Why Does the Outside of My Hip Hurt When I Sleep on My Side, Walk, or Climb Stairs?
Why Does the Outside of My Hip Hurt When I Sleep on My Side, Walk, or Climb Stairs? A Physical Therapist Answers
By Nova Physical Therapy | North Hollywood, CA
Looking for physical therapy in North Hollywood? Explore Nova Physical Therapy Services.
You feel fine sitting at your desk.
Then you stand up and start walking.
There is an ache along the outside of your hip.
Later, you climb stairs.
It gets worse.
At bedtime, you roll onto that side and suddenly:
“I can't sleep on this hip.”
You turn onto the other side.
Sometimes the painful hip still aches.
Patients often describe this problem as:
“My hip hurts when I sleep on my side.”
“The outside of my hip is tender when I touch it.”
“It hurts walking uphill or climbing stairs.”
“It hurts when I stand on one leg to put my pants on.”
“I thought it was hip bursitis, but it keeps coming back.”
Pain on the outside of the hip is commonly associated with a group of musculoskeletal presentations collectively called greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). Gluteal tendinopathy can be an important component of GTPS.
But there is an important distinction:
Pain on the outside of your hip does not automatically mean you have bursitis—or gluteal tendinopathy.
Hip-joint conditions, lumbar-spine-related symptoms, traumatic injuries, and other medical or musculoskeletal problems can produce pain in or around the hip.
That is why the goal of a physical therapy evaluation is not to diagnose your condition from one symptom.
It is to determine:
where the symptoms are coming from clinically, how you move, what physical impairments and functional limitations are present, whether the presentation is appropriate for physical therapy, and whether referral is indicated.
Recent research makes this an especially useful topic. A 2025 systematic review found exercise plus education had moderate-strength evidence for improving pain and function in gluteal tendinopathy, while another analysis of 19 randomized trials involving 1,701 participants found exercise therapy produced particularly favorable pain and functional outcomes among conservative treatments for GTPS. Sage Journals
Patient Question
“The outside of my hip hurts when I sleep on that side, walk for a long time, climb stairs, or stand on one leg. Someone told me it might be hip bursitis. Should I stretch it, rest it, or strengthen it? Can physical therapy help?”
The Short Answer
Possibly—but first we need to understand why the hip is painful.
Pain over the outside of the hip can occur with GTPS and gluteal tendon-related presentations, but symptoms alone cannot establish a diagnosis.
For appropriately evaluated gluteal tendinopathy or GTPS presentations, current evidence supports an important combination:
education + load management + progressive exercise.
A 2025 systematic review found moderate-strength evidence that exercise and education improve pain and function in people with clinically diagnosed gluteal tendinopathy. Sage Journals
Another systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that exercise can improve long-term pain, physical function, and global improvement in people with GTPS, although the certainty of some estimates remains limited. Physiotherapy Journal
The answer usually isn't simply:
“Stop using your hip.”
Nor is it:
“Stretch through the pain.”
A more useful question is:
What positions and activities are currently aggravating the lateral hip, and what capacity does your hip need for your actual life?
Key Takeaways
1. Outer hip pain is not automatically “hip bursitis.”
Several structures and conditions can contribute to lateral hip pain.
2. Pain when sleeping on your side is common with gluteal tendon-related presentations.
Direct pressure and sustained hip positioning can aggravate symptoms in some people. Cambridge University Hospitals
3. Exercise and education have some of the strongest conservative evidence.
A 2025 systematic review supports them as a core approach for gluteal tendinopathy. Sage Journals
4. Stretching isn't automatically the answer.
Certain end-range positions may increase compression around an irritable lateral hip, so exercise selection should be individualized.
5. Temporary activity modification is different from permanent avoidance.
The eventual goal may be to rebuild the capacity required for walking, stairs, hiking, exercise, work, or sport.
Where Exactly Is “Lateral Hip Pain”?
Place your hand on the prominent bone along the outside of your hip.
That area is near the greater trochanter.
Several tissues are located around this region, including:
gluteal tendons
bursal tissue
muscles
and other surrounding structures.
Historically, lateral hip pain was often simply labeled:
“trochanteric bursitis.”
Today, clinicians frequently use the broader term:
greater trochanteric pain syndrome.
This terminology recognizes that lateral hip pain may involve more than an isolated inflamed bursa.
But even the label GTPS should come after an appropriate clinical evaluation rather than from an internet symptom checklist.
