Gluteal
Tendinopathy
Gluteal
Tendin-
opathy
Shockwave Therapy for Gluteal Tendinopathy
A gluteal tendinopathy is essentially a weakening of the strong gluteal tendons in the buttocks, causing pain and instability in the hips, low back and thighs. It often manifests as Greater Trochanteric Bursitis – also known as Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome or GTPS – and can be effectively treated by shockwave therapy.
What are the symptoms?
The predominate sign of gluteal tendinopathy (or GTPS) is pain over the outside of your hip, which can radiate into the buttock and down the outside of the thigh. Your hip may feel weak and unstable and you may also experience pain into the groin and low back.
Also, if you are experiencing pain on the inside of your knees or ankles, or on the bottom of your feet (plantar fasciitis), this may also be due to a weakness in your hips as a result of a gluteal tendinopathy.
How is it caused?
Gluteal tendinopathies can be caused by a one-off injury however they are usually the result of a cumulative injury when the gluteal tendon undergoes changes due to prolonged or repetitive activity.
Although they can be the result of chronic over-use, they are more commonly associated with long-term under-use of the gluteal muscles in the buttocks followed by a fairly swift increase or change in activity.
A typical patient is someone who has not done much exercise for a number of years – and has a fairly sedentary lifestyle (desk job, drive to work, etc.) – but has recently decided to take up running without having gone through a strength or conditioning programme beforehand. The tendon has become weak as a result of the years of inactivity and the recent rapid increase in activity starts to put it under pressure that it is unable to cope with.
How can we treat it?
Most cases of gluteal tendinopathy are fairly long-standing, with the best treatment being a course of Shockwave Therapy followed by a guided exercise rehabilitation programme.
If your pain is short-lived however then it may react well to ‘hands-on’ treatments like massage and manipulation, used in conjunction with other modalities such as ultrasound and acupuncture.
Our clinic provides osteopathy and shockwave therapy for areas including March, Ely, Wisbech, Huntingdon, St. Ives and Whittlesey.
Want to know more?
Contact us now to book a free 15-minute chat with an Osteopath to see if we could help with your hip problem.
Need help? Call us on 01354 694050 or book online here