Today we're talking about Gluteus Medius Tendinopathy. This muscle attaches a little bit lower than the iliac crest, or the top of the hip bone. This muscle is fairly deep in the glutes but most of the tenderness felt with this condition is felt just behind the hip. With a tendon condition, the pain can be intense until that muscle or problem area is warmed up.
Symptoms
Someone suffering from Gluteus Medius Tendinopathy usually feels:
- Pain when putting too much pressure on hips
- Pain on prolonged standing or sitting
- Referred pain on the lower back or hips
Assessment
For any tendonitis or tendinosis, we assess your gluteus medius tendinopathy or the pain in your lateral hip by taking you through some range of motion. We test the low back range of motion as well as the hip. We test both of these areas to take a global view and make sure there is not any compensation in movement patterns causing hip pain or back pain that is referring to your hip.
Then we do a neuro evaluation to rule out anything that is more intense or more severe. We also do muscle testing to find out what muscles are firing and which ones are weak.
Lastly, we do a McKenzie evaluation, which will help us figure out which movements will help you help yourself.
Treatment
Once we've taken you through a thorough assessment and we have a really solid diagnosis, then we would start with the in-office treatments such as any chiropractic manipulation or any soft tissue work. The out-of-office treatments will be your home exercise program where you do different forms of exercise or what we call activity modification. This is to help change the way you move, change the way you exercise so that you're not causing yourself more pain and to help loosen up what's tight and strengthen what's weak.
If you're experiencing intense glute pain, give us a call. We'd love to help.