Why Does My Hip Hurt When I Sleep on My Side?
This is one of the most recognizable complaints associated with lateral hip pain.
If the painful hip is underneath you, your body weight creates sustained pressure around the lateral hip.
But patients sometimes tell us:
“I switched sides and it still hurts.”
Why might that happen?
When lying on the opposite side, the painful upper leg may fall across the body.
That can place the hip into a position that may be uncomfortable for an irritable lateral hip.
Patient guidance from major orthopedic centers therefore commonly recommends modifying sleeping positions and, for some people, using a pillow between the legs to reduce sustained aggravating positioning. Cambridge University Hospitals
The pillow isn't:
“healing the tendon overnight.”
It is changing the position.
That distinction matters.
What Is the Best Sleeping Position for Outer Hip Pain?
There isn't one mandatory position for everyone.
Depending on the presentation, some people may find it more comfortable to:
sleep on their back
or
sleep on the less painful side with a pillow supporting the upper leg.
The goal is to reduce prolonged aggravation while still allowing the person to sleep.
Sleep matters.
A position that is theoretically “perfect” but prevents you from sleeping isn't particularly useful.
Why Does My Hip Hurt When I Walk?
Walking requires repeated control of the pelvis and lower extremity.
Every step requires the hip muscles to help manage load.
For someone with an irritable lateral hip, symptoms may appear after:
10 minutes
30 minutes
or
several miles.
Those are very different functional limitations.
That's why asking:
“Does walking hurt?”
isn't enough.
We may also ask:
How far can you walk before symptoms begin?
Does flat walking hurt?
What about hills?
What happens afterward?
What happens the next morning?
Those answers can help us understand current load tolerance.
Why Does My Hip Hurt Walking Uphill?
Hills increase the muscular demands of walking.
The hip muscles must work differently and often harder than during level walking.
So a person may tell us:
“I can walk around the grocery store without a problem, but hiking hurts.”
That doesn't necessarily mean:
hiking is damaging your hip.
It may mean:
the current hiking demand exceeds the hip's present capacity.
If hiking is the patient's goal, rehabilitation may eventually need to prepare the hip for hills rather than permanently eliminate them.
Why Does My Hip Hurt on Stairs?
Stairs increase lower-extremity demands compared with level walking.
Some patients experience symptoms:
going up
going down
or
both.
A useful physical therapy evaluation may therefore look beyond isolated muscle testing.
We may actually examine:
How do you climb stairs?
How many stairs can you tolerate?
Is one direction harder?
Does the hip hurt immediately or later?
The activity causing the problem should help shape the rehabilitation program.
Why Does My Hip Hurt When I Stand on One Leg?
Think about putting on pants.
You stand on one leg while lifting the other.
Suddenly:
the outside of the stance-side hip hurts.
Single-leg activities place meaningful demands on the muscles around the hip and pelvis.
This can make tasks such as:
dressing
stairs
walking
running
and
sports
more challenging.
Single-leg function may therefore become useful both during evaluation and later rehabilitation.
Why Does My Hip Hurt When I Get Out of a Chair?
Some people with lateral hip symptoms report discomfort during the first several steps after sitting.
Others have little trouble standing but develop symptoms after walking.
Those differences matter.
The therapist may examine:
sit-to-stand
walking
single-leg stance
stairs
and other tasks to identify where the functional limitation becomes apparent.
Is It Hip Bursitis?
Maybe.
But:
outer hip pain ≠ automatic bursitis diagnosis.
The older explanation for many lateral hip presentations focused heavily on the trochanteric bursa.
Contemporary terminology often uses GTPS because gluteal tendon pathology and other structures may contribute.
For patients, the practical lesson is simple:
Don't assume that tenderness on the side of your hip tells you exactly which structure is responsible.
Clinical evaluation matters.
What Is Gluteal Tendinopathy?
The gluteal muscles attach around the hip through tendons.
Gluteal tendinopathy describes a tendon-related presentation involving these structures.
People may report:
lateral hip pain
tenderness
difficulty lying on that side
pain with prolonged walking
pain on stairs
or
difficulty with single-leg activities. Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
But these symptoms overlap with other conditions.
Therefore, they should guide examination rather than be used for self-diagnosis.
Is My Hip “Weak”?
Possibly—but we shouldn't assume that simply because you have pain.
Muscle-performance testing may be part of the examination.
