Hip Tendonitis

What is hip tendonitis?

Hip tendonitis is painful inflammation or irritation of a tendon in the hip. It’s also called hip flexor tendonitis, or tendonitis of the hip.  

A tendon is a thick cord made up of tiny fibers that connect muscles to bones. When people have inflamed or irritated tendons, they may experience pain, tenderness and mild swelling near the affected joint. A muscle called the iliopsoas muscle flexes your hip, and it’s attached to your upper thigh by a tendon. When the muscle gets overused from too much activity, this tendon can get inflamed and cause hip tendonitis.

Hip tendonitis is more common in athletes who participate in sports like running, bicycling, or swimming, or other high intensity sports or exercise classes. 

Symptoms of hip tendonitis

The most common symptom of hip tendonitis is hip pain that happens gradually. It can also cause tenderness at the point in the hip where the tendon is. People with iliopsoas tendonitis often feel pain in the front of their hip. If hip tendonitis goes untreated, the pain can get worse over time. Hip tendonitis can cause mobility issues, meaning that you have limited ability to move your hip. 

Diagnosing hip tendonitis

If you see a doctor for hip pain, they will likely perform a physical exam and look for signs of tenderness or pain near the point of the hip. Your doctor may also order additional tests to rule out other conditions or injuries that might be causing your hip pain. Some tests to diagnose hip pain include x-ray, MRI, and bone scans.

Beaumont offers treatment for hip tendonitis

Treating hip tendonitis focuses on reducing inflammation and pain. The first course of action is to stop the physical activity that was causing it. Many people can care for it on their own by using RICE therapy (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) and taking over-the-counter pain medication. 

However, some people may need to see a doctor to get relief. Physical therapy to help stretch and strengthen the hip area can be helpful in treating hip tendonitis. 

Learn more about non-surgical treatments for hip tendonitis:

• Hip pain management
• Physical therapy

Surgery to treat hip tendonitis

Most people who experience hip tendonitis do not need surgery, but if you have not experienced relief after you’ve tried non-surgical treatments, you may be a candidate for surgery. 

Advanced Treatment: Tenex Tenotomy

The Tenex tenotomy procedure is a non-surgical procedure used to treat chronic pain associated with tendinitis/tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis/fasciosis. The minimally invasive technique can reduce tendon pain by breaking down and removing damaged tissues with high-frequency ultrasound energy. The procedure is commonly used to treat tendinitis/tendinopathy of the elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, and plantar fascia.  The procedure is performed using local anesthetic and ultrasound guidance which makes it extremely safe.  The procedure is minimally invasive and allows patients to return to normal activities faster than surgery.

The procedure is performed though a small skin puncture (2-3mm) and the device is advanced to the diseased tendon or plantar fascia using ultrasound guidance.  The device then removes the diseased tissue and stimulates your bodies normal healing response.  The device is then removed and small bandage is applied.  Patients go home shortly after the procedure and typically have a short course (3-7 days) of relative immobilization in a sling or walking boot.