Patient Guide
Why does my hip hurt when I lie on my side?
Pain over the bony point of the hip when lying on it is almost always gluteal tendon rather than the joint.
The Short Answer
What This Pattern Usually Means
The gluteus medius and minimus tendons pass over the bony prominence on the side of the hip. Lying on that side compresses them directly, which reproduces the pain with remarkable consistency.
This is commonly labeled bursitis, but the underlying tissue problem is usually tendinopathy. That distinction matters because repeated cortisone into a degenerated tendon can weaken it, while a precisely placed orthobiologic plus abductor strengthening addresses the actual tissue.
Hip joint arthritis produces a different pattern — groin and front-of-thigh pain, worse with rotation and walking, not primarily with lying down.
Likely Sources
The Diagnoses Behind This Symptom
Don't Wait
When To Be Seen Sooner
- Inability to bear weight after a fall
- Pain waking you every night for more than a month
- Pain returning weeks after each cortisone shot
- New numbness or weakness in the leg
This guide is general education, not a diagnosis. For anything urgent — progressive weakness, or any change in bladder or bowel control — seek emergency care.
How We'd Approach It
One Physician, One Plan
- A hands-on exam that loads each candidate structure separately
- Independent review of your existing films, not just the report
- In-room ultrasound while you move, so tissue behavior is seen live
- A diagnostic guided block when more than one structure could be responsible
- Treatment matched to the confirmed source, not a set protocol
- A written loading program so relief becomes capacity
FAQs
Questions Patients Ask
Why does the relief keep wearing off?
Because the tendon was never progressively loaded after the injection, or the real source was the lumbar spine.
Is walking bad for it?
Usually not. Prolonged standing on one leg, crossing the legs, and side-lying are the bigger aggravators.
Request a Consultation
Tell us what's going on and our team will get right back to you. For anything urgent, call us directly.
1-983-210-8167