Gluteal Tendinopathy Treatment in Naperville, IL — Why Rest and Stretching Often Make It Worse

If you’ve landed on the term “gluteal tendinopathy,” you’re already ahead of most people with outer hip pain — because you’ve found the accurate name for it. Maybe a provider finally used it, or maybe you did the digging yourself after “hip bursitis” and a cortisone shot didn’t hold.

Here’s the part that catches almost everyone off guard: the rest and the hip stretches you were told to do can actually be feeding the problem.

I’m Dr. Jennifer Wise, DC, Acupuncturist, and in 26 years of practice here in Naperville (since 2000) I’ve treated a lot of lateral hip pain that didn’t respond to the standard plan — usually for reasons that make complete sense once you understand what gluteal tendinopathy really is. This guide explains what’s actually happening in the tendon, why some of the most common advice backfires, and the regenerative, cause-based approach we use at Synergy Institute Acupuncture & Chiropractic to get these tendons to finally heal.

The Short Answer

Gluteal tendinopathy is degeneration of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons where they attach to the outer hip — and it is not primarily an inflammation problem. That single fact changes everything. Rest doesn’t fix a degenerated tendon, anti-inflammatory care misses the target, and many common hip stretches compress the tendon against the bone and make it worse. What works is the opposite logic: take the compression off, load the tendon correctly, and — when it’s stuck in a non-healing cycle — restart the repair process directly. The most effective tool we have for that last part is SoftWave therapy and shockwave therapy, both with published research for this exact condition.

Synergy Institute Acupuncture & Chiropractic is a gluteal tendinopathy treatment clinic located in Naperville, Illinois. Our approach doesn’t lead with a device. It starts with confirming the diagnosis and the mechanics behind it, then layers chiropractic care to correct the gait and pelvic patterns overloading the tendon, acupuncture to calm pain and support healing, a progressive loading program, and regenerative therapy to rebuild the tendon itself. Most clinics in the area offer one of those pieces. The sequencing of all of them is what produces lasting results.

A 2018 study in PLoS ONE tracked patients with MRI-confirmed gluteal tendinopathy treated with low-energy shockwave therapy and found significant, lasting pain reduction at an average of more than two years of follow-up — improvement documented on imaging, not just in symptoms (Seo et al., 2018).

Quick Facts: Gluteal Tendinopathy at a Glance

Does This Sound Like You?

If several of these fit, gluteal tendinopathy is the likely culprit:

• ✅ You can’t sleep on that hip without it aching
• ✅ Stairs, hills, or standing on one leg bring on the pain
• ✅ It’s worse after sitting a while, then eases as you start moving
• ✅ Stretching your hip or IT band makes it worse, not better
• ✅ A cortisone shot helped for a few weeks, then faded
• ✅ Months of rest or physical therapy still haven’t fixed it

If that’s you, keep reading — there’s a clear reason these treatments haven’t worked, and a path that finally addresses the cause.

What Gluteal Tendinopathy Actually Is

Your gluteus medius and minimus muscles run from your pelvis down to a bony bump on the outer hip called the greater trochanter, attaching there through tendons. Those tendons are the workhorses that stabilize your pelvis every time you stand on one leg, walk, or climb stairs. Tendinopathy means the tendon tissue itself has broken down and degenerated — not from a single tear, but from a long mismatch between the load placed on it and its ability to repair.

This is where the word matters. People hear “tendinitis” and think inflammation — the “-itis” implies it. But true gluteal tendinitis is uncommon. What we almost always find is tendinosis: structural degeneration of the tendon with little or no active inflammation. The Cleveland Clinic puts the practical difference plainly — unlike an inflammatory injury, this kind of tendon problem rarely improves with rest.

So when I tell patients this isn’t an inflammation problem, it’s a failed healing problem, I’m not being clever. It’s the clinical reality, and it’s the reason the inflammation-based playbook keeps coming up short.

Why Rest and Stretching Often Make It Worse

This is the section I wish every patient read first, because it explains the most frustrating part of this condition.

