How do you fix Gluteal Tendinopathy?

How Do You Fix Gluteal Tendinopathy?

The management of gluteal tendinopathy aims to address the factors that led the condition to develop in the first place.

Tendinopathy refers to irritation of a tendon that occurs when it is repeatedly placed under loads beyond what it is accustomed to and in a manner that does not allow it to recover and adapt between each bout of loading. This leads the tendon to change its structure to become thicker to tolerate the increased loads better, but this is ultimately an ineffective long-term strategy. The tendon’s function is compromised.

This process can theoretically occur for any tendon that is loaded more aggressively than it can effectively manage throughout the body. For the hip, this most commonly occurs around the greater trochanter – the bony prominence on the outside of your upper thigh – where the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus tendons attach.

Pain with running, standing on one leg, sitting cross-legged, and applying pressure to this area are common complaints associated with gluteal tendinopathy. Initial management seeks to manage this pain by limiting the aggravating tasks and using other resources, including hot packs, cold packs, and simple analgesics as directed. To regain the tendon’s function, however, to both limit the pain response and enable you to perform your daily activities, gradual strengthening of the tendon is necessary! By initially limiting the provocative loads and then re-introducing load at a level and rate that the tendon can tolerate, the tendon can transform in a way that will enable it to manage better the demands placed on it in the future.

At PhysioWorks, we offer same-day appointments for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as this. If it seems like you have tendinopathy, then book an appointment today, and we will get you started on the road to recovery!

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?