Lateral Hip Pain: Understanding Bursitis and GTPS

While many patients are told they have "Hip Bursitis," modern clinical research shows that most side-hip pain is actually Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS).

This condition typically involves the tendons of the gluteal muscles (the gluteus medius and minimus) where they attach to the bony "point" of your hip. Rather than simple inflammation of the bursa, the pain is often caused by tendinopathy—a breakdown of collagen fibers due to repetitive loading or compression.

• Pain at Night: Intense aching when lying directly on the affected side, or a "throbbing" sensation if the top leg drops across the midline.

• Tenderness to Touch: Sharp pain when pressing on the bony prominence on the side of the hip.

• Stairs & Inclines: Increased discomfort when climbing stairs, walking uphill, or rising from a deep chair.

• The "Waddle" Gait: In chronic cases, you may notice a "Trendelenburg gait," where your pelvis drops on one side because the hip stabilizers are too painful to hold it level.

While lateral hip pain is rarely an emergency, certain symptoms require a medical screening:

• Sudden Inability to Weight-Bear: If you cannot take even a single step without the hip "giving out."

• Unexplained Weight Loss or Night Sweats: Pain that is completely unrelated to movement and is accompanied by systemic symptoms.

• Hot, Red Swelling: If the side of the hip is visibly red and hot to the touch, which may indicate an infected bursa rather than mechanical pain.

We don't just treat the symptom; we treat the mechanical driver. At Dynamic, we use a multi-faceted approach to restore the health of your hip tendons:

• Shockwave Therapy: This is our gold-standard treatment for chronic lateral hip pain. Acoustic waves stimulate blood flow and trigger a biological healing response in the gluteal tendons, breaking the cycle of chronic pain.

• Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS): We use precision dry needling to release the tight TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae) and gluteal muscles that "compress" the bursa and pull on the tendons.

• Manual Physiotherapy: Targeted joint and soft tissue mobilizations to ensure the hip and lower back are moving in sync.

• Education & Load Management: We teach you how to modify your sleeping positions and sitting habits to "offload" the sensitive tissue while it heals.

• Exercise: A progressive strengthening program designed to make your gluteal tendons resilient enough to handle daily activity without flaring up.

• The Relief Position (Pillow Support): When sleeping on your unaffected side, place two pillows between your knees and ankles. This prevents the top hip from "dropping," which reduces the compression on the painful bursa and tendons.

• The Mobility Drill (Side-Lying Hip Abduction): Lying on your side, gently lift your leg toward the ceiling without letting your pelvis roll backward. This "wakes up" the gluteal stabilizers.

• The Stability Focus (Isometric Wall Push): Standing sideways next to a wall, lift your "good" leg and push your knee into the wall. This forces the "painful" hip (the one you are standing on) to engage its stabilizers without moving the joint.

Please Note: The movements above are generic starting points intended for education. To ensure your recovery is safe and efficient, your physiotherapist will create a customized hip physiotherapy program based on your specific assessment findings. We will guide your progression, adjusting the intensity and "dosage" of your exercises as your mobility and strength improve.