Causes of Illiopsoas Bursitis and Tendonitis

Considered overuse injuries that results from you overloading your hips with repetitive hip flexion and external rotation movements, which strain your iliopsoas muscle and end in inflammation. Iliopsoas bursitis involves your tendon rubbing against a broad, shallow groove over which your iliacus and psoas major pass (the pubic iliopectineal eminence); this friction irritates your bursa. People who participate in activities such as golf, hockey, cheerleading, ballet dancing, rowing, gymnastics, and resistance training (sit-ups) often get iliopsoas tendonitis and bursitis. Even simple actions like putting on your socks or shoes and quick walking can aggravate the situation. This condition is more common in women than men, especially those who have loose ligaments.

Iliopsoas syndrome is caused from an abrupt contraction of your iliopsoas muscle, which results in a tear or rupture of your muscle (normally a partial tear where your muscle and tendon connect). Loads of up to eight times your body weight have been demonstrated in your hip joint during vigorous athletic competition, and movements such as standing and twisting at the waist without moving your feet, or externally rotating your leg outward while its in normal extension are responsible for iliopsoas injuries. Hurdlers, high jumpers, baseball, soccer players, or athletes who are at risk of getting tackled are prone to this type of injury. Others who participate in activities that involve uphill running and/or jumping, lots of kicking, weight training and heavy lifting (lots of bending and squatting) are also at risk.

Iliopsoas tendinitis and/or bursitis are common during growth spurts when you are younger because your biomechanics are altered, your tendons and muscles are tight, your pelvis begins to tilt and the rest of your lower body goes out of alignment. This can affect your lower back, hip joints, knees and your gait; which result in major lower body joint issues.

Rheumatoid Arthritis or Gout can cause Illiopsis Bursitis. Some people with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout or scleroderma may contract bursitis from crystalline deposits in the joints. Although not much is known about how this process happens, it is common knowledge that Uric acid is a normal byproduct of daily metabolism. If your are diagnosed with gout then you are unable to break down this uric acid properly, leading to crystalization of this excess acid which deposits in joints—a painful symptom that can often lead to bursitis.

Other factors that will influence your tendency to experience iliopsoas tendinitis and/or bursitis are age and degenerating tissues which often causes a decrease in your tendon flexibility, leg length discrepancies which may result in a skewed gait (abnormalities in the way you walk), changes in equipment or training terrain (mountain bike to road bike, road running to trail running) or changes in the intensity of your activity (increase running time or weight lifting poundage without proper preparation) can result in overexertion, which end in iliopsoas injuries.