Condition · 0 treatment paths
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome causes pain over the bony point on the outer side of the hip. It is due to tendinopathy of the gluteal muscles and irritation of the bursa, and is most common in women over 40.
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- Treatment paths
- 0Treatment paths
- Specialties
- 1Specialties
- Typical severity
- MildTypical severity
About greater trochanteric pain syndrome
What to know
Pain is felt on the outside of the hip, spreading down the thigh, and is worse when lying on that side, climbing stairs or after long walks. Examination finds tenderness over the trochanter, and pain on single-leg stance. Ultrasound or MRI shows tendon changes or tears and rules out hip joint disease. It tends to persist for months but usually improves.
Treatment starts with activity modification, weight management, painkillers and a progressive physiotherapy programme to strengthen the gluteal muscles. Corticosteroid injection can give short-term relief, and shockwave therapy or platelet-rich plasma are other options. Surgery to repair a torn gluteal tendon is only considered for persistent cases that have not responded to months of rehabilitation.
Pre-flight workup
Tests to have already done
- A clinic letter documenting where the pain is, tenderness over the outer hip and pain when lying on that side.
- Hip and pelvis X-rays, usually requested to rule out hip arthritis as the cause.
- MRI or ultrasound reports showing gluteal tendon tendinopathy, bursitis or a tendon tear.
- Records of physiotherapy tried and any steroid injections, with dates and how long relief lasted.
- Any spine or lumbar problems, since back pain can refer to the outer hip.
Second opinion
When to get a second look
- Hip replacement has been proposed but the pain is on the outer hip and scans show a normal hip joint.
- Pain continues despite months of exercise-based physiotherapy and injections, and surgery is being discussed.
- An MRI shows a gluteal tendon tear and the repair plan is unclear.
- The pain began after a fall or you have night pain and weight loss with no imaging.
Talking to your doctor
Questions to ask
- Is my pain coming from the tendons and bursa, the hip joint or the back?
- Does the MRI show a gluteal tendon tear?
- What exercises should I do, and how long should I persist?
- Would shockwave therapy or an injection help, and how often can injections be used?
- When would tendon repair be considered?
- Would a hip replacement help this pain at all?
Outlook
Realistic prognosis
Most people improve with targeted physiotherapy, load management, weight control and sometimes injection or shockwave therapy, although recovery can take months. A steroid injection often gives short-term relief. A minority with a gluteal tendon tear and persistent disabling pain are considered for surgical repair. A hip replacement does not treat this condition unless there is also true hip arthritis, so the diagnosis matters before surgery.
01 · Specialties
Specialties that treat Greater
Diagnostic workup
Before you pick a hospital, get the workup right
Picking the right treatment is downstream of a complete diagnosis. Skip steps here and the destination surgeon usually re-orders them anyway — at higher cost and another week on the ground.
- Confirm the diagnosis on imaging or labs
For greater trochanteric pain syndrome, plan on the workup your home doctor would order anyway — typically a recent specialist consult plus the imaging / labs the destination team will need to quote accurately. Anything older than 90 days usually gets re-done.
- See a orthopedics specialist locally first
An in-person clinical exam at home — even a single consult — costs little and dramatically improves the destination plan. Bring back: written impression, recommended procedure, surgical-risk class, and any contra-indications.
- Send us the file for a free second opinion
Two surgeons in our medical panel review the workup independently. They tell you whether they'd operate, watch, or refer — even if that means recommending against travel.
- Pick a path with timeline + cost in writing
Once a treatment is the right call, we line up 2–3 hospital options with itemized quotes, surgeon profiles, and a travel timeline. You hold the file — switch hospitals or step away at any point.
Where to be treated
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome treatment by destination
04 · FAQ
Common questions about greater trochanteric pain syndrome
Is this the same as hip arthritis?
No. The pain arises from tendons and bursa on the outside of the hip, not the joint. The two can coexist, so a proper assessment is needed.
Will it go away?
Most people improve over months with exercise-based physiotherapy and load management, though it may linger or recur.
Do steroid injections help?
They often give relief for weeks to months, but benefit may fade, and repeated injections can weaken tendons, so they are used sparingly.
Clinical context
Working up greater trochanteric pain syndrome properly
A condition like greater trochanteric pain syndrome is rarely well-served by jumping straight to treatment shopping. The sequence below is what a orthopedics specialist would expect to see completed — and the absence of any step is the right cue to delay travel decisions.
Diagnostic workup, in sequence
- First-line clinical assessment
History, physical exam, and risk-factor review by a senior generalist or orthopedics specialist. Symptoms list, family history, prior workup notes, and current medication list should travel with the patient.
- Standard imaging + labs
Baseline blood work, condition-specific imaging (ultrasound / X-ray / MRI / CT — depending on indication), and ECG / pulmonary function as relevant. Bring digital copies of any prior imaging — saves repeat scans and the cost that goes with them.
- Specialist diagnostic workup
Procedure-specific tests — biopsy, cardiac catheterisation, endoscopy, or genetic / molecular profiling depending on the suspected diagnosis. Done at the centre that will treat, ideally, so results integrate cleanly into the treatment plan.
- Multidisciplinary review (where indicated)
Cancer, complex cardiac, transplant, and rare-disease cases should be reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel — surgical, medical, imaging, and pathology — before any treatment commits. Single-discipline plans for complex disease are a quality red flag.
When to escalate to specialist review
- New, persistent, or worsening symptoms beyond the usual pattern — particularly anything that disrupts work, sleep, or daily function for >2 weeks.
- Symptoms accompanied by red-flag features (unintentional weight loss, night sweats, bleeding, severe pain, neurological signs).
- Any "this feels different" instinct — especially with recurrent or chronic conditions where you know your baseline well.
- A second-opinion misalignment with your current care plan — when two qualified clinicians disagree, the case warrants a third review before committing.
Before you book international travel
- Confirm your specific diagnosis is fully worked up before you commit to a treatment plan abroad. Travelling for the workup is fine; travelling for treatment without the workup done is not.
- Get your case reviewed remotely by the destination centre's team before you book flights — credible international patient programs review imaging + reports before they confirm the surgical plan.
- Bring a digital + physical copy of your full medical record: imaging on USB drive in DICOM format, labs in PDF, current medication list with dosages, allergies, and any prior surgical reports.
- Plan for the post-op rehabilitation phase before you fly — the surgery itself is rarely the bottleneck.
- Confirm that follow-up imaging and any necessary in-person reviews can be done at home — a treatment plan that requires repeat international trips is more burdensome (and more expensive) than the headline procedure.
Methodology and editorial standards
This greater trochanteric pain syndrome overview is written by the editorial team from published Orthopedics sources and lists 0 treatment options offered by hospitals on our network. The page shows its last-updated date. Clinical descriptions are editorial — your treating clinician confirms what's right for your specific case.
- Hospital data. Hospital details are compiled from public sources and hospital websites. Accreditation (JCI, NABH and others) is shown where we hold a record of it. Always ask the hospital for its current certificate.
- Doctor credentials. Qualifications, specialty and bio come from the doctor's hospital profile. Licence is checked against the national medical-council register only where the profile shows a "Licence verified" badge with a date.
- Prices. Price ranges are indicative, compiled from hospital price lists and packages and shown with the date last updated. The hospital's written quote is what you pay against.
- Clinical text. Written by the Medcasts editorial team from published clinical sources. Unless a named reviewer is shown on the page, it has not been reviewed by a doctor.
- Independence. Hospitals cannot pay to change their position on our pages.
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
Continue evaluating greater trochanteric pain syndrome care
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