Tendonitis refers to the inflammation of the tendon of the muscle. This is different than injury to the muscle belly itself. Tendonitis can happen to any tendon in the body and typically develops as the result of overuse of a muscle. Tendonitis to one of the inner glute muscles (either the gluteus medius or the gluteus minimus) is called gluteal tendonitis. This is now considered to be the most common cause of pain on the outside of the hip. Many patients with pain on the outside of the hip will be told or think they have hip bursitis and while this may be present it is typically a secondary cause of symptoms. Many patients may also think they have sciatica due to pain down the leg but it is actually the gluteus minimus muscle that is referring pain down the leg. Gluteal tendinopathy typically affects individuals over 40 years old, especially post menopausal women. Women have been estimated to outnumber men anywhere from 2 to 1 or 4 to 1 and this may be due to differences in the structure of the female pelvis vs the male pelvis and due to the fact that the insertion site for the gluteal muscles is smaller in women than in men. This can cause more force to go through the tendons in females.

 

When this condition is present the hallmark sign is an inability to lay on one's side due to hip pain. Other signs and symptoms may include a variety of complaints including pain when walking, sitting, or navigating stairs. This condition is very treatable. In physical therapy we use manual techniques such as soft tissue massage, dry needling, and mobilization of the hip joint to improve healing of the tendon. Once pain levels are reduced we then strengthen the inner glute muscles so symptoms are less likely to recur. Physical therapy can significantly help this condition. For examples of how we treat gluteal tendinopathy in our clinic please see examples of photos below. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us.