But pain itself can influence strength testing.
So if someone produces less force during a painful test, the conclusion isn't automatically:
“Your glute is weak and that's what caused everything.”
We need to consider:
pain
muscle performance
movement
activity demands
functional tolerance
and
the overall clinical presentation.
Is My IT Band Too Tight?
This is another common explanation.
Patients sometimes say:
“Someone told me my IT band is tight, so I've been stretching it constantly.”
The problem is that lateral hip pain can be sensitive to certain positions that increase compression around the area.
Therefore:
more stretching is not automatically better.
A physical therapist can assess whether mobility is actually limited and whether a particular stretch is appropriate for the individual.
Should I Stretch My Glutes?
Not automatically.
This is an important distinction because some traditional gluteal stretches involve bringing the leg across the body.
For certain gluteal tendon presentations, sustained end-range hip positions may aggravate symptoms.
Patient guidance from orthopedic centers specifically discusses avoiding or modifying positions that increase lateral-hip compression during irritable stages. Cambridge University Hospitals
That doesn't mean:
“Never stretch your hip again.”
It means:
exercise selection should have a reason.
Should I Stop Walking?
Not necessarily.
Suppose you can comfortably walk:
20 minutes.
But at:
45 minutes
your symptoms increase substantially and remain irritated for the rest of the day.
The answer doesn't necessarily have to be:
zero walking.
A rehabilitation strategy may temporarily modify walking volume while progressively improving capacity.
The same concept can apply to:
stairs
hiking
running
gym exercise
or
sports.
What Does “Load Management” Actually Mean?
This term is often misunderstood.
Load management does not mean:
avoid everything that hurts forever.
It means adjusting the amount of physical demand to something the person can currently tolerate while working toward greater capacity.
For example:
5-mile daily walk → temporarily shorter walks
or
daily hill walking → flatter routes temporarily
while beginning appropriate strengthening.
Then the demand may be progressively increased.
The long-term goal is usually capacity, not avoidance.
Should I Strengthen My Glutes?
For an appropriately evaluated gluteal tendinopathy or GTPS presentation, strengthening can be an important component of rehabilitation.
A 2025 systematic review concluded that exercise and education can be cautiously recommended as the core approach for pain and function in gluteal tendinopathy. Sage Journals
But:
“strengthen your glutes”
isn't a complete prescription.
The clinician still needs to determine:
which exercises
how much resistance
which positions
how many repetitions
how frequently
how symptoms respond
and
how the program progresses.
Are Clamshells the Best Exercise?
Not necessarily.
Clamshells are simply one exercise.
A patient's rehabilitation may eventually involve different levels of loading, such as:
supported exercises
resisted hip exercises
standing exercises
single-leg tasks
squats or step-based movements
walking progression
and eventually
running or sport-specific loading
when appropriate.
The best program isn't the one with the most famous exercise.
It is the one that appropriately progresses toward the patient's functional goals.
Should Exercise Hurt?
This needs to be individualized.
Pain during an exercise does not automatically mean:
damage is occurring.
But neither should every patient be told:
“Just push through it.”
A therapist may consider:
symptoms during exercise
symptoms afterward
how long the response lasts
next-day response
overall function
and
whether capacity is improving.
Exercise dosage can then be adjusted.
What About Cortisone Injections?
Injection decisions belong in a discussion with the appropriate medical provider.
From the rehabilitation evidence, however, there is an important distinction between short- and long-term outcomes.
The 2025 systematic review found moderate-strength evidence for a small short-term pain effect from corticosteroid injection, while exercise plus education showed meaningful evidence for pain and function and can be cautiously recommended as the core management approach. Sage Journals
A separate systematic review found exercise superior to corticosteroid injection for the likelihood of meaningful global improvement over the longer term. Physiotherapy Journal
That does not mean injections are:
always appropriate
or
always inappropriate.
It means patients should understand that symptom relief and rebuilding functional capacity are not necessarily the same thing.
What About Shockwave Therapy for Lateral Hip Pain?
Shockwave therapy is increasingly discussed for tendon-related conditions.
A systematic review published in the April 2026 issue of Sports Health evaluated extracorporeal shockwave therapy for tendinopathies around the hip and pelvis.
