Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy for Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome, often shortened to GTPS, is a common cause of pain on the outside of the hip. It may involve irritation of the glute tendons, nearby bursa, or surrounding soft tissues around the greater trochanter, which is the bony area on the outside of the hip. Symptoms may affect walking, stairs, lying on the side, standing, running, squatting, exercising, or daily movement.

Physical therapy for greater trochanteric pain syndrome is not one-size-fits-all. The right treatment plan depends on your pain level, hip strength, walking mechanics, balance, glute tendon irritability, activity goals, sleep position, work demands, exercise routine, and the movements that aggravate your symptoms. A physical therapy evaluation can help determine which strength, mobility, gait, posture, and activity factors may be contributing to your symptoms.

What is Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome?

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is an umbrella term for pain around the outside of the hip near the greater trochanter. Many people describe it as hip bursitis, but symptoms may also involve the gluteus medius or gluteus minimus tendons, muscle weakness, load sensitivity, or compression of the outer hip tissues.

GTPS often causes pain when lying on the affected side, walking longer distances, climbing stairs, standing on one leg, sitting with the legs crossed, running, or increasing activity too quickly. Physical therapy focuses on reducing irritation, improving hip and glute strength, improving walking and lower-body mechanics, and helping the hip tolerate daily and athletic demands more comfortably.

What causes Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome?

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome may be related to glute tendon irritation, hip bursitis, sudden increases in walking or running, prolonged side-lying pressure, hip weakness, poor balance, altered walking mechanics, repetitive stair use, low back or pelvic movement patterns, prior hip injury, or activities that repeatedly load the outside of the hip.

Contributing factors may include reduced glute strength, poor single-leg control, limited hip mobility, increased training volume, side-sleeping pressure, prolonged standing, muscle guarding, low back stiffness, knee or foot mechanics, or movement habits that place repeated stress on the outer hip. A physical therapist can help identify which factors appear most relevant to your symptoms and goals.

Get Answers About Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Common symptoms of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome symptoms are usually felt on the outside of the hip, though pain may also spread into the buttock, outer thigh, or toward the knee. Symptoms may change based on walking, stairs, lying position, exercise, sitting posture, standing time, and how irritated the outer hip tissues are at the time.

Outer hip pain or tenderness

One of the most common symptoms of greater trochanteric pain syndrome is pain or tenderness along the outside of the hip. The area may feel sore, achy, sharp, bruised, or sensitive when pressing near the greater trochanter or when the hip is loaded during activity.

This symptom pattern may be influenced by glute tendon irritation, bursa irritation, soft tissue sensitivity, hip weakness, compression from side-lying, or reduced load tolerance. The goal of care is often to reduce irritation and improve the hip’s ability to tolerate walking, stairs, exercise, and daily activity.

Common signs of outer hip pain or tenderness

• Pain or tenderness on the outside of the hip
• Aching that may spread into the buttock or outer thigh
• Discomfort when pressing near the bony outside of the hip
• Pain that increases with walking, stairs, standing, or exercise
• Symptoms that improve temporarily with rest, position changes, or activity modification

How physical therapy may help outer hip pain

Physical therapy may help reduce irritation by improving glute strength, modifying painful positions, addressing walking and stair mechanics, and gradually rebuilding the hip’s tolerance for load. Your therapist may help you find the right balance between staying active and avoiding repeated flare-ups.

Pain when lying on the side or sleeping

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome often makes it painful to lie on the affected side. Some people also feel outer hip pain when lying on the opposite side if the top leg drops inward and places tension or compression on the irritated tissues.

Sleep-related symptoms may be influenced by direct pressure on the outer hip, hip position, tissue sensitivity, pillow support, or the amount of activity performed earlier in the day. Improving sleep positioning can be an important part of calming symptoms.

