FIXING LATERAL HIP PAIN WITH PHYSIOTHERAPY IN MELBOURNE.
Lateral Hip Pain is a painful condition that affects the outside of the thigh.
Pain is often felt deep inside the buttock/hip region, and can radiate into the bony part of your outside thigh (greater trochanter), or in severe cases radiate down the outside and front of the thigh into the knee.
The condition is also known as Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome, Glute Med Tendinopathy, Hip Bursitis, Greater Trochanter Bursitis and Trochanteric Bursitis. They are all the same condition.
Activities that irritate this condition include crossing your legs, sleeping on your side, walking moderate amounts, going up and down stairs/hills, sitting in deep positions (ie. driving, sitting on the couch or toilet).
Lateral hip pain predominantly affects middle aged females (35-65 years of age) and occasionally very active males.
Women are affected more so than males due to two reasons.
1. Women have wider hips. This can cause greater compressive forces on the glute med tendon (the tendon is squashed by the outside of the femur).
2. The condition tends to affect middle aged females who are undergoing menopause. Estrogen is a hormone that is protective of tendon health. During menopause there are hormonal changes occuring, one of them is Estrogen levels diminish. Thus the diminished estrogen levels can make menopausal women susceptible to tendon injuries/pain (not just the glute med, but shoulder, achilles, patella/knee and hamstring tendons as well).
Active males can be susceptible to the condition when they overload their hip/tendon by participating in excessive sport (usually change of direction sports).
The pain is generally caused by a weakness in the hip abductor muscle group (glute med and glute min tendons). A progressive physiotherapy rehab program that targets the affected tendon can have fantastic results in restoring movement and diminishing pain.
When pain is very severe and rehab exercises cannot be performed, a cortisone injection may be beneficial. It must be noted that this will only reduce short term pain symptoms, and will not strengthen up the weakened hip tendon. A cortisone injection as a first line treatment is rarely recommended.
3 Best Tips for Fixing Lateral Hip Pain - Physiotherapy Melbourne
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Make some positional changes to avoid painful positions:
a. If sleeping on your side is painful, trial sleeping with a pillow between the legs. Rolling forwards into half sidelying may also help.
b. Avoid deep hip flexion positions. Avoid those low couches if possible! Try sitting on a higher chair, or placing some cushions/books to deload the hip.
c. Avoid crossing your legs!
d. Avoid stretching the muscles!
2. Don’t Fully Rest!
Full rest is not beneficial for this condition. Full rest will cause more deconditioning in the hip joint and affected tendon which will lead to more long term pain.
3. Strengthen Up the Hip and Glute Med Tendons! Try the following exercises:
- Side Lying Leg Lift
- Bridge with Belt
Place the belt around the knees, gently push out against the belt and lift your bottom up and down whilst holding the push out tension.
- Squat with Belt
Place the belt around the feet, gently push out against the belt and squat down whilst holding the push out tension.
How can we help you?
At Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy our goal is to get you moving pain free as soon as possible. But, we also want you to actually move better and live a healthier, more active and fulfilling life!
If your sports, fitness training or work has been wearing your body down, book in with one of our expert physiotherapists or massage therapists so we can help you reduce your pain and get you moving again.
You can make an appointment by calling or booking online.
BOOK ONLINE NOW TO FIX YOUR PAIN
Other Very Useful Blog Posts.
2. Running Injuries, and How Physiotherapy Can Help.
3. Medicare Rebates for Physiotherapy
4. Why Stretching a Painful Tendon Doesn't Work.
View previous Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy blog posts by clicking on the year below:
2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016.