Lateral Hip Pain

Lateral Hip Pain

Have you recently started to get pain in the side of your hip? Has it been there before and then come back again? Have you had corticosteroid injections that have relieved pain temporarily or not at all? If so, read the blog below to help you get on-top of your stubborn hip pain and start the pathway back to performance.

Lateral hip pain can be referred to as Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome, Trochanteric Bursitis, Glute Medius Tendinopathy or Hip Bursitis. All these terms are used to describe pain inside the hip and buttock region, on the bony part on the side of your hip (greater trochanter) and sometimes down the outside of the thigh. The hip pain can be aggravated by sitting cross-legged, prolonged walking, prolonged sitting, climbing stairs/hills and lying on the painful hip.

Ultrasound imaging of lateral hip pain often illustrates inflammation or thickening of the trochanteric bursa or ‘bursitis’. A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac that provides a cushion between bones and tendons throughout the body to minimise friction. You may have been given a corticosteroid injection into your bursa to ease this inflammation.

These injections can be effective in reducing your pain, but this may only be short-lasting!

Often trochanteric bursitis is a secondary reaction to a Gluteus Medius/Minimus tendinopathy or weakness in this hip muscle group. Dysfunction in these muscles can increase the compression force on the bursa and tendons. Prolonged and repeated compression of these structures without suitable exercise and lifestyle modifications can cause thickening and inflammation of the bursa, and potentially tendon degeneration.