Pain on the outer side of your hip that's worse with walking, climbing stairs, or lying on that side at night is usually an irritated tendon where your buttock muscles attach to the side of your hip bone, rather than a hip joint problem.
The short version
- It responds well to a gradual, structured exercise plan, though it can take several months to fully settle.
Why it happens
A tough band of tissue connects two of your buttock muscles to a bony bump on the outer side of your hip called the greater trochanter. This spot is the classic tender point in this condition, sometimes called greater trochanteric pain syndrome. When those tendons are loaded more than they're used to, or squeezed repeatedly against the bone, they can become irritated — felt as pain over the outer hip.
Certain positions and movements squeeze these tendons more than others. Walking with your hips swaying noticeably side to side, standing with your weight sunk into one hip, crossing your legs, and lying on the sore side at night all compress the tendon against the bone underneath it. That's why this condition often flares with those specific things rather than with all activity equally.
It's most common in people in their 40s to 60s, though it can affect anyone. The tendon needs a gradual increase in load to become stronger and more tolerant again — both too little activity and too much, too soon, can slow recovery, which is why a structured, gradually progressing exercise plan tends to work better than resting completely.
⚠️ When to see a doctor in person
Get medical help the same day if the hip pain follows a fall or injury and you can't put weight on the leg, or the hip is hot, red, swollen, or unusually painful to touch (a fever may or may not be there — it doesn't need to be present for this to be serious).
- Book an appointment if the pain doesn't ease at all with rest, spreads down the leg with numbness or tingling, hasn't improved after a few weeks of avoiding the aggravating positions above, or if you have unexplained thigh or hip pain and take a bisphosphonate medicine (a common osteoporosis treatment) — that combination is worth checking rather than treating as ordinary tendon pain. New, unexplained hip pain that doesn't fit the usual walking-related pattern is also worth a check, especially if you have a history of cancer.
Most outer hip pain like this is an irritated tendon, not damage to the hip joint itself.
What helps — and what to avoid
- Avoid standing with your weight sunk into one hip. Stand evenly on both feet where you can.
- Avoid crossing your legs when sitting.
- Try sleeping with a pillow between your knees, or on your back, if lying on the sore side is uncomfortable at night.
- Go easy on deep stretching of this area for now. Pulling the leg across the body can aggravate this condition early on — gentle, gradual strengthening tends to help more than stretching here.
Starter exercises
Start gently and build up slowly. Some mild ache during exercise is normal for this condition, but it shouldn't feel sharp or linger for hours afterward.
- Standing hip press — 3 holds of 30–45 seconds each side. Stand tall beside a wall, gently press the outside of your affected leg into the wall and hold. Nothing moves — you're just holding the muscle switched on.
- Glute bridge — 3 sets of 10. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Lift your hips into a straight line from knees to shoulders, squeeze, then lower slowly.
- Small clamshell — 3 sets of 10 each side. Lying on your side, knees bent, feet together, lift your top knee a small amount while keeping your feet touching. Keep the movement small — this isn't meant to be a big range.
Progression note
Once the standing hold and gentle exercises above feel comfortable, strengthening typically progresses to resistance-band work and more standing-based exercises over several weeks, guided by keeping pain mild during and after exercise. This condition often takes a good three to six months of consistent, gradually increasing exercise to substantially improve, so steady progress matters more than quick fixes.
Bottom line
Outer hip pain when walking is usually an irritated tendon rather than a joint problem, and it responds well to avoiding the positions that compress it plus a gradual, structured exercise plan. Improvement takes patience — often months, not days. Sudden injury, an inability to bear weight, or numbness down the leg is worth getting checked.