The outer hip pain that wakes you up at night, flares on every staircase, and hasn’t responded the way you hoped to injections or rest — this is not a simple inflammation problem. There’s more going on, and we’re built to find it.
We look beyond the bursa.
Most outer hip pain involves the gluteal tendons and the way load moves through the entire hip and pelvis — not just an inflamed sac. We assess the full picture.
Advanced treatment paired with targeted rehab.
Focused shockwave and EMTT address the tissue directly, while structured exercise builds the lateral hip strength that keeps it from coming back.
Built for the long run, not just the next few weeks.
We track your progress and guide you through progressive strengthening so the results hold, not just until the next injection appointment.
60-minute one-on-one assessment + treatment plan.
No pressure, no contracts.
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place.
Outer hip or side-thigh pain that’s especially bad at night or when lying on that side
Stairs, hills, or longer walks that reliably flare the hip — and you’ve started avoiding them
A cortisone injection that helped for a few weeks, then the pain came right back
Physical therapy exercises that either didn’t help much or made the flare worse
Low back pain, knee issues, or both — making it hard to know where the real problem starts
You want a clear explanation of what’s actually driving your pain, not just another prescription to rest, ice, and stretch
The Real Problem
Explore 4 slides on Hip Bursitis
Most people have several of these happening at once. That’s why we assess the whole chain, from your lumbar spine to your hip, pelvis, knee, and foot, not just the painful spot on the outer hip.
OUR APPROACH
INITIAL VISIT
Full movement and strength screen of the hip, pelvis, lumbar spine, and lower limb mechanics to identify your specific load and compression drivers
Evaluation of gluteal tendon function, IT band tension, pelvic stability, and any coexisting contributors such as low back or knee involvement
A clear written treatment plan with transparent pricing before you commit to anything beyond the first visit
First 3 to 6 Weeks
Focused shockwave therapy targets the gluteal tendon and peritrochanteric tissue — typically 3 weekly sessions, matching the protocols used in clinical trials showing strong pain reduction versus injection
EMTT (high-intensity electromagnetic therapy) to support inflammation modulation at the bursa and surrounding soft tissue — typically 8 sessions alongside shockwave
Manual therapy and specific load management guidance to reduce compression from the TFL and IT band region while your tissue heals
Make side-lying, stairs, and daily walking tolerable without flaring.
6+ Weeks and Beyond
Progressive gluteal and lateral hip strengthening, graded carefully so load builds without retriggering compression — based on the same principles as the exercise programs that outperformed injection at one year in clinical trials
Pelvic stability work and movement re-patterning to address the biomechanical habits that sustained the problem in the first place
Ongoing digital coaching and milestone check-ins to keep progress on track as you return to the activities that matter to you
What To Expect
Every case is different, but research and our clinical experience consistently show:
Meaningful pain reduction by weeks 4 to 8. In a large multicenter clinical trial, focused shockwave combined with a specific exercise program reduced pain from a high level to a low, near-normal level at two months, with a reported success rate of 86.8%. Many patients notice improvement beginning in the first month of treatment.
Better function and return to activity. In a head-to-head trial comparing shockwave with corticosteroid injection, shockwave produced better hip function scores and quality-of-life measures at 12 months — not just in the first few weeks. A separate trial found 64% of shockwave patients returned to their previous sports and recreational activities at four months, versus 49% with injection.
Durability that injection alone does not offer. Across multiple trials, shockwave and structured exercise maintained far higher success rates at 12 to 15 months compared to corticosteroid injection, which showed strong short-term results that declined significantly at later follow-up.
Our promise: we will tell you honestly at the assessment if we don’t believe you’re a good candidate for this approach. If your situation needs something different, we’ll refer you directly.
EVIDENCE
Focused shockwave therapy has been shown to reduce lateral hip pain and improve hip function significantly more than sham treatment in a multicenter randomized controlled trial, with the benefit maintained through follow-up assessments.
Shockwave therapy has been shown to produce better pain and function outcomes than corticosteroid injection at 12 months in a head-to-head randomized controlled trial, including improved scores on the Harris Hip Score and quality-of-life measures.