Common signs of side-lying or sleep-related hip pain

• Pain when lying directly on the affected hip
• Outer hip aching that wakes you at night
• Discomfort when rolling over in bed
• Pain when the top leg drops across the body while side sleeping
• Needing pillows or frequent position changes to sleep comfortably

How physical therapy may help sleep-related hip pain

Physical therapy may include positioning strategies, pillow support guidance, activity modification, and exercises that improve hip strength and reduce tissue sensitivity over time. Your therapist may help you adjust sleeping positions without completely avoiding rest positions longer than necessary.

Schedule Physical Therapy for Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Pain with walking, stairs, standing, or single-leg activity

GTPS commonly becomes more noticeable during activities that require the hip to support body weight. Walking longer distances, climbing stairs, standing on one leg, stepping onto curbs, hiking, running, or standing for long periods may increase symptoms.

This pattern may be related to glute weakness, tendon load sensitivity, poor single-leg control, gait changes, balance deficits, or increasing activity faster than the hip is ready to tolerate. Physical therapy can help rebuild the strength and control needed for these demands.

Common signs of walking, stair, or standing-related symptoms

• Outer hip pain with walking or standing for longer periods
• Pain going up or down stairs
• Symptoms with hills, curbs, step-ups, or single-leg balance
• Hip aching after errands, work, exercise, or longer activity days
• Limping or reduced confidence loading the affected side

How physical therapy may help walking and stair pain

Physical therapy may include glute strengthening, balance training, gait training, stair mechanics, step-up progressions, and gradual walking or activity plans. The goal is to improve hip strength, endurance, and confidence with real-life movement.

Pain with workouts, running, sports, or daily activity

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome may interfere with running, hiking, cycling, strength training, squats, lunges, side steps, tennis, pickleball, golf, work tasks, or household chores. Symptoms may appear during activity or later as aching and tenderness on the outside of the hip.

This pattern may be influenced by training volume, hip strength, leg control, recovery habits, footwear, running mechanics, lifting mechanics, or how quickly activity was increased. Physical therapy can help you stay active while reducing repeated flare-ups.

Common signs of activity-related GTPS symptoms

• Outer hip pain with running, hiking, workouts, or sports
• Symptoms with squats, lunges, lateral movements, or step exercises
• Discomfort that lingers after activity or exercise
• Difficulty returning to normal training volume
• Needing to reduce workouts, sports, or hobbies because symptoms keep returning

How physical therapy may help activity-related hip pain

Physical therapy may help identify movement, training, strength, or workload factors that are increasing irritation. Treatment may include hip strengthening, load management, running or walking mechanics, lower-body control work, and a gradual return-to-activity plan.

Get Help With Outer Hip Pain

Related conditions and symptoms physical therapy may address

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome can overlap with several hip, low back, pelvis, tendon, bursa, and running-related conditions. A physical therapy evaluation can help identify whether symptoms appear related to glute tendon irritation, bursitis, weakness, gait changes, referred pain, or another contributing factor.

Hip bursitis

Hip bursitis is a common term used for pain around the outside of the hip. While the bursa may be irritated, many cases of outer hip pain also involve the glute tendons, hip weakness, load sensitivity, or compression of the outer hip tissues.

Physical therapy may help reduce irritation, improve glute strength, modify aggravating positions, and improve tolerance for walking, stairs, and activity.

Gluteus medius tendinopathy

The gluteus medius helps support the pelvis during walking, stairs, running, and single-leg activity. Tendon irritation in this area can cause outer hip pain, tenderness, weakness, and pain when lying on the side.

Physical therapy may include progressive hip strengthening, load management, balance training, and movement retraining.

Gluteus minimus tendinopathy

The gluteus minimus is another important hip stabilizer that may contribute to outer hip pain when irritated. Symptoms may include side hip pain, aching into the outer thigh, weakness, or pain with walking and standing.

Physical therapy may focus on improving hip strength, pelvic control, walking mechanics, and activity tolerance.

IT band-related lateral hip symptoms

The iliotibial band runs along the outside of the thigh and may contribute to lateral hip or thigh symptoms when surrounding tissues are irritated. Pain may be influenced by hip strength, running mechanics, training volume, or lower-body alignment.

