Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is the term used to describe pain over the side of the hip. This is caused by a gluteal tendinopathy and may or may not occur with the presentation of bursitis also. The muscles that are associated with this condition are our gluteus medius and minimus muscles.
If you are not sure what we mean by the term ‘tendinopathy’; it refers to when a tendon starts to break down causing pain and discomfort. It usually occurs when our activities or exercise is increased and these muscles and tendons become overworked.
So what are the symptoms of a gluteal tendinopathy?
- Pain over the side of your hip
- Pain that is aggravated by lying in your side
- Pain that is worse in the morning
- Pain that comes on or is aggravated by standing, walking or stair climbing
- Pain that occurs or is aggravated when sitting for prolonged periods of time or when you go from a sitting to standing position
What can I do to fix this condition?
The best treatment for a gluteal tendinopathy is to fix lifestyle factors and to strengthen your gluteal muscles progressively.
This may include –
- Sitting down with your hips higher than your knees
- Sleeping with a pillow between your knees
- Standing evenly on two feet, trying not to drop your hips to the side
- Carrying your child evenly on each side – not just one
- Looking at your daily activities and breaking up smaller activities or household tasks into smaller ones
A physiotherapist can conduct a proper assessment and address any biomechanical concerns that you have and provide you with a specific home exercise program to help strengthen your gluteal muscles without further irritating the tendon.