The gluteal tendons don’t just get pulled — they get compressed. When your hip moves into adduction (your thigh crossing toward or past your midline), the tendon gets squeezed against the greater trochanter. For a healthy tendon that’s fine. For a degenerated one, compression is exactly the load it can’t tolerate.

Now look at the “standard” advice through that lens:

• The IT-band stretch where you cross one leg behind the other and lean — that’s hip adduction. Compression.
• Sitting with your legs crossed, or with knees together and feet apart — adduction. Compression.
• Standing with your weight hung onto one hip all day — sustained compression.
• Sleeping on your side with your top knee dropping forward onto the mattress — compression all night, which is why lying on that hip wakes you up.

And rest? A degenerated tendon doesn’t heal by being left alone — it heals by being loaded correctly. Pure rest lets it weaken further, so the moment you return to activity, it flares again. That’s the cycle so many people get stuck in: rest, feel a little better, do too much, flare, rest again.

What Causes It

Gluteal tendinopathy builds when load outpaces repair, usually from a combination of:

• Weak or deconditioned hip stabilizers, forcing the tendons to overwork
• Compressive habits and postures — the positions above, repeated daily
• Gait and pelvic mechanics that overload one side, often after a back, knee, or foot problem
• Hormonal changes around menopause, a major reason women are affected far more than men
• A sudden jump in activity — new mileage, a fitness program, a big increase in steps

There’s also a strong link with the low back. As many as one in three people with low back pain develop lateral hip pain from gluteal tendinopathy, because the same mechanics that stress the spine also overload the hip.

Why This Matters for Treatment

If the cause is degeneration plus compression plus overload, then the fix has to address all three — not just chase the pain. That’s the entire logic behind how we treat it: unload the tendon, correct the mechanics that overloaded it, rebuild the tissue, and load it back to strength. Miss any one of those and the relief doesn’t last.

Symptoms to Watch For

• Pain on the outer hip, sometimes spreading down the outer thigh
• Pain lying on that side — often the first thing to disrupt sleep
• Pain getting up from a low chair, on stairs, or standing on one leg
• Tenderness when you press the bony point of the hip
• Pain that’s worse after sitting a while, eases as you start moving, then worsens with sustained activity

🚨 When to seek urgent care: Lateral hip pain is rarely an emergency, but get evaluated right away if you have fever or chills with a hot, red, swollen hip (possible infection), if you can’t bear weight after a fall (possible fracture, especially with osteoporosis), or if hip pain comes with unexplained weight loss or night pain unrelieved by rest. These need imaging and a medical doctor’s evaluation before any hands-on care.

Why Physical Therapy Sometimes Isn’t Enough

Let me be fair here: load management and a good exercise program are the foundation of treating gluteal tendinopathy, and they help most people. I’m not anti-exercise — quite the opposite.

But the research is honest about the ceiling. Studies have found that somewhere between 10% and 40% of people with gluteal tendinopathy don’t get adequate relief from conservative care alone. If you’ve put in months of physical therapy and you’re still hurting, you’re not imagining it, and you didn’t fail the program — you’re in that group the program doesn’t fully reach. That usually means the tendon is too far into degeneration to remodel on loading alone. It needs a direct trigger to restart repair. That’s where regenerative therapy comes in.

Treatment Options Compared

How SoftWave and Shockwave Rebuild the Tendon

Both SoftWave therapy and traditional shockwave send controlled acoustic energy into the degenerated tendon. That energy does what medication can’t: it kick-starts a stalled biological repair. It triggers angiogenesis — new blood vessels growing into tissue with poor circulation — and recruits your body’s own repair cells to the site. In effect, it convinces a chronic, non-healing tendon to behave like a fresh injury the body knows how to fix.

The evidence on the hip specifically is strong. Shockwave has outperformed both cortisone injection and home exercise for this condition in randomized trials, with benefits that lasted rather than faded. In the MRI-documented study I mentioned earlier, the tendon improvement showed up on imaging and held at long-term follow-up. A 2024 systematic review confirmed shockwave as a legitimate, evidence-supported option here.