Physical therapy may assess hip strength, knee mechanics, foot and ankle mechanics, gait, and activity triggers to guide treatment.

Low back or sacroiliac joint symptoms

Low back or sacroiliac joint symptoms can sometimes refer pain toward the outside of the hip, buttock, or thigh. Likewise, hip weakness and altered walking mechanics can contribute to discomfort in the low back or pelvis.

Physical therapy may assess hip mobility, lumbar mobility, pelvic control, walking mechanics, and symptom behavior to determine what is contributing to the full pattern.

Running-related lateral hip pain

Runners may develop outer hip pain from training volume changes, hill running, cambered roads, reduced hip strength, cadence changes, or mechanics that place repeated load through the lateral hip tissues.

Physical therapy may include strength testing, running assessment, gait retraining, progressive loading, and return-to-running planning.

Start Treatment for Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Can physical therapy help Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome?

Physical therapy can often help greater trochanteric pain syndrome by addressing glute strength, tendon load tolerance, walking mechanics, balance, hip mobility, lower-body control, activity patterns, and exercise habits that may contribute to irritation. Treatment may help reduce pain, improve strength, and support better movement during daily activity and exercise.

The treatment plan should match your symptoms and goals. Some patients need symptom management, sleep positioning, and activity modification first, while others benefit from progressive hip strengthening, balance training, gait training, stair training, running mechanics, sport-specific drills, or return-to-lifting guidance.

What your physical therapist may evaluate

• Location of outer hip pain, tenderness, weakness, stiffness, or aching
• Hip range of motion and symptom response to movement
• Glute strength, hip strength, core control, balance, and leg endurance
• Walking mechanics, stair mechanics, squat form, step-down control, and single-leg stability
• Low back mobility, pelvic control, knee mechanics, and foot or ankle factors when appropriate
• Sleep position, sitting habits, standing tolerance, work demands, and activity triggers
• Exercise routine, walking goals, running goals, sport demands, and return-to-activity goals
• Medical history, imaging reports when available, and symptoms that may need medical referral

What treatment may include

Treatment for greater trochanteric pain syndrome may include activity modification, sleep positioning strategies, glute strengthening, hip and leg strengthening, core strengthening, balance training, gait training, stair training, step-up and step-down progressions, squat and lunge retraining, running mechanics when appropriate, manual therapy when appropriate, cardiovascular conditioning, and a home exercise program.

The goal is to reduce irritation, improve hip support, build strength and endurance, and help you return to walking, stairs, sleeping, exercise, work, hobbies, sports, and daily activity. Your therapist may also help you understand how to manage flare-ups and adjust activity without avoiding movement altogether.

Find Out If Physical Therapy Can Help

When should I see a physical therapist?

You may want to see a physical therapist if outer hip pain, tenderness, weakness, limping, sleep disruption, or difficulty walking, climbing stairs, standing, running, or exercising is affecting your daily life. Symptoms do not need to be severe before asking for help, especially if they are changing how you move, sleep, work, exercise, or participate in activities you enjoy.

Early guidance can help you understand what may be contributing to symptoms, what activities or positions may need temporary modification, and what strengthening or loading strategies may be appropriate for your current level of irritation.

You may benefit from physical therapy if:

• You have pain or tenderness on the outside of the hip
• You have pain when lying on the affected side
• You have difficulty walking, standing, climbing stairs, running, or exercising
• You notice hip weakness, limping, fatigue, or reduced confidence using the leg
• Your symptoms affect sleep, work, workouts, hobbies, or daily routines
• Your symptoms improve temporarily but keep returning
• You want help staying active without repeatedly flaring the hip
• You want a clear plan for hip strength, walking mechanics, load management, and return to activity

When to seek medical care sooner

Seek medical care sooner if hip pain began after a fall, collision, or major trauma, if you cannot bear weight, if you have severe swelling, fever, unexplained weight loss, new numbness or weakness into the leg, loss of bowel or bladder control, severe night pain that does not change with position, chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms that are rapidly worsening. If symptoms feel urgent or unusual, seek medical evaluation promptly.