An education and specific exercise program has been shown to produce better patient-reported global improvement than a single corticosteroid injection at both 8 weeks and 52 weeks in a large three-arm randomized controlled trial of gluteal tendinopathy, the primary driver of most hip bursitis pain.
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is frequently a tendon problem, not simply a bursa problem — imaging and pathology research consistently identifies gluteus medius and minimus tendon involvement as the dominant finding in most patients labelled with “hip bursitis.”
Extracorporeal magnetotransduction therapy (EMTT) has been shown to reduce pain and improve function compared to sham in randomized controlled trials across musculoskeletal conditions including low back pain and degenerative joint and tendon problems, supporting its use as an adjunct modality at Unpain.
Outcomes are group averages from clinical trials; individual results vary.
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about Hip Bursitis.
6 results found
Yes — focused shockwave therapy for lateral hip pain has been studied in multiple randomized controlled trials, and the evidence is strong to moderate. In one large multicenter trial, patients receiving focused shockwave alongside a specific exercise program reported dramatically lower pain levels at two months, with an 86.8% success rate. In a head-to-head comparison against corticosteroid injection, shockwave produced better pain, hip function, and quality-of-life scores at 12 months. We review which protocol applies to your specific presentation during your assessment.
For most people, the term “trochanteric bursitis” is only part of the story. Imaging research consistently shows that the gluteus medius and minimus tendons — which attach at the outer hip bone — are frequently damaged or degenerated in people with this pain, and the bursa may be irritated secondarily. This matters because treating only the bursa without addressing tendon load and hip mechanics tends to produce results that don’t last. We assess both during your initial visit to understand what’s actually driving your pain.
Most clinical trials for hip bursitis and gluteal tendinopathy used 3 focused shockwave sessions, typically spaced weekly. Our clinical estimate is similar — 3 to 5 sessions — though this depends on how long the condition has been present and what other factors are contributing. EMTT, if recommended alongside shockwave, typically involves around 8 sessions. We give you a clear session estimate with transparent pricing before you start.
Cortisone injections can reduce inflammation quickly, which is why they often feel effective in the first few weeks. But injection alone doesn’t address the mechanical compression from the IT band and TFL, the gluteal tendon degeneration, or the hip abductor weakness that are usually sustaining the problem. Clinical trial data backs this up: injection showed a clear decline in success rates at 4 to 15 months compared with shockwave or structured exercise. The pain returns because the load distribution issue was never corrected. We map out the specific contributors in your assessment.
Yes — low back and lumbopelvic disorders are strongly associated with greater trochanteric pain syndrome in population research. The spine can refer pain toward the lateral hip, and back or pelvic dysfunction can alter how load moves through the hip with each step, directly increasing strain on the outer hip tendons and bursa. It’s one of the reasons outer hip pain is often harder to resolve than it looks — two or three regions may be contributing simultaneously. We evaluate the full lumbopelvic chain, not just the hip, so we’re not chasing the wrong target.
With a structured approach that combines tissue treatment and exercise, clinical trials report meaningful improvement by weeks 4 to 8, with the strongest separation from placebo or injection visible around the two-month mark. Longer-term follow-up — at 12 to 15 months — shows continued high success rates when shockwave and exercise are paired. More chronic presentations or those with multiple contributing factors may take longer. We’re transparent about your likely timeline at the initial assessment.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Stop guessing, stop cycling through short-term fixes, and get a plan that treats the full picture, not just the outer hip.
Initial Hip Bursitis Assessment — Edmonton
60-minute one-on-one session. Here’s what’s included:
Full-body movement and strength assessment covering the hip, pelvis, lumbar spine, and lower limb chain
Identify which pain drivers — tendon, compression, stability, load — are most relevant for your case
Review of history and imaging if available
Clear written treatment plan with transparent pricing before you commit
No referral needed. No obligation to continue beyond the first visit.
No pressure, no contracts.
We will tell you honestly at the assessment if we don't believe you're a good candidate for this approach. If your condition needs something different, we'll refer you directly.
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