Are you familiar with ischial bursitis?

Since two months ago, I have been experiencing pain in my left buttock when sitting for long periods. I thought it was just muscle tightness and did self-massage. As it improved a little, I didn't consider going to the hospital and just continued to get by.

However, as the buttock pain worsened, pain began to radiate down to the knee, and due to the pain, I couldn't sit on hard floors, and I was unable to sit cross-legged. The problem was that I couldn't stand up and walk properly after sitting down. I had to limp for at least 2 to 3 minutes. The pain was indescribable.

Eventually, I went to the hospital and after various tests, I was diagnosed with ischial bursitis. ㅠㅠ

Currently, I have been undergoing medication, physical therapy, injections, and extracorporeal shock wave therapy for about three weeks, but there has been no improvement at all, so I am feeling very exhausted.

Upon closely observing my usual posture, I noticed that I sleep lying on my side and when standing, I tend to put weight on my left leg. I feel quite upset because I think my regular posture has caused ischial bursitis.

I also heard that methods to relax muscles are good, so I am consistently doing self-massage at home. However, I am very upset because I was told that while treatment can improve the condition, complete recovery is impossible.

Because of this pain, I can't sleep well at night, and my quality of life has significantly decreased.

Is it really a difficult disease to fully recover from?

 

Ischial bursitis is inflammation of the bursa located at the ischium, one of the bones that make up the pelvis, also called the sitting bone. It is the area that contacts the ground when sitting on a chair. Beneath the ischium, there is a bursa that helps prevent damage in areas prone to frequent movement or friction. When this area is repeatedly stimulated or subjected to pressure, inflammation can occur, which is called ischial bursitis.

  

Ischial bursitis can occur due to occupations that involve prolonged sitting, damage caused by repetitive movements, or direct trauma.

 

Most cases of ischial bursitis can improve with conservative treatment alone, but it is important to diagnose and treat it promptly.

There are methods such as medication therapy, physical therapy, injection therapy, and focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

 

To prevent ischial bursitis, if you sit for long periods regularly, it is good to stand up about once an hour to loosen stiff muscles. Above all, correcting your usual posture habits is important. Sitting in the wrong posture for a long time can put concentrated weight on the ischial area, stimulating the bursae, so please correct your posture to the proper one.

Additionally, even if there is no muscle in the buttock area, pressure can be applied, leading to ischial bursitis. Therefore, it is advisable to strengthen the lower body muscles through regular walking, indoor cycling, swimming, and other activities.