Gluteal Tendinopathy Treatment in Dublin

Gluteal tendinopathy is a common cause of pain on the outside of the hip. It is sometimes called greater trochanteric pain syndrome, or hip bursitis. This page explains what it is, what the research shows, and how we approach gluteal tendinopathy treatment at our clinic in Monkstown, Co. Dublin.

What is gluteal tendinopathy?

The gluteal tendons attach the muscles of your buttock to the bony point on the outside of your hip. Tendinopathy means a tendon has become painful and less able to handle load.

Typical symptoms are:

• pain on the outside of the hip, sometimes spreading down the outside of the thigh
• pain lying on your side, at night
• pain with walking, climbing stairs, standing on one leg or getting up from a low chair

It is most common in women in midlife and older, but runners and walkers of any age can get it.

What does the research show for gluteal tendinopathy treatment?

Education and exercise

The best evidence comes from the LEAP trial, published in the BMJ in 2018 [2]. 204 people with gluteal tendinopathy had one of three options for 8 weeks:

• education about managing load plus a progressive exercise programme with a physiotherapist
• a single steroid injection
• waiting to see

At 8 weeks, 77% of the education and exercise group rated their hip as improved overall, compared with 58% after injection and 29% with waiting to see. They also had less pain. A year later, the education and exercise group still rated their improvement higher than the injection group, although pain levels were then similar [2].

What the education covers

Gluteal tendons are irritated by being squeezed against the hip bone. This happens when your hip drops or your knee crosses towards the middle. In LEAP, the education focused on reducing these positions [2]. Simple changes include:

• not crossing your legs when sitting
• standing evenly on both feet, rather than hanging on one hip
• sleeping with a pillow between your knees
• avoiding very low chairs

The exercise programme builds the strength of the hip muscles gradually, from gentle holds to more challenging exercises.

Shockwave and laser

• Shockwave: a 2024 review found shockwave reduced pain more than comparison treatments at 2 to 4 months, and focused shockwave did better than radial. But most of the trials had a high risk of bias, so the evidence is weak [3]. We only consider it alongside exercise for pain that has not settled with good exercise care, not instead of it.
• Laser: we have not found good trials of laser for gluteal tendinopathy, so its benefit is unknown. If you are interested, we can discuss it as an optional addition to your exercise programme.

How we approach gluteal tendinopathy in Dublin

Our clinic in Monkstown, Co. Dublin is led by Dr Lawrence Woods, a chiropractor with over 30 years' experience, and Kate Ryan, a CORU-registered Chartered Physiotherapist and member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP), who has a special interest in running injuries and tendinopathy.

• Assessment first. Your first visit is an assessment, which includes a first treatment if it is suitable.
• Education and exercise. Advice on positions and activities, and a progressive hip strengthening programme, based on the LEAP trial.
• A review at your sixth visit. We check your progress against your goals. If you are not improving, we will say so and talk about other options, including seeing your GP.

Questions about gluteal tendinopathy

Should I have a steroid injection?

That is a decision for you and your GP. In the LEAP trial, an injection helped in the short term, but education and exercise did better at 8 weeks and at a year [2].

Should I stretch my hip?

Stretches that pull your knee across your body can squeeze the tendon and make it worse. We will show you which movements to avoid and which help.

Can I see you without a GP referral?

Yes, you can book directly. After your assessment, we may refer you to your GP if you need further tests.

If you would like an assessment, you can book an appointment, start with our online questionnaire, or contact us with any questions. See also our running injuries page.

Sources

1. NHS (2025). Hip pain. NHS website. Page last reviewed 20 November 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hip-pain/
2. Mellor R, Bennell K, Grimaldi A, et al. (2018). Education plus exercise versus corticosteroid injection use versus a wait and see approach on global outcome and pain from gluteal tendinopathy: prospective, single blinded, randomised clinical trial. BMJ 361:k1662. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k1662
3. Rhim HC, Shin J, Beling A, et al. (2024). Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a systematic review with meta-analysis. JBJS Reviews 12(8). https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.RVW.24.00091