Relief for the Ache on the Outside of Your Hip
Does a shot help hip bursitis on the outside of the hip?
A trochanteric bursa injection places cortisone and numbing medicine over the bony point on the outside of the hip to calm hip bursitis and gluteal tendon pain. Many people feel better within days, with relief often lasting several weeks to a few months. Results last longest when paired with a targeted strengthening program.
Pain on the outside of the hip that keeps you from lying on that side is one of the most common reasons people come to our practice. Doctors used to call it trochanteric bursitis. Today it is known as greater trochanteric pain syndrome, because the gluteal tendons are usually involved as much as the bursa. An injection can quiet it while the real fix, strength, catches up.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeonLast reviewed October 2026
At a glance
- Also called
- hip bursitis shot, greater trochanteric pain syndrome injection, outer hip injection, gluteal tendinopathy injection
- Typical recovery
- Month 3 and beyond
- Category
- Injections & Orthobiologics
Is Trochanteric Bursa Injection right for you?
Usually a good fit if
- Outer hip pain that hurts to lie on at night
- Pain climbing stairs, getting out of the car or standing on one leg
- Women in midlife, the group most often affected
- Runners and walkers with side-of-hip pain after adding mileage
- People whose therapy is stalled because pain limits the exercises
Another option may be better if
- A full-thickness gluteus medius tear with weakness and a limp, where repeat steroid can further weaken the tendon
- Pain that is truly coming from the lower back or the hip joint, which needs a different treatment
- Patients who have already had several injections with shorter and shorter relief
What happens, step by step
Confirming the source
Dr. Stride presses on the greater trochanter, tests single-leg stance and resisted hip rotation, and checks your back. Ultrasound in the office can show tendon thickening, fluid in the bursa or a tendon tear.
Ultrasound-guided injection
You lie on your side. After the skin is cleaned and numbed, a thin needle is guided with ultrasound to the bursa and the area around the irritated tendon, avoiding injecting into the tendon itself.
Medicine and a quick test
A corticosteroid and local anesthetic are injected. Many people can lie on that side or climb a step with less pain within minutes.
Pairing it with strength
You leave with a therapy plan focused on the gluteal muscles and advice on positions to avoid, such as crossing the legs and sleeping directly on the sore hip.
Typical recovery timeline
Normal walking is fine. Ice the area if it is sore once the numbing wears off.
A short flare of soreness is possible. A pillow between the knees helps at night.
Relief usually builds as the steroid takes effect.
Physical therapy builds gluteal strength. This is what keeps pain from returning once the injection fades.
If pain returns, Dr. Stride may check for a tendon tear with MRI and discuss PRP, shockwave therapy or tendon repair.
Timelines are typical ranges. Your plan depends on your hip, your health and what was done in surgery.
“Outer hip pain is usually a tendon problem dressed up as bursitis. A shot can make you comfortable quickly, but I want you strong enough that you never need the next one. If this pain keeps coming back, I look harder for a tear.”
Dr. Stride, MD
Frequently asked questions
How long does a hip bursitis injection last?
Many people get several weeks to a few months of relief. Research shows cortisone helps most in the short term and the effect often fades by about 6 months. Combining it with exercise therapy gives you a much better chance of lasting results.
How many bursitis shots can you get in the hip?
Dr. Stride usually limits steroid injections in the same area to a few per year. Repeated steroid near the gluteal tendons may weaken them over time. If you need frequent shots, it is worth checking for a tendon tear.
What is the fastest way to get rid of hip bursitis?
An injection often calms pain fastest, while a targeted strengthening program gives the most lasting results. Avoid crossing your legs, standing with your weight on one hip and sleeping on the painful side. Most people improve within 6 to 12 weeks with this combination.
Can hip bursitis be a torn tendon?
Yes, sometimes. A gluteus medius tear causes the same outer hip pain, often with a limp or weakness standing on that leg. An MRI or ultrasound can tell the difference, and a tear that does not respond to care can be repaired.
Related treatments
Hip Physical Therapy
Physical therapy helps many types of hip pain, including arthritis, gluteal tendinopathy, hip impingement and many labral tears.
Read more →InjectionsPRP Hip Injection
A PRP hip injection uses platelets concentrated from your own blood and injected into the hip joint or a damaged tendon.
Read more →PreservationGluteus Medius Tendon Repair
Gluteus medius tendon repair is a surgery that reattaches the torn hip abductor tendons to the outside of the hip bone, done endoscopically or through a small open incision.
Read more →DiagnosisHip Exam & Gait Analysis
A hip exam with an orthopedic hip specialist is a hands-on check of range of motion, labral and impingement signs, tendon strength and walking pattern.
Read more →CompareCortisone vs PRP
Cortisone and PRP hip injections work differently.
See the comparison →Hip pain this can help with
Pain on the Outside of the Hip
Pain on the outside of the hip is most often greater trochanteric pain syndrome, an irritation of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons and the bursa over the bony point of the hip.
Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptomHip Pain at Night
Hip pain at night is most often caused by greater trochanteric pain syndrome, where lying on the side compresses the gluteal tendons, or by hip osteoarthritis, which can ache at rest as it advances.
Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptomPain After Hip Replacement
Pain after hip replacement is normal for the first several weeks and usually fades steadily over about 3 months.
Causes & treatment →Questions patients ask about this
Cortisone Shot in the Hip: What to Expect
A hip cortisone shot combines a numbing medicine with a steroid.
Hip Pain in Women: Menopause, Bursitis and What Else It Could Be
Hip pain in women is most often caused by gluteal tendinopathy, the tendon problem usually called hip bursitis, which peaks between ages 40 and 60.
How Long Does Hip Bursitis Last (and Why Won't Mine Go Away)?
With the right exercise program, many people with hip bursitis improve noticeably within about two months.
SourcesReferences used for this page3
Medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD against current guidance from these sources. Last reviewed October 2026. How we write and review content
- Hip Bursitis (opens in a new tab) AAOS OrthoInfo
- The effect of corticosteroid injection in the treatment of greater trochanter pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (opens in a new tab) PubMed Central (PMC)
- Management of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: A Narrative Review (opens in a new tab) PubMed Central (PMC)