A Common Hip Injury: Outer Hip Pain in the Gluteus Medius

Pain in the Outer Hip Area

 

 

If you have pain in the outer hip area, there are a variety of injuries and conditions that can cause that pain. The problem could be in the hip joint, a gluteus muscle, or the muscle at the side of the upper thigh called the tensor fascia latae. I always recommend seeing a doctor first to rule out anything serious. In this blog, we’ll focus on one common hip injury, outer hip pain in the gluteus medius, one of your buttock muscles.

 

 

Why Does the Gluteus Medius Get Injured?

 

 

The gluteus medius is a fantastic muscle. It helps keep your body upright while walking. Without it, you would sink into your hip sideways (as in the photo above) and likely fall. When you bend forward to pick something up, it stabilizes you so you can stand back up. It helps you rotate your thigh both inward and outward, depending on your position.

 

So why does the gluteus medius get injured? Typically, when there is an injury to the ligaments of the lower back, the gluteus medius tries to come to the rescue. Which is why a gluteus medius injury often occurs together with a low back injury. It can also get injured on its own, though, and is actually the most commonly injured buttock muscle.

 

 

You Might Also Have Pain Elsewhere

 

 

When the gluteus medius muscle is injured, it can be painful off and on in the outer and upper hip, where the muscle actually is. But you might also have pain elsewhere! Because of the phenomenon called “referred pain,” an injury might be in one place, and pain might be in a completely different place. For the gluteus medius, that means you can sometimes hurt on the outside of the lower leg, which is weird but true.

 

 

How Can You Find Out if the Gluteus Medius is Injured?

 

 

This muscle is very powerful and should be pretty strong, so you’ll need to tire it out a bit to see if it’s injured. Lie on your side with the bottom leg bent and the top straight. Then, bring your leg back behind you about 8 inches. Lift it, and lower it 10 times. Then, do the same thing on the other side.  If one of your gluteus medius muscles is injured, it will either be uncomfortable or feel much weaker than the uninjured side.

 

 

Why Does The Gluteus Medius Hurt After Injury?

 

 

When there is an injury to the gluteus medius, some of its thousands of fibers tear when stressed beyond their capacity. If it heals well, the scar tissue is lined up perfectly. But if it heals poorly, the new scar tissue heals randomly and is easily torn again and again. This poorly formed or “adhesive” scar tissue causes the pain in most injuries.

 

 

How Can a Gluteus Medius Injury Be Treated?

 

 

In order for the gluteus medius to heal from an injury, the adhesive scar tissue must be broken up. This can be done with several treatments: friction therapy (a specific type of massage), shockwave therapy, or skilled injection therapy. The treatment should then be followed by exercise to rebuild muscle strength and help the new scar tissue form in good alignment, so it is strong.

 

 

What Kind of After-Treatment Exercises are Good for the Gluteus Medius?

 

To build back this muscle, start by using a one-or two-pound ankle weight. Lie on your side with your bottom leg bent and your top leg straight. Be sure you have a pillow to support your head.

 

Lift your top leg a few inches into the air and bring it back behind you about 6 to 8 inches. Yes, this is the same position you did to see if your gluteus medius was injured. In this position, lift your leg toward the ceiling and slowly bring it down. Do this for three sets of 10. The amount of weight that is correct for building your strength is the weight that makes you tired in the third set of 10, but these exercises should never hurt.

 

You can see this exercise in a short video on my website. Start with the basics video and then watch the Gluteus Medius video.

 

 

In Summary

 

So, if you have hip pain, see your doctor first to make sure it’s not something serious. It could be that your hip joint is inflamed, that a lower back injury is causing pain in your hip, or something else . And when seeking treatment for a gluteus medius injury, make sure to choose a skilled therapist to help you figure out what it is and get the treatment you need.

 

If you’re in the Boston, MA area, I have been treating chronic pain for decades and am also available by appointment. If you’re not in the Boston area, I can still help by conducting a remote evaluation session, where I walk you through a series of assessment tests. You’ll need either your current massage therapist or someone I can direct to perform the assessment tests. You can also email me or call my office to see if this is a good fit for you or ask any questions you might have beforehand.

 

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If you are experiencing pain and live in the Boston area, schedule an appointment or a complimentary 10-15 minute phone consultation.

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Ben E. Benjamin holds a Ph.D. in Sports Medicine and was the founder and President of the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He is the author of dozens of articles on working with injuries and chronic pain as well as the widely used books in the field, Are You Tense? Exercise Without Injury and Listen To Your Pain: The Active Person’s Guide to Understanding, Identifying and Treating Pain and Injury. Dr. Benjamin has been in private practice for over 50 years and teaches therapists throughout the country.

 

 

 

A Common Hip Injury: Outer Hip Pain in the Gluteus Medius FAQs

• What can cause pain in the outer hip area?

The problem could be in the hip joint, the gluteus medius muscle, or the muscle at the side of the upper thigh called the tensor fascia latae. I always recommend to see a doctor to rule out anything first.

 

• Why does the gluteus medius get injured?

Typically, when there is an injury to the ligaments of the lower back, the gluteus medius tries to come to the rescue. This is why a gluteus medius injury often occurs together with a low back injury.

 

• Can I have pain elsewhere in my body when I have a gluteus medius injury?

Because of the phenomenon called “referred pain,” an injury might be in one place, and pain might be in a completely different place. For the gluteus medius, that means you can sometimes hurt on the outside of the lower leg, which is weird but true.

 

• How can you find out if the gluteus medius is injured?

You’ll need to tire out your strong gluteus medius with a few lifting motions to see which side is uncomfortable or feels much weaker than the uninjured side.

 

• Why does the gluteus medius hurt after injury?

If the original injury heals poorly, the new scar tissue heals randomly and is easily torn again and again. This poorly formed or “adhesive” scar tissue causes the pain in most injuries.

 

• How can a gluteus medius injury be treated?

The adhesive scar tissue must be broken up with either friction therapy (a specific type of massage), shockwave therapy, or skilled injection therapy. The treatment is followed with exercise to build back the muscle’s strength and to help the new scar tissue form in good alignment.

 

• What kind of after-treatment exercises are good for the gluteus medius?

Lift your leg with an ankle weight around it, until the muscle is fatigued. You can see this exercise in a short video on my website. Start with the basics video and then watch the Gluteus Medius video.

 

• Who can treat a gluteus medius injury?

A skilled therapist who can perform friction therapy. If you’re in the Boston, MA area, Dr. Ben Benjamin has been treating chronic pain for decades and is available by appointment. If you’re not in the Boston area, he can still help by conducting a remote evaluation session over Zoom.