If you have a nagging, achy pain in your outer hip joint and you'd like to get rid of it, watch this video to learn 2 tricks to relieve hip pain quickly. Plus, learn what to do to keep the pain from coming back in the future.
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Common Cause of Achy Pain in Outer Hip Joint
Pain in the outer hip joint is rarely caused by true "joint pain" such as arthritis... even if you have hip arthritis on your x-rays.
Outer hip pain is most commonly causes by the soft tissues that run over the bump on the outside of the hip known as the greater tuberosity.
Is outer hip joint pain really from bursitis?
When many patients visit the doctor with a complaint of outer hip joint pain, the doctor may press right over the hip bone and ask, "Does it hurt?"
If the patient says yes, they commonly get a diagnosis of hip bursitis.
The bursa is a small fluid-filled sac over the outside of the hip that creates a friction barrier between the hip bone and the gluteal tendons that run over it.
However, most outer hip joint pain isn't caused by bursitis or inflammation of the bursa.
Instead, it's often caused by issues with the gluteal muscles that run over the outside of the hips, or the tensor fascia lata, a small muscle that attaches to the IT band.
Outer hip pain from gluteal trigger points
Most outer hip pain musculotendinous in nature. It comes from hip gluteal tendinopathy or knots or trigger points in the gluteal muscles and/or tensor fascia lata.
Using Pressure Points for Hip Pain Relief
In the office, we often have patients lie on their side, locate the trigger point, and either perform manual trigger point therapy or dry needling.
At home though, using a tennis ball can be quite helpful to release trigger points in the outer hip and glute muscles.
How To Use A Tennis Ball To Release Trigger Points in Outer Hip and Glute Muscles
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The muscles lie just above the bump (greater trochanter) on the outer hip.
Find the area that's the most tender and sore.
Lie on your side on a hard surface, such as the floor, to get some pressure from the floor pushing through the ball into your hip.
Propping up on your elbow can help control the pressure.
Stay in this position for about 1.5 to 3 minutes to release the trigger point.
You can also release the tensor fascia lata by moving the ball slightly more forward on your hip using the same technique.
Using a Massage Gun to Relieve Pain In Outer Hip and Glutes
A massage gun is another useful tool to relieve outer hip and glute pain.
The X6 Pro from Bob and Brad is a good option because it has a metal head that can get deeper into the tissues.
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Use the massage gun over the tender areas of the gluteal muscles (not directly on the hip bone).
Hold the massage gun over each sore or tender area for about 30 seconds each.
Strengthening Exercise to Prevent Recurrence of Pain In Outer Hip
While the methods above can provide quick relief from outer hip pain, addressing the underlying cause is essential to prevent the pain from recurring.
To prevent the pain from coming back, strengthening exercises are crucial.
The muscle imbalance between your gluteal muscles and the tensor fascia lata needs to be addressed. Both muscles help balance you on one leg when standing.
To correct these muscle imbalances, practice stand on one leg.
Avoid letting your knee knock in or your pelvis drop.
This exercise helps strengthen the gluteal muscles and prevent future pain.
Once you've mastered that basic balance exercise, you may be ready for more advanced balance exercises.
Need Help for Outer Hip Pain?
If you live in the St. Louis area and need help for hip pain, tap the button below to request an appointment with one of our specialist physical therapists. We'll help you get back to the active, healthy life you want.