For runners who pound the pavement day after day, shin splints and blisters aren’t the only unwanted that racking up the miles may bring. Trochanteric bursitis, also known as hip bursitis, is another common injury among distance runners. It causes sharp pain at the point on the side of your hip bone; this sensation may become duller over time and may be worse after lying down or sitting. Symptoms are similar to those of a hip pointer.

Hip bursitis occurs when a tendon in the leg rubs against a fluid-filled sac, or bursa, that sits on the outside of the hip bone. This tendon connects the outside of the hip to the outer knee, and it passes over the bursa each time with every step. That’s why hip bursitis occurs most often in athletes the athletes who run a lot, performing the same motions with their hips and legs over and over again. These include runners, bicyclists and soccer players.

A doctor can tell you if you have hip bursitis, which can also be caused by bone spurs, hip surgery, or falling on your hip. Some people also have one leg that is slightly longer than the other, and this difference can affect your gait and cause hip bursitis.

Taking a temporary break from running may be necessary to make bursitis clear up, and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen also can be helpful. Rarely, a doctor may need to drain the fluid-filled sac on the hip if a significant amount of liquid has gathered in it.

Once your hip bursitis has gone away, you can prevent it from coming back by making sure you resume exercise gradually, and by lengthening and strengthening the muscles of your legs and on the outside of your hip.  These measures can help you get back on the running trail in no time.