Trochanteric Bursitis: Pain on the Side of Your Hip, Explained

If you have a nagging ache on the outer side of your hip — the kind that bites when you lie on that side at night, climb stairs, or stand up after a long sit — there is a good chance you are dealing with trochanteric bursitis. It is one of the most common causes of lateral hip pain, more frequent in women, and although it can be stubborn, it usually settles with the right, unglamorous care. Here is what it is and what actually helps. For how it sits among other hip problems, see our broader hip pain guide.

What is trochanteric bursitis?

On the outer side of your hip there is a bony bump called the greater trochanter — the top of the thigh bone. Over it sit the gluteal (buttock) tendons and a small fluid-filled cushion called a bursa. Trochanteric bursitis is pain arising from this region, and doctors increasingly use the broader term greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), because the problem is often less a simple inflamed bursa and more an overload of the nearby gluteal tendons — a tendinopathy ¹. That distinction matters, because it explains why strengthening, rather than rest alone, is so central to recovery.

Why does it happen, and who gets it?

GTPS is largely a mechanical overload problem, and several things tip the balance:

• Sex and age. It is notably more common in women, particularly in midlife and beyond.
• Weak or poorly-controlled hip muscles, especially the gluteal abductors that stabilise the pelvis when you walk.
• Repetitive load — long walks, running, or a sudden increase in activity.
• Tightness of the iliotibial (IT) band on the outer thigh, which can compress the tendons against the bone.
• A fall onto the hip, or habits like standing with weight slung onto one hip, or sitting with legs crossed.

What it feels like

• Pain and tenderness on the outer side of the hip, right over that bony point.
• Worse when lying on the affected side, which often disturbs sleep.
• Aggravated by stairs, prolonged sitting, or standing up after sitting.
• An ache that can spread down the outer thigh, though it does not usually travel below the knee.

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis is mostly clinical: a characteristic history plus clear tenderness when the greater trochanter is pressed. Imaging is not always needed, but an X-ray or ultrasound may be used to look for gluteal tendon changes or to rule out other causes — particularly hip osteoarthritis, which causes groin pain and can coexist with GTPS.

What is sometimes mistaken for it?

Lateral hip pain has a few impostors worth separating out, since the treatment differs:

• Hip osteoarthritis, which typically causes groin pain and stiffness rather than tenderness on the outer bone.
• Referred pain from the lower back, which can be felt around the buttock and hip.
• Gluteal tendon tears, a more significant tendon problem that may need its own assessment.

How is trochanteric bursitis treated?

The great majority of cases settle with conservative care, and the cornerstone is loading the tendons sensibly rather than simply resting:

• Activity modification — easing the aggravating loads (and habits like sleeping directly on the side) while staying generally active.
• Physiotherapy and hip-abductor strengthening — rebuilding the gluteal strength and control that protect the region; this is the most important and most often-neglected step.
• Pain relief and anti-inflammatories for symptom control.
• A corticosteroid injection can settle a stubborn flare for some people, used selectively rather than repeatedly.
• Addressing contributors such as IT-band tightness and load management.
• Surgery is rarely needed and reserved for the small number who do not respond, or for a genuine gluteal tendon tear.

Can you stop it coming back?

Because GTPS is an overload-and-weakness problem, the same measures that treat it also prevent recurrence:

• Keep your hip abductors strong with ongoing maintenance exercises.
• Build activity up gradually rather than in sudden spikes.
• Address tightness and movement habits that load the outer hip.
• Manage your weight to reduce the load through the hip overall.

Where do regenerative approaches fit?

Because GTPS is frequently a gluteal tendinopathy, the same honest caveats apply as for other tendon problems. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis found that mesenchymal stem cell therapy may improve pain and function in tendon disorders, while stressing that large randomised trials are still needed to confirm it ². So regenerative injections remain unproven for this use — a possible consideration for genuinely stubborn cases, not a first move, and never a replacement for the strengthening that does the real work. At Cureon any such approach is physician-led and offered only after assessment, with the limits explained in our overview of regenerative medicine.

What we see at the clinic

The pattern we see most is someone who has tried resting the hip without success — which makes sense, because rest alone does not rebuild the weak gluteal tendons driving the problem. The turning point is usually a proper strengthening programme, given enough time. We are also careful to check that the outer-hip pain is not actually coming from the hip joint or the back, since that changes the plan entirely.

Common questions

Why does it hurt so much when I lie on that side? Lying on the affected hip compresses the tender tendons and bursa against the bone, which is why night pain and disturbed sleep are such common complaints.

Is it really "bursitis," or something else? Often it is more a gluteal tendon overload than a simple inflamed bursa, which is why the modern term is greater trochanteric pain syndrome — and why strengthening matters more than rest.

How long does it take to settle? With consistent strengthening it usually improves over weeks to a few months. Skipping the rehab is the main reason it lingers.

Should I get a steroid injection? It can help a stubborn flare for some people, used selectively — but it works best alongside a strengthening programme rather than instead of one.

Could regenerative treatment fix it? The evidence does not support it as a reliable fix, and most cases respond to rehabilitation — so treat any regenerative offer as unproven and assessment-dependent.

Key takeaway

Trochanteric bursitis — better thought of as greater trochanteric pain syndrome — is a common, treatable cause of outer-hip pain. The path to recovery runs through hip-abductor strengthening and sensible load management, not rest alone, and most people improve with patience. Treat injections as adjuncts and regenerative options as unproven extras, and make sure the pain is genuinely coming from the side of the hip rather than the joint or the back.