Does exercise help greater trochanter pain syndrome?

Does the addition of an exercise programme improve outcomes in Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome compared to corticosteroid injection and advice? A pilot study

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN33399646

Enrollment

Registered

2018-07-25

Start date

2018-10-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2019-12-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Greater trochanter pain syndrome Musculoskeletal Diseases Greater trochanter pain syndrome

Interventions

Intervention group: Corticosteroid injection and 5 sessions of group exercise and advice supervised by a physiotherapist plus a home exercise programme Routine care group: Corticostero

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Aged 35-70 years 2. Unilateral or bilateral trochanteric pain for greater than 3 months 3. Pain on walking and climbing slopes or stairs and/or lying on the affected side 4. Absence of groin pain 5. Tenderness on palpation of the greater trochanter 6. At least one of the following tests provocative of lateral hip pain: Combined hip flexion, abduction and external rotation (FABER); Active derotation test; Combined hip flexion, adduction and external rotation; Modified Ober test; 30 second single leg stance; Active hip abduction at end range adduction in side lying 7. Hip osteoarthritis excluded radiologically

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Evidence of osteoarthritis on X-ray (over grade 1) 2. Previous lower limb surgery affecting gait 3. Arthroplasty of the affected hip 4. Other neuromuscular or musculoskeletal conditions affecting gait or ability to exercise 5. Corticosteroid injections/physiotherapy/extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ECSWT) for GTPS in the last 3 months 6. Range of hip flexion <90 degrees 7. Significant lumbar pathology/pain 8. Previous lumbar nerve root entrapment or spinal surgery 9. Unable or unwilling to comply with study protocol 10. Unable or unwilling to offer written consent to the study 11. Unable to understand written or spoken English 12. Adverse reaction to steroid

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change in GTPS-related disability assessed using VISA-G questionnaire score at 3 and 12 months	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Change in quality of life assessed using EQ-5D questionnaire at 3 and 12 months 2. Change in musculoskeletal symptoms and quality of life assessed using MSK-HQ questionnaire at 3 and 12 months 3. Self-reported assessment of activity level assessed using UCLA questionnaire (Zahiri et al., 1998) scores at 3 and 12 months	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026