Outer Hip Pain for Runners:

I’ve had a spike in patients with pain just at the outside of the hip, right on and behind the big bony section called the “greater trochanter” of the femur. This is where the tendons of the gluteal muscles inserts, and a common hot spot for reports of pain in people with gluteal tendinopathy. 

Whether it came on from a spike in workload, or from more chronic capacity issues, we sit down to discuss some modifications to daily and weekly routines to help manage pain flareups, while finding a way to tolerably load the area. Pain has a funny way of changing how we move and stopping us from expressing strength and motion like we normally can, so I like using a few starting hip exercises to encourage more activity. These can be done 1-3x/week, pushing to some pain is likely okay but keep it within a controllable level and things should calm down with rest and return to baseline (or better!) over 24 hours or so.

Hip Hikes- Get some simple shifting occurring at the hip and pelvis by practicing a hip hike. Squeeze the outer glute hard as you push your knee up and get your free hip’s pocket above the weightbearing side. This locked hip position will get used during the side bridge/plank variations and other more athletic positions. 10-15 reps per side works. 

Kickstand Hinge with a Pivot: Keep it simple with hinging. Weight stays over the midfoot and fold forward. Progress a bit by twisting at the pelvis prior to bending forward to feel more of a shift into your hip. I like using 10 reps plus a 10-count hold before loading a dumbbell on this.

Side Bridge Raises: Biggest flaw I tend to see on side bridge is missing the last few degrees of hip abduction during the ascent. I cue for abduction on both hips at the top of the lift. Maybe “flaw” isn’t the best word, but I notice greater strength gains and benefit to warmup when hitting that full range. 10-15 repetitions to failure prior to progression on these side bridge raises.

Squat to Hip Lock: Final introductory movement here, using the hip hike in a movement pattern involving hip extension and some speed. Think “tall from heel to fingertips” to get a full stretch for 5-10 reps alternating each side.

Seeing some changes but still want a more individualized approach to your rehab? Looking for physical therapists in Long Beach who understand what it takes to make fitness a daily part of your life? If you want to learn how to take control with some expert guidance and treatments to optimize your performance and longevity, then that’s exactly what we provide at Zenith Performance Physical Therapy. Call or text us at 562-502-1767 to schedule a free phone consultation and come in for an evaluation! 

Thomas Bilodeau, PT DPT, USAW-L1

Zenith Performance Physical Therapy 

ICE Certified Specialist: Orthopedics, Fitness Athlete, Older Adult