By Dr. Shayne Kelly, DO — Fellowship-Trained Sports Medicine Surgeon · Tri-City Orthopedics, Kennewick, WA
A home exercise program from Dr. Shayne Kelly, fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon.
Published rehab research (the Silbernagel pain-monitoring model) uses this rule of thumb: pain up to about 5 out of 10 during exercise is acceptable — as long as it settles back to your usual level by the next morning and isn't trending worse week over week. If pain runs higher, is worse the next day, or keeps climbing, ease back on the stretch or repetitions.
What to expect: Published series show lateral hip pain and gluteal tendinopathy improve over months with load management — avoiding compression matters as much as the exercises. Individual results vary.
The tendons on the side of your hip get irritated by COMPRESSION. Until the pain settles, avoid the habits that squeeze them — this matters as much as any exercise.
Sitting with legs crossed (knee over knee, or ankle on knee pulling the leg across) presses the tendon against the bone. Sit with knees level with hips, feet flat, knees no closer together than your hips.
Standing with your weight slumped onto one hip pushes that hip out sideways and compresses the tendon. Stand with weight even on both feet.
Avoid lying directly on the painful side on a firm surface. When lying on the other side, place a pillow between your knees so the top leg doesn't drop across your body.
If you have lateral hip pain or gluteal tendinopathy, skip the IT band section of this program — crossover stretches pull the leg across the body, which is exactly the compression that irritates the tendon. Follow this avoid-list instead, and ask about a strengthening program: with tendinopathy, loading is what helps.
Lying on your back with knees bent, cross the ankle of one leg over the opposite thigh and gently pull that thigh toward you until a stretch is felt deep in the buttock. Keep it gentle.
Lying on your back, pull one knee up and gently across toward the opposite shoulder until a stretch is felt in the buttock and outer hip.
Lying on your back, loop a towel or belt around the ball of one foot and raise the leg with the knee straight until a stretch is felt behind the thigh. Keep the other leg flat.
While lying down or standing, slowly reach both hands towards your toes while keeping the knees extended. Hold, relax and repeat.
Kneel on one knee with the other foot in front. Tuck your tailbone under and shift gently forward until a stretch is felt in the front of the kneeling-side hip. Keep the trunk upright.
Skip this section if you have lateral hip pain or gluteal tendinopathy — see the avoid-list at the top.
Stand next to a wall with the leg to be stretched crossed BEHIND the other. With a hand on the wall, lean your hips toward the wall until a stretch is felt along the outside of the hip and thigh.
Call Dr. Kelly’s office at (509) 460-5588 for fever over 101°F, increasing redness or drainage at incisions, pain that is worsening instead of improving, or new numbness or tingling. For chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.
Dr. Kelly sees patients at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick.
Request an AppointmentCall Dr. Kelly’s office at (509) 460-5588 if your pain is worsening instead of improving despite these exercises, if you develop new numbness, tingling, or weakness, or if pain wakes you at night or keeps you from your daily activities. For chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.
Dr. Kelly sees patients at Tri-City Orthopedics in Kennewick.
Request an Appointment