Lateral hip pain is a condition where pain is felt on the outside of your hip bone and can sometimes run down your thigh and into your knee.
It has also been known as; trochanteric bursitis, greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) and more recently gluteal tendinopathy.
This condition can affect anyone at any age but is much more common from middle age onwards.
It is thought to be caused due to irritation of the tendons where they attach to the top of the leg. Often an umbrella term of tendinopathy is used (see our Tendinopathy information leaflet for more information). Irritation to the tendons is usually caused by a change in the amount or type of exercise or activity you do. For example taking up running, or starting a new gym class. It can also be caused by increased pressure from lying on a hard surface.
The most common symptoms of lateral hip pain are:
- Pain to the outer hip bone and occasionally down into the outer thigh
- Painful when lying on either side
- Pain on activities such as walking, running, climbing stairs
- Pain when getting up after sitting/driving for a while
- Pain on sitting or standing crossed legged
Diagnosis is usually made from a consultation with your Health Care Professional, involving a detailed history taking, discussing the onset of symptoms, current pattern of symptoms and your current functional ability. Combined with an assessment of the hip joint and surrounding muscles.
X-rays or scans are not normally required for the diagnosis of lateral hip pain. One may be performed if the Health Care Professional needs further information to finalise the diagnosis.
The primary aim of treatment is to help manage your pain. This allows you to move more and help you return to normal activities sooner. Initial treatment therefore is aimed at pain control. This might involve pain medication, or the use of heat or cold treatments.
Limit activities, movements and positions that aggravate the area. Common irritable habits are crossing your legs when sitting, lying on either side and standing with weight biased on one leg.
If you do lie on your side place a pillow between your legs.
Once your pain is under control, working on the movement and strength of your hip is what will help long term.
You can help to reduce pain, ease stiffness, strengthen your muscles and improve overall general fitness by keeping active. Below are some basic exercises specific to your hip to get you started.
It is normal to experience some discomfort when doing exercises, and individuals may start at different points. Pain should not increase excessively during or immediately after the activity. Discomfort should return to pre-activity levels 24-48 hours after the activity has finished.
The number (reps) and frequency (sets) of exercises suggested here are a guide, and should be performed to your personal tolerable pain levels. This means repetitions will vary between individuals and you should only go as far as is reasonably comfortable for you.
Pelvic tilts
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pull your bellybutton towards your spine and clench your buttock muscles to roll the tail bone up off the floor. The majority of the effort should come from your abdominal and buttock muscles. Your lower back should press firmly into the floor. Relax and repeat.
Bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your buttock muscles and lift your hips up into the bridge position. Make sure you keep your hips up and level throughout the movement.
Side Lying Hip Abduction
Lie on your good side, making sure there is a straight line from your head, through your trunk, down your legs to your toes. Straighten your legs and pull the toes up towards you. Raise the top leg straight up, then control the motion back down. Ensure your leg goes directly up, as though sliding up and down a wall.
Unless you have a serious injury or have sudden continuous severe pain, you can usually treat your hip pain without having to see your doctor. It is common for the treatment of lateral hip pain to take 12 months or more to fully settle.
You should see a Health Care Professional if you:
- Have pain that doesn’t show any signs of improvement, within a couple of weeks of self help
- Have pain that has rapidly deteriorated or suddenly worsened despite self help
- Have pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in your legs or feet
- Develop sudden stiffness in the hip resulting in a complete loss of movement
- Are noticing changes to your balance or walking pattern
- Are feeling clumsy or are falling more often
- Have a history of inflammatory arthritis, immuno-suppression, cancer, Tuberculosis (TB), drug abuse, AIDS or other infection
- Feel unwell, have a fever, or unexplained weight loss
- Are experiencing significant and regular changes to your usual sleeping pattern
- Have a history of recent injury (e.g. from a road traffic accident or a fall) or a history of hip surgery
- Have a new and visible deformed or misshapen hip
If you do not have any of the above, you may be able to effectively self-manage your condition