Gluteal Tendinopathy Treatment: Exercises & Physiotherapy

Gluteal tendinopathy treatment focuses on calming lateral hip pain, restoring hip strength, and improving how your tendon handles load. It often sits under the broader umbrella of greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), which can involve tendon irritation, bursal irritation, or both.

This page explains practical steps many people use to settle symptoms and build back up safely. For a full condition overview, see our main gluteal tendinopathy page and our hip pain hub.

Tendons react to load. When walking, stairs, work demands, or prolonged side-lying push past your current capacity, the tendon may become sensitive. Over time, that sensitivity can limit daily activity, sport, and sleep. A good gluteal tendinopathy treatment plan matches your current load tolerance and then progresses safely.

Gluteal tendinopathy treatment options

Most gluteal tendinopathy treatment plans combine load management, progressive strengthening, and movement retraining. Your plan should reduce painful compression at the outer hip while building hip abductor strength and endurance.

What is gluteal tendinopathy?

Tendinopathy describes tendon pain and reduced load tolerance. With gluteal tendinopathy, symptoms often sit over the bony point on the outside of the hip (the greater trochanter), where the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus tendons attach.

Importantly, many cases labelled “trochanteric bursitis” involve tendon overload as well. Sometimes the bursa becomes irritated too, especially when compression and friction increase around the side of the hip.

Common symptoms people notice

• Pain on the outside of the hip, often tender to touch
• Pain when walking, stairs, hills, or standing on one leg
• Pain when lying on the sore side, or after sleeping
• Pain with crossing legs or sitting with knees together
• Reduced tolerance to running or longer walks

Quick self-check: is this likely lateral hip tendon pain?

If pain sits over the outer hip and worsens with stairs, longer walks, side-lying, or single-leg tasks, gluteal tendinopathy or GTPS becomes more likely. In contrast, if pain sits deep in the groin, catches with twisting, or clicks with sharp pinching, read our hip clicking guide and consider an assessment.

Why it happens

Gluteal tendons help stabilise your pelvis during walking, running, stairs, and standing on one leg. Symptoms often start when your weekly load jumps faster than your tissue can adapt.

• Sudden increases in walking, running, hills, or step count
• New gym programs (especially heavy leg work without progression)
• Prolonged side-lying or repeated hip “hanging” posture
• Hip control changes after back, pelvis, or lower limb injuries
• Strength deficits or endurance loss around the hip abductors

Diagnosis and assessment

A physiotherapist will often use your history plus functional testing to confirm the likely driver of pain. Sometimes imaging helps rule out other issues, but many cases diagnose well from clinical features and response to load.

Healthdirect outlines common GTPS features and conservative management options, including pacing activity and strengthening: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) – Healthdirect Australia.

Early pain settling: what usually helps first

Start by reducing activities and positions that spike pain. However, avoid a total shutdown. Instead, aim for a smarter dose of activity that stays within tolerance. Early on, effective gluteal tendinopathy treatment often means changing positions and pacing load.

• Reduce compression: avoid lying on the sore side. Place a pillow between knees if you sleep on the other side.
• Modify aggravators: limit hills, stairs, long walks, and single-leg standing early on.
• Set a pain rule: keep pain during activity at a tolerable level, then aim for no major flare the next day.
• Short-term relief options: heat or ice can help. Over-the-counter medication may help some people when used as directed.

Progressive loading: the core of long-term improvement

Many people improve most when they rebuild hip abductor strength and tendon capacity. Therefore, reintroduce load at a level and rate the tendon can tolerate, then progress over time. This is the backbone of long-term gluteal tendinopathy treatment.

