Physiotherapy
This leaflet is to provide advice and help you understand what gluteal tendinopathy is and to support your physiotherapy programme..
What is Gluteal Tendinopathy?
Gluteal Tendinopathy is pain on the outside of your hip that can sometimes spread down the outside of your thigh. You may have also heard it be called Lateral Hip Pain, Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome (GTPS) or Trochanteric Bursitis (TB).
We now understand from the most recent evidence that the primary cause of this pain is due to the gluteal tendons, although other soft tissues may also contribute to some of the pain you are experiencing.
Anatomy
- Gluteal tendons attach some of your buttock (Gluteal) muscles to the bone on the outside of your hip called the greater trochanter
- These muscles lift your leg out to the side and help keep your pelvis level when walking and standing on one leg.
Symptoms
- The worst pain and tenderness is over the bony part on the outside of your hip called the greater trochanter.
- Pain can also go down the outside of your leg to the knee.
- It can be painful with walking, climbing stairs, standing on one leg to get dressed, getting up from a low chair, or getting moving after a period of resting.
- It can also become painful from pressure if you cross your leg when sitting or lying on your side in bed.
Who gets Gluteal Tendinopathy?
Gluteal Tendinopathy is a common condition that is seen more in women than in men. It is often seen in females in their 40’s to 60’s and is experienced by one in four women aged over 50 years. It is most common in peri and post-menopausal females.
What causes Gluteal Tendinopathy?
There are multiple factors that can contribute to the development of Gluteal Tendinopathy and some of these are still being researched. Compression (pressure) of the gluteal tendons and loading of our gluteal muscles and their tendons are thought to be two key factors in its development.
When we are moving our muscles are working and put load through our tendons. When we are sitting and sleeping, we can put compression over the tendons. Some movements and postures can place more compression and more load through the tendons. We may have been doing this for a long time or we may have had a sudden change in our activity. We may have gone away on holiday with more walking or more steps, or changed our day-to-day activity, which can cause it to become painful, or for the pain to come back.
Management
A vital part of managing Gluteal Tendinopathy is reducing the amount of compression we put over the outside of our hip and the gluteal tendons each day and night.
- Avoid sitting with knees together, sitting feet crossed or sitting with legs crossed (Fig 1) as these positions all put extra compression over the tendons.
- You may be doing this repetitively of for prolonged periods through the day.
- Try sitting with hips, knees, and feet in line, or just a little wider.
- Try sitting with hips, knees, and feet in line, or just a little wider.
- Also try avoid sitting in deep low chairs as this can put more compression over the tendons.
- Avoid standing with feet crossed or hanging on one hip as in Fig 2 as this places more compression over the outside of your left hip and left gluteal tendons.
- Instead try standing with your feet a little wider as in Fig 3 to take extra compression off the outside of your hip and the tendons.
- Sleeping can be problematic as there can be 7 to 8 hours of exposure to compression.
- Sleeping on you left side (Fig 4) places extra compression on the left gluteal tendons. It will also place extra compression over the right gluteal tendons as your leg crosses over your body as in this picture.
- You could try using pillows between your legs to prevent the top leg from crossing over.
- You could try a ¼ turn from your front with your painful hip rested out supported on a pillow (Fig 5).
Contact us
This leaflet is aimed to support your physiotherapy and education session.
Please contact the physiotherapy department that you are attending if you have any questions or concerns Monday to Friday, 08;00 until 16:00.
- Friarage – Telephone: 01609 763046, Email: [email protected]
- James Cook – Telephone: 01642 854453, Email: [email protected]
- Redcar – Telephone: 01642 944682
Patient experience
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.
This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.
To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the Patient Experience Department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print.
T: 01642 835964
E: [email protected]