Although pain in the lateral hip region is commonly believed to be secondary to irritation of the trochanteric bursa, only 20% of cases are actually thought to represent true bursitis. In the majority of cases, pain thought to be associated with dysfunction of the gluteus medius and minimus muscles and their respective tendons.

Risk factors include: female gender (4:1 female to male ratio), high BMI, excessive hip adduction, weak hip abductors and a rapid increase in plyometric load.

Like other tendon issues, resistance training appears to be helpful in many cases for both reducing painful symptoms and improving the work capacity of the tendon.

If you are suffering from lateral hip pain and need help with designing an rehab program, please see our gluteal tendinopathy program. In many cases, a simple home exercise program can work to reduce pain and improve one’s overall function.