Pain on the outside of your hip can turn a walk, a flight of stairs or a night's sleep into a challenge. One possible cause is greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), which often involves the gluteal tendons. Understanding what irritates the area can help you make useful changes while getting the right assessment.
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What is greater trochanteric pain syndrome?
GTPS describes pain around the bony prominence on the outer hip. The nearby gluteal tendons help support your pelvis during movement; the bursa can also be involved. You may hear the terms gluteal tendinopathy or trochanteric bursitis. These labels do not establish which tissue is causing your symptoms, so an assessment matters.
Common symptoms of outer hip pain
- Tenderness or aching over the side of the hip, sometimes extending down the outer thigh.
- Discomfort when lying on that side.
- Pain with stairs, longer walks or standing on one leg.
Hip joint conditions and back problems can produce overlapping symptoms. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down the leg should be discussed with a clinician. Our guide to sciatica explains another possible pattern of leg pain.
Why can walking or exercise trigger it?
A sudden jump in walking distance, hills or training can ask more of the hip than it currently tolerates. Long periods of reduced activity may also leave you less prepared for an increase. Several factors can contribute, and there is not always one identifiable trigger.
Think about your total activity across work, home and exercise. Changing the duration or intensity of the most irritating tasks can be more practical than stopping everything.
How to ease hip pain when sleeping and moving
Reduce direct pressure: try sleeping on your back, or on the more comfortable side with a pillow between your legs. Avoid crossing your legs and leaning your weight onto one hip if these provoke symptoms. Repeated deep stretches across the body can compress sensitive gluteal tendons, so do not force a stretch that reproduces your pain.
Keep manageable movement in your day. A shorter, flatter walk may be easier than your usual hilly route. Watch the response that evening and the next day; increased pain or poorer sleep suggests you should reduce the dose. Build back up gradually as it becomes manageable.
Exercises for GTPS: where to start
Strengthening should match your current ability and the likely cause of your symptoms. These are examples to discuss with your physiotherapist, rather than a programme suitable for every painful hip.
1. Gentle outward knee press
Lie on your back with knees slightly wider than hip width and a belt around the lower thighs. Slowly press outwards against it without moving much. Begin gently; a short hold may be enough.
2. A small bridge
With knees bent and feet on the floor or bed, tighten your buttocks and lift your hips a little. Lower slowly. Keep the movement comfortable and avoid provoking your lower back.
3. Controlled sit-to-stand
Use a stable chair at a comfortable height. Stand up and sit down slowly with weight shared between both feet. Start with a small number of repetitions and adjust the chair height if needed.
Mild, short-lived discomfort may be acceptable, but sharp pain, a sustained flare-up or worse sleep calls for modification. A physiotherapist can adjust resistance, repetitions and recovery time rather than simply adding more exercises.
How long does recovery take?
Gluteal tendon rehabilitation often takes months. The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital advises that longstanding symptoms can take 6–12 months to resolve with exercise therapy. This is a broad estimate, not an individual prediction. Progress may fluctuate: consider walking tolerance and sleep as well as pain scores.
When should you seek medical help?
- Call 999 or attend A&E for severe hip pain after an injury, inability to walk or bear weight, or loss of sensation after an injury.
- Seek urgent GP advice or NHS 111 for sudden severe pain without injury, a hot or swollen hip, skin colour changes, or hip pain with fever or feeling unwell.
- Arrange a GP review if pain affects sleep or normal activity, keeps returning, worsens, or has not improved after two weeks of home care.
Can online physiotherapy help with hip pain?
A video appointment can support a discussion of your symptoms, observation of suitable movements and coaching through an individual exercise plan. Follow-up appointments allow technique and progression to be reviewed. Your physiotherapist may recommend an in-person assessment or medical review when the symptoms need it.
Book your free initial consultation to meet your physiotherapist, explain the problem and learn about the service. If you choose to continue, paid physiotherapy sessions are optional and can be discussed afterwards.
Sources and further reading
Clinical guidance checked on 1 October 2026:
- Royal Orthopaedic Hospital: gluteal tendinopathy
- Royal Devon NHS: GTPS patient information and exercise examples
- Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal Service: GTPS and activity progression
- NHS: hip pain in adults and when to seek help
General information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment prescription. Stock photography: Filip Marcus Adam and MART PRODUCTION, via Pexels. Models are used for illustration.