| Pain at the side of the hip is a relatively common | | | | Tenderness over the greater trochanter is the typical |
| complaint in both people who are mostly sedentary | | | | sign found by a physiotherapist and the patient may |
| and people who have active and sporting pursuits, with | | | | avoid lying on that side at night and might be awoken |
| somewhat more women complaining of it than men. | | | | by pain if they do so. As the physio examines the |
| The initial diagnosis was that of inflammation of the | | | | area this may cause pain to radiate down the thigh. |
| bursa just over the large bony lump at the side of the | | | | The physio will push the bent hip over the patient's |
| upper thigh, the greater trochanter. The pain is typically | | | | body to stretch the area which might elicit pain, as |
| at the side of the hip and can radiate down the side of | | | | might asking the patient to push the hip outwards |
| the thigh, although the hip joint itself is not implicated in | | | | against the physio's resistance. Acute treatment might |
| this condition. | | | | involve frequent icing of the area, moving on to |
| Typical athletic pursuits which can lead to trochanteric | | | | mobilising and stretching the muscles which are |
| bursitis are running and contact sports, with activity on | | | | involved, the hip abductors and the tensor fascia lata |
| a sloping surface or lunges also possible contributors. | | | | and its tendinous extension, the ilio-tibial tract. |
| The bursa between the bone and the overlying may | | | | The physiotherapist will give the patient a regime of |
| become inflamed due to the repetitive back and forth | | | | stretching the tendon areas for periods of 15 to 30 |
| movement of the tissues over the bone in sports such | | | | seconds at a time with a variation in hip position to |
| as running. But due to the inflammatory part of the | | | | target the specific parts of the tendons required. |
| diagnosis being questioned and new theories for the | | | | Steady, slow stretches can be taught for lying and in |
| problem being formulated, the condition is now more | | | | standing and need regular performance for the best |
| commonly known as greater trochanteric pain | | | | effect. As the pain settles the physio will advise a |
| syndrome. Recent ideas are tending towards the | | | | return to normal and sporting activities with a view to |
| problem being one of tendinosis in the abductor | | | | the biomechanics of the original problem and how that |
| tendons, a degenerative tendon condition. | | | | might be avoided. |