We were the first clinic in Naperville to offer SoftWave therapy, bringing in the TRT OrthoGold 100 system in August 2021. SoftWave uses a broad, unfocused wave that treats more of the tendon and is generally comfortable — most patients describe a tapping sensation, not pain. A course runs as a series of short sessions over several weeks, with no downtime.

Synergy Institute’s Integrative Approach

Here’s what I tell every patient: the best gluteal tendinopathy treatment in Naperville isn’t about one therapy — it’s about applying the right combination in the right sequence.

Regenerating the tendon is the centerpiece, but if the forces that broke it down are still in play, the problem returns. So we work in layers:

• Diagnosis first. We confirm this is gluteal tendinopathy versus hip joint arthritis, a labral issue, or pain referred from the low back — and we identify the specific compression and gait patterns driving your case. If you were told this was hip bursitis, this is where we clear that up.
• Chiropractic care to correct the pelvic alignment and movement mechanics overloading the tendon.
• Regenerative therapy — SoftWave or shockwave — to rebuild the tendon at the source.
• Acupuncture to settle pain signaling and improve the local healing environment, an advantage of a dual-credentialed clinic.
• MLS laser therapy to support tissue recovery between sessions when needed.
• A progressive loading program, because the tendon ultimately has to be rebuilt to strength — not just calmed down.

No single-device clinic in the area runs this full stack. That sequencing is the difference between relief that lasts and relief that wears off.

Are You a Good Candidate?

You’re likely a good candidate if you:

• Have had outer hip pain for more than six weeks
• Have an accurate gluteal tendinopathy diagnosis, or pain that fits the pattern
• Have already tried rest, NSAIDs, stretching, PT, or cortisone without lasting relief
• Want to treat the cause, not chase the pain
• Prefer a non-surgical, drug-free path

You may NOT be a good candidate if you have:

• An active infection, open wound, or skin condition over the area
• A known or suspected tumor in the area
• A bleeding disorder or are on blood thinners (we’ll discuss individually)
• A very recent cortisone injection (we space treatment appropriately)
• A full-thickness gluteal tendon tear, or pain that turns out to be hip arthritis or a fracture needing surgical referral
• Pregnancy (for SoftWave/shockwave specifically)

This is where my honest-assessment commitment comes in: if I don’t think we can help you, I’ll tell you directly. I’d rather refer you to someone who can help than waste your time and money. Some hips need a surgeon. Most don’t.

What to Expect

Your first visit is an evaluation, not a sales pitch. We take a history, examine the hip, run the clinical tests that distinguish gluteal tendinopathy from other causes of lateral hip pain, and review any imaging you have. If we find something that needs a specialist or surgeon, we’ll point you there.

If you’re a fit, we build a plan — typically a series of regenerative sessions over several weeks, paired with chiropractic, the compression-unloading changes, and a home loading program. Many patients notice a shift within the first few weeks, though tendon remodeling continues for a couple of months after treatment ends. Real structural healing takes time, and we’ll be straight with you about the timeline.

On cost: SoftWave and shockwave are usually out-of-pocket and offered as packages rather than per visit, since the protocol works as a series. We review exact pricing transparently at your first visit, so there are no surprises — and it’s often far less than the path of repeated injections, imaging, and possible surgery.

Why Choose Synergy Institute

For chronic lateral hip pain, you want a Naperville gluteal tendinopathy specialist who can identify the real driver and treat it at the root — and the best option near you comes down to depth of approach, not the size of the waiting room. Here’s what we bring:

• 26 years of clinical experience (since 2000) focused on the stubborn pain that hasn’t responded elsewhere
• Dual credentials — Doctor of Chiropractic and Acupuncturist — so multiple disciplines work together under one roof
• First in Naperville with SoftWave therapy (2021), with a long track record of adopting regenerative tools, going back to being the first clinic in Illinois to offer non-surgical spinal decompression in 2002
• A diagnosis-first, cause-based philosophy instead of one-size-fits-all symptom care
• Honest assessment, every time

Why Synergy Institute, in one line

If gluteal tendinopathy has you stuck in a cycle of rest, stretching, and shots that don’t last, it’s because those target inflammation and flexibility — and your problem is a degenerated, compressed, under-loaded tendon. At Synergy Institute, we treat that root cause with research-backed SoftWave and shockwave therapy plus the chiropractic, acupuncture, and loading program that single-device clinics can’t offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gluteal tendinopathy the same as hip bursitis?

