What Is Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome

Chelmsford Physio • November 1, 2022

It's Something We See A Lot & There Are Things We Can Do To Help.

 Firstly, its important to understand what’s causing/driving your pain.

 

One of the most coming diagnosis we see is Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome, this commonly relates to pain from the Gluteal tendon. Previously a diagnosis of Trochanteric Bursitis was used, but this relates to the bursa, when actually the root of the problem is the Gluteals.

Finding The Source of Pain

It's really important to rule out some other possible sources of pain, or differential diagnosis. This can be done through the subjective information we take when we ask all our Qs in the session, and through the physical examination which helps us to rule things in and rule things out.

 

The main aggravating factors, or what makes the pain worse, often relates to

  • prolonged sitting postures
  • climbing stairs
  • high impact activities, or running
  • laying on that side in bed at night

 

 

Some of the differential diagnosis to rule out may include:

  • Hip Arthritis or other hip joint pathologies
  • Referred pain from joints/muscle in the back
  • Sciatica

How Do We Treat This?

 Once we are clear from the history taking and the physical examination, we can then come up with a plan to help. This most commonly includes

 

Exercises, these are some that can help pain and help improve the strength of your Gluteals and the other surrounding muscles. This can often be the most effective way to treat this issue

Glute Bridge

Side lying hip abduction

Side Plank Short Lever

Then progressing to more advanced exercises like side plank starting with short lever side plank, time yourself!

Side Plank Long Lever

Then attempting full length side plank, and again time yourself! Can you manage 30 sec hold L&R

Other options that can help are:

Manual treatment, if appropriate these techniques can help with pain and movement at the hip or back, and can then make the exercises easier to perform.

 

Shockwave therapy, for symptoms that have become chronic (more than 3 months) this can be a really effective treatment to help improve pain, function and tissue health.

Ultrasound and injection, if we need to investigate this further then Ultrasound can be a very helpful tool by which to assess the tissues and understand the extent of the injury. If all other options have been exhausted and appropriate, then you can discuss the option of a steroid injection to help with the hip pain. We work closely with specialists who can help with this, and we can easily refer for investigation and injection.

 

If you are struggling with hip pain, please get in touch today and get some advice from an expert who can help.


Contact us:

hello@chelmsfordphysio.co.uk

01245 895410

How Athletes Adapt Their Training to Cope with High Temperatures: The Science of Heat Acclimatisation

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Athletes competing in hot and humid environments face significant physiological challenges that can impair performance and increase the risk of heat-related illness. From marathon runners in tropical climates to footballers playing summer tournaments, the ability to tolerate and perform in high temperatures is a critical component of elite sport. As a result, many athletes use structured heat acclimatisation strategies to prepare their bodies for environmental stress.  What Is Heat Acclimatisation? Heat acclimatisation refers to a series of physiological adaptations that occur when an athlete is repeatedly exposed to hot conditions during training. These adaptations typically develop over 7–14 days and help the body improve its ability to regulate temperature, maintain performance, and reduce cardiovascular strain during exercise in the heat. Common methods include: ● Training in hot environments (natural or artificial heat chambers) ● Passive heat exposure (saunas or hot water immersion post-training) ● Adjusting clothing to increase thermal load during sessions ● Gradual exposure to increased environmental temperatures The goal is to safely stress the thermoregulatory system so the body becomes more efficient at dissipating heat.

Why Footballers & Athletes Use Ice Baths: The Science Behind Cold Water Immersion

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
Ice baths, also known as cold water immersion (CWI), have become a common recovery strategy among elite athletes, particularly footballers. From Premier League changing rooms to Olympic training camps, many professionals immerse themselves in cold water after intense matches and training sessions. While the sight of players sitting in freezing water may seem extreme, there is growing scientific evidence explaining why this recovery method is so widely used. What Is an Ice Bath? An ice bath typically involves immersing the body (or lower limbs) in water between 10–15°C for 10–15 minutes shortly after exercise. The aim is to promote recovery by reducing muscle soreness, inflammation and fatigue, allowing athletes to perform consistently during periods of heavy training or competition. Why Do Footballers Use Ice Baths? Football is a physically demanding sport involving repeated sprinting, jumping, tackling, rapid changes of direction and high-impact collisions. These actions create microscopic muscle damage and trigger an inflammatory response. Cold water immersion is commonly used because it may help: ● Reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) ● Minimise post-exercise swelling ● Decrease perceptions of fatigue ● Improve recovery between matches ● Maintain performance during congested fixture schedules For professional footballers playing two or three matches per week, rapid recovery is often as important as training itself. 

The Physio’s World Cup Playbook: Most Common Injuries at FIFA World Cup 2026 (and What to Do About Them)

By Chelmsford Physio • July 29, 2026
The FIFA World Cup is a unique tournament environment: elite athletes compressed into a short, high-stakes schedule, with repeated sprinting, sudden acceleration/deceleration, frequent collisions, and often limited time for full tissue recovery. It’s not surprising that the injury pattern in football tends to cluster around the lower limb—particularly the hamstrings, groin/hip-adductors, knee, and ankle. Across football research more broadly, these are repeatedly identified as the most common locations and/or injury mechanisms, even if the exact percentages differ by competition and injury-reporting method. Below is a physio-focused overview of the most common injury “types/regions” you should expect to see at World Cup 2026, along with practical assessment and management themes. 1) Muscle strains—especially hamstrings (HSI)  Why they happen in tournaments: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are strongly associated with high-speed running and the physical demands of sprinting mechanics. In injury surveillance and football epidemiology, hamstring injuries consistently appear among the most common soft-tissue problems, with meaningful recurrence risk. What a physio will look for: - History: onset during acceleration/sprinting, feeling of “pull,” bruising (sometimes). - CNS/tissue considerations: prior injury, training load spikes, inadequate sprint exposure progression. - Clinical exam: focal tenderness, resisted muscle testing, and functional tests aligned to your local protocols (e.g., pain-free activation and lengthening tolerance). Rehabilitation themes: - Restore capacity for high-speed eccentric/concentric demands (not just range of motion). - Use progressive loading and functional return-to-play criteria to address reinjury risk—because football research highlights that the hamstring is one of the most frequently reinjured regions.