Gluteal tendinopathy treatment exercises: staged strengthening

Stage 1: build tolerance with low-irritation strength

• Isometric hip abduction holds (pain-limited)
• Side-lying or standing hip abduction (short range early)
• Bridging variations that feel comfortable

Stage 2: strengthen through range

• Hip abduction progressions with bands or cable resistance
• Step-ups or split squats (tempo-controlled)
• Single-leg balance and pelvic control drills

Stage 3: return to higher-load tasks

• Longer walks, hills, and stairs with progression
• Running progressions (walk–run, then build distance)
• Sport-specific drills when pain settles and strength returns

If you also feel heavy muscle tightness around the hip and thigh, massage may help you stay comfortable while you rebuild strength. Start with our massage therapy overview or read about deep tissue massage if you prefer firmer techniques.

People also ask

How long does gluteal tendinopathy take to settle?

Timeframes vary. Many people notice meaningful change over weeks. However, stubborn cases may take a few months. Consistent load management plus progressive strengthening usually improves outcomes.

Is walking good or bad for gluteal tendinopathy?

Walking often helps if you keep the dose within tolerance. First reduce hills, stairs, and long distances. Then build slowly as pain and strength improve.

Should I stretch the outside of my hip?

Some stretches can compress the tendon and increase symptoms, especially early on. A physiotherapist can show options that improve mobility without irritating the outer hip.

Do injections help?

Some people get short-term relief from injections, but they do not replace progressive strengthening and load management. Discuss risks, benefits, and timing with your clinician.

What is the best sleeping position for outer hip pain?

Avoid sleeping on the painful side. If you sleep on your other side, place a pillow between your knees to reduce hip compression. If you sleep on your back, try a pillow under your knees to reduce muscle tension.

What to do next

If outer hip pain lingers, keeps you awake, or limits walking and stairs, book an assessment. We will confirm the driver of your pain, rule out hip joint or back referral, and map out a staged gluteal tendinopathy treatment plan that matches your current capacity and goals.

Tendinopathy FAQs

• What is a Tendinopathy?
• Common Tendinopathies: An Overview of Tendon Injuries
• Why Rest Isn’t Good When it Comes to Tendons
• Do Tendons Ever Fully Heal?

References

1. Cordeiro TTP, Rocha EAB, Scattone Silva R. Effects of exercise-based interventions on gluteal tendinopathy: systematic review with meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2024;14:3343. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10858207/
2. Kjeldsen T, Hvidt KJ, Bohn MB, et al. Exercise compared to a control condition or other conservative treatment options in patients with greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Physiotherapy. 2024;123:69-80. doi:10.1016/j.physio.2024.01.001. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031940624000026
3. Disantis A, Andrade AJ, Baillou A, et al. The 2022 International Society for Hip Preservation (ISHA) physiotherapy agreement on assessment and treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS): an international consensus statement. J Hip Preserv Surg. 2023;10(1):48-56. https://academic.oup.com/jhps/article/10/1/48/6967092
4. Almousa S, Vicenzino B, Mellor R, Grimaldi A, et al. An EDucation and eXercise intervention for gluteal tendinopathy in an Irish setting: a protocol for a feasibility randomised clinical trial (LEAP-Ireland RCT). HRB Open Res. 2024;6:76. doi:10.12688/hrbopenres.13796.2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11263908/
5. Mellor R, Bennell K, Grimaldi A, et al. Education plus exercise versus corticosteroid injection use versus wait and see for gluteal tendinopathy: randomised clinical trial. BMJ. 2018;361:k1662. doi:10.1136/bmj.k1662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30385462/
6. Grimaldi A, Mellor R, Hodges P, et al. Gluteal tendinopathy: a review of mechanisms, assessment and management. Sports Med. 2015;45(8):1107-1119. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0336-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25969366/
7. Fearon AM, Scarvell JM, Neeman T, Cook JL, Cormick W, Smith PN. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: defining the clinical syndrome. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47(10):649-653. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2012-091565. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22983121/
8. Grimaldi A, Fearon A. Gluteal tendinopathy: integrating pathomechanics and clinical features in its management. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015;45(11):910-922. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5829. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26381486/