It included 18 studies, nine of which reported on GTPS. The authors found generally favorable pain and functional outcomes but also emphasized the need for better research and more standardized treatment protocols. Reported adverse effects included temporary increased pain and skin irritation. Sage Journals
Another 2025 systematic review found focused shockwave therapy promising for gluteal tendinopathy but concluded that definitive trials are still needed. Sage Journals
So the evidence does not justify saying:
“Shockwave will heal your gluteal tendon.”
A more evidence-aligned statement is:
Shockwave may be considered in selected cases, but evidence remains less definitive than marketing language sometimes suggests, and it should not replace appropriate evaluation, education, and progressive rehabilitation.
Can Physical Therapy Help?
For appropriately evaluated GTPS or gluteal-tendon-related presentations, physical therapy may help improve pain, strength, function, and activity tolerance.
Current evidence particularly supports:
education + exercise.
The 2025 Clinical Rehabilitation systematic review found moderate-strength evidence of medium short-term effects for both pain and function from exercise and education. Sage Journals
Another systematic review and meta-analysis found exercise slightly improves long-term pain, physical function, and global improvement compared with control conditions and supports exercise as first-line management for clinically diagnosed GTPS. Physiotherapy Journal
Depending on the evaluation, physical therapy may address:
- Hip muscle performance
- Lower-extremity strength
- Movement tolerance
- Walking
- Stairs
- Single-leg function
- Sit-to-stand
- Balance
- Hiking
- Running
- Work demands
- Exercise tolerance
- Sleep-position strategies
- Activity modification
- Progressive loading
- Return to recreation or sport
The goal is not simply:
“Make the tender spot hurt less when someone presses on it.”
The meaningful goal may be:
“Sleep through the night.”
“Walk two miles.”
“Climb stairs.”
“Put my pants on standing.”
“Return to hiking.”
or
“Get back to the gym.”
What Does Research Say?
2025 Gluteal Tendinopathy Systematic Review
A 2025 systematic review published in Clinical Rehabilitation evaluated higher-quality randomized evidence for gluteal tendinopathy treatment.
Exercise and education demonstrated moderate-strength evidence with medium short-term effects on pain and function.
The authors concluded that exercise and education can be cautiously recommended as the core management approach, while additional high-quality trials are still needed. Sage Journals
Conservative Treatment Network Meta-Analysis
Another recent systematic review and network meta-analysis included:
19 randomized controlled trials
and
1,701 participants.
Exercise therapy produced particularly favorable improvements in pain and functional outcomes among the conservative interventions studied.
The authors nevertheless emphasized that limited study numbers make precise comparisons among treatments difficult. PubMed
Exercise Versus Other Conservative Treatments
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials found that exercise slightly reduced long-term pain and disease severity and improved physical function and global rating of change compared with control conditions.
Compared with corticosteroid injection, exercise increased the likelihood of meaningful global improvement over the longer term. Physiotherapy Journal
2026 Shockwave Review
The 2026 Sports Health systematic review examined shockwave therapy for hip and pelvic tendinopathies.
Eighteen studies were included, with nine involving GTPS.
The overall results were promising, but protocols varied substantially and the authors called for additional research using standardized outcome measures and treatment parameters. Sage Journals
An Important 2026 Distinction: Tendinopathy Is Not the Same as a Gluteal Tendon Tear
A February 2026 systematic review examining gluteal tendon tears found very low-quality evidence supporting surgical outcomes and did not identify comparative nonsurgical studies meeting its criteria. DOI
That distinction is extremely important.
Evidence concerning:
gluteal tendinopathy / GTPS
should not automatically be applied to:
confirmed partial or full-thickness gluteal tendon tears.
This is why accurate clinical evaluation and appropriate referral matter.
What Does the Evidence Mean for Patients?
The research does not support reducing lateral hip rehabilitation to:
“stretch your IT band.”
It also doesn't support assuming:
“hip bursitis means you need an injection.”
A more evidence-informed pathway is:
evaluate → understand aggravating loads and positions → educate → appropriately modify activity → progressively strengthen → restore function → return to meaningful activity.
What Happens During a Physical Therapy Evaluation?
At Nova Physical Therapy, an evaluation for lateral hip pain may include, when appropriate:
- Detailed symptom history
- Location and behavior of symptoms
- Hip range of motion
- Hip muscle-performance testing
- Lower-extremity strength
- Relevant lumbar screening
- Walking assessment
- Sit-to-stand
- Stair function
- Single-leg stance
- Balance
- Functional movement
- Work-related tasks
- Running or sport-specific tasks when appropriate
- Patient-reported functional measures
- Screening for findings requiring medical referral
We may also ask:
Can you sleep on the painful side?
