanics, the way the whole leg moves and loads, may be what drives it.
That is why an assessment of a sore hip looks at the back, the knee and the way you walk, and not only at the spot you can point to. If you are not sure the outside of the hip is where yours sits, our guide to hip pain on one side sorts the three regions.
Is it the bursa, the joint, or the back?
Three things produce pain around the hip, and they are treated differently. This is what people typically describe for each. It is not a way to diagnose yourself, and more than one can be present at the same time.
| What people describe | Hip bursitis (trochanteric pain) | Hip joint osteoarthritis | Pain referred from the low back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it hurts | The outside of the hip, over the bony point | The groin, the front of the hip, sometimes the knee | The buttock and the back of the thigh, sometimes below the knee |
| What sets it off | Lying on it, stairs, standing up after sitting | Walking, getting in and out of a car, putting on socks | Sitting, bending, coughing, a long drive |
| Tender to press? | Yes, precisely on the trochanter | Not usually, the joint is deep | Sometimes, in the low back rather than the hip |
| What else | Often coexists with back pain or a sore knee | Stiffness first thing, reduced range of movement | Tingling or numbness down the leg |
What an assessment looks at
Hip bursitis is diagnosed with a physical exam. The appointment is built to confirm that the trochanter is the source and to find what is loading it.
What we do about it: where hip bursitis relief starts
Once the assessment has found the true cause of your pain, your physiotherapist builds an individualized plan of care around three phases of recovery.
At our clinic, hip pain is treated with hands-on techniques such as joint mobilizations and soft tissue manipulation to reduce pain, improve mobility and restore function, along with trigger point therapy and kinesitherapy. Each plan is tailored to the injury, your lifestyle and your recovery goals. On a trochanteric problem that means addressing what the assessment found along the whole leg, not only the sore spot.
We offer direct billing to several insurance companies. Check your plan for physiotherapy coverage before you book.
When to see a doctor first
Pain after a fall, especially if you cannot put weight on the leg. A hip that is hot, red and swollen, or pain with a fever. Pain that is severe and constant, or that wakes you every night regardless of position. Those need a physician before a physiotherapist.
Frequently asked questions
Is hip bursitis the same as trochanteric bursitis?
Why does it hurt when I lie on that side?
Does losing weight fix it?
Do I need a referral?
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. Trochanteric Bursitis. Medically reviewed, last updated 6 July 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4964-trochanteric-bursitis
- Segal NA, Felson DT, Torner JC, Zhu Y, Curtis JR, Niu J, Nevitt MC. Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: Epidemiology and Associated Factors. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2007;88(8):988-992. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2907104/
- Physio Pain Solutions. Hip pain treatment page, as published on 21 September 2026.
If you have started sleeping on the other side to avoid it, that is the moment to have it looked at. You can book an assessment online in under a minute.