Hip Pain Misdiagnosed: The Truth About Trochanteric Bursitis

Hip pain can be frustrating, exhausting, and downright confusing—especially when you’ve tried everything your doctor recommended, and it still hurts.

You may have been told it’s trochanteric bursitis—inflammation of the bursa (a fluid-filled sac) on the side of the hip. You might have been prescribed anti-inflammatories, sent to physical therapy, or even given a cortisone shot.

And yet… the pain lingers. It may ease slightly for a time. But it comes back. Always on that one stubborn side.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re not imagining it.

As a physician—and someone who has helped hundreds of patients with similar symptoms—I can tell you: it’s very likely not bursitis at all.

What Trochanteric Bursitis Is Supposed to Be

In traditional medicine, trochanteric bursitis refers to inflammation in the bursa overlying the greater trochanter (the bony knob on the outer hip). The logic is simple: pain over that bony spot must mean the cushioning sac is inflamed.

But here’s what I discovered in my clinical practice: most people diagnosed with bursitis don’t actually have an inflamed bursa.

Instead, what they’re feeling is tendinitis—a strain of the gluteal tendons and small stabilizer muscles that are doing far more work than they’re meant to.

And the reason they’re overworking?

A displaced pelvis.

The Real Cause: Pelvic Instability

When your pelvic bones are out of alignment, the muscles that normally stabilize your hip joint are forced to take on an extra job: holding everything together.

Over time, that compensation leads to inflammation, strain, and pain. Not in your spine. Not in your bursa. But in the tendons of your gluteus medius and minimus—the very muscles that help stabilize the sacroiliac joint.

This pattern creates localized pain over the greater trochanter, which is easily misinterpreted as bursitis. But treating the bursa won’t solve the problem—because the bursa isn’t the problem.

What I Recommend Instead

Instead of masking the pain with injections or medications, I help my patients correct the underlying misalignment. And time after time, I’ve seen the pain disappear.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Realign the Pelvis

A simple, two-minute stretch can gently reposition your pelvic bones and relieve pressure on those overworked tendons. I teach this method in my low back pain book and in one of the sessions of my 7-week course, and I’ve seen it change lives in minutes.

Step 2: Wear a Pelvic Support Belt

Realignment is powerful—but if your ligaments are loose or injured, the pelvis can slip back out of place. That’s where the pelvic support comes in. It wraps snugly around your hips (not your waist) and gives your body the external support it needs to heal.

Step 3: Rebuild Ligament Strength

If the ligaments around the sacroiliac joint are overstretched, they need help to regenerate. That’s where prolotherapy comes in—a gentle, regenerative injection therapy that stimulates natural healing. It’s what finally helped me resolve my own pain after years of struggle.

What About Pain Relief Right Now?

Topical treatments can help ease soreness while your body heals. That’s why I created QR Cream—a fast-acting, plant-based topical designed to calm inflammation near the skin’s surface.

QR Cream works best when applied directly over the sore tendons or joints. It doesn’t just distract your brain like menthol creams—it targets the actual nerves inside the ligaments and tendons.

You can learn more at QRcream.com

Why This Works (When Other Treatments Don’t)

Conventional treatments for hip pain focus on symptoms. This approach goes deeper—it restores structure, function, and alignment.

If your pain hasn’t improved with traditional care, that doesn’t mean it’s in your head. It means the real cause hasn’t been addressed.

And now that you know the truth, you can do something about it.

Let’s Recap:

✅ That “hip bursitis” may actually be tendon strain from pelvic instability
✅ The root cause is often a displaced pelvic bone—not a swollen bursa
✅ Realignment, support, and ligament regeneration can resolve the issue

Want to Learn How to Fix It?

🎥 Register for my course: The Pain Relief Solution or get my book on Amazon: Low Back Pain: 3 Steps to Relief in 2 Minutes

I’ll walk you through exactly how to check for pelvic displacement, how to realign it, and what to do next if your hip—or back—pain just won’t quit.

Wishing you strength, stability, and true healing,
— Hélène Bertrand, MD (retired)

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE LOW BACK PAIN RELIEF in 2 MINUTES!

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or making changes to your health regimen. Although Dr. Bertrand is a retired medical doctor, she is not practicing medicine or providing medical care through this website.