Does the other side hurt when you sleep on it?
How far can you walk?
Do hills hurt?
What happens on stairs?
Can you stand on one leg to get dressed?
Did your activity recently change?
Are you running?
Are you hiking?
What happens at the gym?
Do you have groin pain?
Do you have back pain?
Do symptoms travel down the leg?
What are you trying to return to?
Those questions help distinguish a body-part complaint from the patient's actual functional problem.
California physical therapists practice within the regulatory framework of the Physical Therapy Board of California and evaluate physical impairments, movement, and function while recognizing presentations requiring referral. Nova's educational content does not attempt to diagnose a medical condition from symptoms alone.
When Should You Seek Medical Attention?
Lateral hip pain that gradually develops during walking or exercise is different from:
a fall followed by severe hip pain and inability to bear weight.
Seek prompt medical evaluation for symptoms such as:
- Significant trauma or a fall
- Inability to bear weight
- Obvious deformity
- Sudden major loss of function
- Rapidly progressive weakness
- Significant redness, warmth, or swelling
- Fever or signs of systemic illness
- New significant neurological symptoms
- Unexplained severe or rapidly worsening pain
- Persistent pain that is not behaving like a typical musculoskeletal presentation
Urgent evaluation is particularly important after significant trauma in someone at increased fracture risk.
Persistent unexplained night pain should also be medically assessed when it is not clearly related to position, does not change with movement, is progressively worsening, or occurs with systemic symptoms.
Remember:
Pain around the hip does not always originate from the hip.
Symptoms can also be referred from other regions or associated with conditions requiring medical assessment.
Why Patients Choose Nova Physical Therapy
At Nova Physical Therapy, our philosophy is simple:
We Care.
But “hip pain” doesn't tell us enough.
One patient says:
“My hip hurts.”
What they actually mean is:
“I haven't slept on my side for two months.”
Another means:
“I can't walk around the neighborhood anymore.”
Another:
“I can walk on flat ground, but hiking hurts.”
Another:
“I can't stand on one leg long enough to put my pants on.”
And another:
“I stopped exercising because I'm afraid I'm damaging my hip.”
All five may point to the same general area.
But their functional problems are different.
So we want to understand:
What movement bothers you?
Which positions aggravate the symptoms?
How much walking can you tolerate?
What happens on stairs?
What does the physical therapy examination show?
What activities matter to you?
What do you want to get back to?
Then rehabilitation can be built around the individual.
Our approach emphasizes:
individualized physical therapy evaluation
evidence-informed rehabilitation
progressive strengthening
load management
functional movement
patient education
return to meaningful activity
and
appropriate referral when findings warrant additional medical evaluation.
The goal isn't simply to make your hip feel better while you're lying on a treatment table.
The goal is to help build the capacity you need when you sleep, stand, walk, climb stairs, exercise, work, hike, or return to your sport.
That's part of what We Care means to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the outside of my hip hurt?
Lateral hip pain can have multiple causes. GTPS and gluteal tendon-related presentations are possibilities, but symptoms alone cannot establish the diagnosis.
Why does my hip hurt when I sleep on my side?
Direct pressure and sustained positioning may aggravate a sensitive lateral hip. Side-lying pain is commonly reported with gluteal tendinopathy and GTPS. Cambridge University Hospitals
Why does my painful hip still hurt when I sleep on the other side?
The upper leg may fall across the body into an aggravating position. Some people find supporting the upper leg with a pillow more comfortable.
Is outer hip pain always bursitis?
No. “Trochanteric bursitis” has historically been used for lateral hip pain, but GTPS recognizes that several tissues, including gluteal tendons, may be involved.
Should I stretch my IT band?
Not automatically. Exercise and mobility recommendations should reflect the individual examination, and certain positions may aggravate a sensitive lateral hip.
Should I strengthen my glutes?
For appropriately evaluated GTPS or gluteal tendinopathy, progressive exercise can be an important part of rehabilitation. Physiotherapy Journal
Are clamshells the best exercise for lateral hip pain?
There is no single best exercise for everyone. Exercise selection and progression should reflect the person's current capacity and functional goals.
Should I stop walking?
Not automatically. Activity may sometimes need to be temporarily modified and then progressively increased.
