Bursitis is an inflammatory condition that is known to affect various body joints, especially the hips. Bursa refers to fluid-filled sacs usually found within the joints. When they are healthy, they cushion the joints, act as shock absorbers, and protect the bones from bruising against each other.
When they are not healthy, bones may bruise against each other, leading to intense pain that may immobilize the affected joint. There are various remedies to this condition, with one of them being a proper exercise to help reduce the pain. Read below to learn about the best exercises that you can relieve bursitis pain whether it be shoulder bursitis, hip bursitis or any other part of the body in pain.
Heel Side Exercise
With this exercise, you will lie on your back, while maintaining the affected knee in a straight position while the good knee in a slightly bent position. Next, you bend the affected knee by sliding your heel across the floor, and towards your buttocks. You do this until you can feel a gentle stretch in your knee.
When that is done, you hold in that position for about eight seconds before slowly straightening your knees. Do this for about 10 – 12 repetitions.
Straight leg raise to the front
With this exercise, you begin by lying on your back with the good knee slightly bent. Your foot should rest flat on the floor while your affected leg should be straight and kept parallel to the floor. Ensure that your lower back has a normal curve and you don’t feel any strain on it.
Next, tighten your thigh muscles on the affected leg. You do this by pressing the back of your knee to the floor while you hold your knee straight. With the thigh muscles tight and the knee straight, slowly lift the affected leg up to a height of about 30cm from the floor. Hold it in that position for about ten seconds before gently lowering it down gently.
Repeat this for between 12 and 15 reps.
Quad Sets
Start with sitting with the affected leg straight on the floor with the good leg slightly bent. Place a small rolled towel under the bad knee for extra support. Next, tighten your thigh muscles and hold them in this position for about ten seconds and then rest for another fifteen seconds. Repeat this between 8 and 12 times.
Be cautious with all the exercises
Strengthening the muscles of the hips and legs will undoubtedly minimize the risk of bursitis and may help relieve the pain associated with bursitis. In addition to practicing an effective strength training program, stretching, freezing, and rest are also important.
Exercises can be good therapies for treating conditions such as bursitis, but they can also aggravate the condition if not done correctly. Should you feel more pain while doing the exercises, then you should stop them immediately and seek medical advice.