What you can do for Hip Pain
Are you experiencing hip pain? Is it located on the outside of your hip? Is there pain when lying on that side? Or do you experience pain when standing on one leg? You may be experiencing greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). GTPS is the umbrella term to describe pain on the outside of the hip. This can be caused by tendon irritation of the gluteal muscles or inflammation of the bursa around the hip.
Why does hip pain occur?
Hip pain can be due to a combination of factors such as:
- An increase in physical activity – eg you have increased your walking from 30 minutes to 1 hour, or have begun some uphill walking.
- A direct fall onto the side of your hip.
- Being female – this is more common in females as they have a wider pelvis, which can increase compression through the tissues around the greater trochanter.
- Being overweight.
- Being in repeated positions that increase compression around the greater trochanter such as lying on your painful hip side or sitting with legs crossed.
What can I do to reduce my pain?
- Avoid laying on the painful side of your hip.
- Sleep on the hip that is not painful.
- Sleep with a pillow between your legs.
- Avoid crossing your legs.
- Avoid leaning on one leg when you are standing.
- Rest until you see your physio!
In our clinic, we can do some manual therapy to release the muscles. However, we know that the best thing for tendons is to gradually load them up through exercise, which is why we offer an extensive range of Women’s Health Services to help women of all ages overcome pain.
If you are experiencing hip pain, book an appointment with one of our qualified physiotherapists in Hoppers Crossing today. We will create a tailored plan to return you back to the activities you enjoy.