Why does my hip hurt climbing stairs?
Stairs increase lower-extremity muscular demands compared with level walking. Pain during stairs can provide useful information about current functional tolerance.
Does shockwave therapy help lateral hip pain?
Evidence is promising but not definitive. A 2026 systematic review reported favorable outcomes in many studies of hip and pelvic tendinopathies while emphasizing variability in protocols and the need for better trials. Sage Journals
Is physical therapy effective for gluteal tendinopathy?
Recent systematic reviews support exercise and education as an important conservative approach for appropriately diagnosed gluteal tendinopathy and GTPS. Physiotherapy Journal
Does hip pain at night mean something serious?
Not necessarily. Position-dependent nighttime pain can occur with musculoskeletal lateral hip presentations. However, unexplained, progressive, non-positional night pain or symptoms accompanied by systemic concerns warrant appropriate medical evaluation.
Schedule an Evaluation
If pain around the outside of your hip is making it difficult to:
- Sleep on your side
- Walk
- Stand
- Get out of a chair
- Climb stairs
- Stand on one leg
- Get dressed
- Hike
- Run
- Exercise
- Work
- Return to recreation or sports
Nova Physical Therapy can evaluate your movement and functional limitations and determine whether physical therapy is appropriate.
Our rehabilitation approach focuses on:
movement + progressive strength + load management + functional capacity + education + return to meaningful activity.
Ready to learn more? Visit Nova Physical Therapy Services to explore our services and learn more about physical therapy care in North Hollywood.
Disclaimer
This article is for general educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, medical diagnosis, imaging interpretation, exercise clearance, injection advice, shockwave-therapy recommendation, or individualized physical therapy treatment.
Outer hip pain, tenderness, pain while sleeping on one side, pain with walking, pain with stairs, weakness, or other symptoms cannot independently establish greater trochanteric pain syndrome, gluteal tendinopathy, trochanteric bursitis, a gluteal tendon tear, hip osteoarthritis, lumbar involvement, or another musculoskeletal or medical condition.
Physical therapists evaluate movement, physical function, muscle performance, and activity limitations within their regulated scope of practice. Nova Physical Therapy does not use symptom descriptions in educational content to diagnose disease.
Research concerning clinically diagnosed gluteal tendinopathy or GTPS should not automatically be generalized to confirmed partial- or full-thickness gluteal tendon tears, traumatic hip injuries, or other causes of hip pain. DOI
Exercise, activity modification, manual therapy, shockwave therapy, injections, or other interventions cannot guarantee symptom resolution or prevention of recurrence.
Seek appropriate medical care for significant trauma, inability to bear weight, progressive weakness, neurological changes, fever, significant redness or swelling, systemic symptoms, rapidly worsening symptoms, or other concerning findings.
Individual results vary.
References
- Bremer T, Nicklen P, Fearon A, Morrissey D. The efficacy of gluteal tendinopathy treatments: A systematic review. Clinical Rehabilitation. 2025;39(5):600–617. Exercise and education demonstrated moderate-strength evidence for improvement in pain and function. Sage Journals
- Effect of conservative treatment on greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nineteen RCTs involving 1,701 participants were included; exercise therapy demonstrated favorable pain and functional outcomes. PubMed
- 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. Exercise improved several longer-term outcomes and was superior to corticosteroid injection for meaningful global improvement. Physiotherapy Journal
- Rau OR, Cheng J, Jivanelli B, Tenforde AS, Wyss JF. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Tendinopathies Around the Hip and Pelvis: A Systematic Review. Sports Health. 2026;22(2). Eighteen studies were included, including nine reporting on GTPS. Sage Journals
- Spencer T, Nasser A, Brown NAT, et al. Low quality evidence supports surgery for gluteal tendon tears, no non-surgical evidence was identified: a systematic review. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. Published February 3, 2026;27:191. DOI
- Cambridge University Hospitals. Gluteal Tendinopathy. Patient guidance addressing load management, sleeping positions, functional activities, and rehabilitation principles. Cambridge University Hospitals
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. A Patient's Guide to Gluteal Tendinopathy. Patient guidance addressing lateral hip symptoms, activity modification, sleeping positions, and rehabilitation. Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
Evidence resources: 2025 Gluteal Tendinopathy Systematic Review · 2026 Shockwave Therapy Systematic Review · 2026 Gluteal Tendon Tear Systematic Review · Physical Therapy Board of California