If you are unsure where to start, call us. We can help you decide whether physical therapy is an appropriate next step or whether medical evaluation may be needed first.

Schedule a Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Evaluation

Do I need a doctor referral first?

Often, many patients can begin physical therapy without seeing a doctor first, although requirements may depend on your insurance plan, symptoms, and state rules.

For traumatic hip injuries, inability to bear weight, severe pain after a fall, suspected fracture, progressive neurological symptoms, infection signs, or concerning symptoms, medical evaluation may be recommended first or alongside physical therapy. The easiest way to know is to call us. We can help you understand whether your insurance requires a referral, whether physical therapy is a good place to start, and what steps are needed to schedule an appointment.

Ask About Scheduling Physical Therapy

Why Choose PT Effect for Treatment?

Choosing the right physical therapy office can make a major difference in how supported, understood, and confident you feel during care. At PT Effect, treatment is built around personalized attention, hands-on guidance, and a plan that helps you move better with less pain.

• You get one-on-one care with a Licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy. Every session is focused on you, your symptoms, your activity demands, and your goals. This allows your therapist to give you more attention, adjust your plan as symptoms change, and help you understand what is happening with your hip and movement.
• You get a treatment plan made for your specific problem. Your greater trochanteric pain syndrome symptoms, outer hip tenderness, sleep limitations, walking tolerance, hip strength, exercise routine, work demands, and lifestyle are all part of the plan. Instead of a generic exercise routine, your care is based on what you need to stay active and move more comfortably.
• You get hands-on care that helps identify how your body is moving. PT Effect uses manual therapy when appropriate and detailed movement assessment to better understand hip mobility, glute strength, walking mechanics, single-leg control, balance, posture, and pain triggers. This helps your therapist treat the full movement picture instead of only chasing symptoms.
• You get help sooner, without waiting weeks to start care. Outer hip pain can interrupt walking, sleep, workouts, stairs, and daily activity quickly. PT Effect works to schedule patients as quickly as possible so you can get guidance and begin moving toward better function.
• You get support for both symptom relief and long-term movement goals. Treatment is not just about feeling better for the day. Your therapist can help you build strength, balance, endurance, hip control, and confidence so you can use the hip more comfortably and stay active over time.
• You get care in a modern, well-equipped physical therapy office. PT Effect’s offices are designed to support effective treatment, exercise, strengthening, mobility work, gait training, balance work, sport-specific drills, and hands-on therapy. The goal is to give you the space, tools, and guidance needed to make meaningful progress.
• You get a team that treats the way you move, not just where you feel symptoms. Your symptoms may be influenced by glute strength, tendon load tolerance, balance, walking mechanics, running mechanics, low back movement, pelvic control, knee mechanics, foot and ankle mechanics, work habits, exercise demands, or nearby joints and muscles. Your therapist can look at the full picture and help address the factors contributing to your symptoms.
• You get clear guidance for what to do between visits. Progress does not only happen in the clinic. Your therapist can give you practical home exercises, activity modifications, sleep positioning strategies, training modifications, strengthening progressions, flare-up management tools, and movement guidance so you know how to keep improving outside of your appointments.
• You get help understanding your scheduling and insurance options. PT Effect makes it easy to request an appointment, ask for more information, or have the team check your insurance. This helps remove guesswork and gives you a clearer next step.
• You get two convenient locations. PT Effect serves patients in both San Diego and San Marcos, so you can choose the office that works best for your routine.
  • 1601 Kettner Blvd Suite 11, San Diego, CA 92101
  • 1 Creekside Dr. Unit 100, San Marcos, CA 92078

Start Treatment With PT Effect

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome can make daily activity, work, sleep, and exercise frustrating, especially when outer hip pain, tenderness, weakness, limping, or difficulty lying on the side, walking, and climbing stairs interferes with normal routines. PT Effect can help you better understand what may be contributing to your symptoms and create a treatment plan focused on reducing irritation, building hip strength, improving movement mechanics, and helping you return to activity with more confidence.

Request an Appointment