They’re closely related and often confused. For years, lateral hip pain was labeled hip bursitis — inflammation of the bursa over the outer hip. We now know most of that pain is actually gluteal tendinopathy, degeneration of the gluteal tendons, with the bursa irritated only as a secondary effect. Both fall under the umbrella term greater trochanteric pain syndrome. The distinction matters because it changes which treatment actually work. See the full breakdown of hip bursitis vs. gluteal tendinopathy →

Why is stretching making my hip pain worse?

Because most hip stretches move the hip into adduction, which compresses the degenerated tendon against the bone. Compression is exactly the load a damaged gluteal tendon can’t tolerate. So a stretch that feels like it should help is actually aggravating the tissue. Removing compressive positions, not stretching into them, is one of the first changes we make.

Will rest fix gluteal tendinopathy?

Usually not. Unlike an acute inflammatory injury, a degenerated tendon doesn’t heal by being left alone — it weakens further. Then activity flares it again, and you’re stuck in a rest-flare cycle. Tendons heal through the right kind of progressive loading, which is why a guided program beats simply resting.

Why didn’t my cortisone shot work?

Cortisone targets inflammation, and this isn’t primarily an inflammation problem. Injections often help for a few weeks, then fade, because the underlying tendon degeneration is untouched. Repeated cortisone can also weaken the tendon you’re trying to heal. If your shots wore off, the treatment was aimed at the wrong problem.

Does shockwave therapy work for gluteal tendinopathy?

Yes — it’s one of the better-supported options. Randomized trials show shockwave outperforming cortisone and home exercise for this condition, with lasting results, and an MRI-documented study showed tendon improvement held at long-term follow-up. A 2024 systematic review backed it as evidence-based. It works by stimulating new blood vessel growth and a genuine repair response in the tendon.

What’s the difference between SoftWave and traditional shockwave?

Both deliver acoustic energy that triggers healing. Traditional shockwave focuses the wave on a small point. SoftWave uses a broad, unfocused wave that covers more tissue and is usually more comfortable. We use both and match the tool to your case. We were the first in Naperville to bring in SoftWave, using the TRT OrthoGold 100 system.

I’ve done months of physical therapy. Why am I still in pain?

Load management and exercise are the right foundation and help most people, but research shows 10% to 40% of patients don’t get enough relief from conservative care alone. That usually means the tendon is too degenerated to remodel on loading by itself and needs a direct trigger to restart repair. Adding regenerative therapy to your loading program is often what closes that gap.

Why are women affected more than men?

Hormonal changes around menopause appear to reduce tendon resilience, which is a major reason gluteal tendinopathy is far more common in women over 40. Anatomy and gait mechanics play a role too. It’s not a sign you did anything wrong — it’s a known pattern, and it responds well to the right approach.

How many treatments will I need?

Most patients do a series of sessions over several weeks rather than a single visit, because tendon repair is a process. Many feel improvement within the first few weeks, and remodeling continues for a couple of months after the course ends. We give you a specific plan and timeline at your first visit based on how long you’ve had it and what we find on exam.

Could my hip pain be something other than gluteal tendinopathy?

Yes, which is why we diagnose before we treat. Lateral hip pain can come from hip joint arthritis, a labral tear, or be referred from the low back or SI joint. Each needs a different plan. We run the clinical tests that tell these apart and review your imaging so you’re not treated for the wrong thing.

Ready to Get Your Hip Tendons to Actually Heal?

If rest, stretching, and cortisone haven’t worked, there’s a clear reason — and a better path that treats the real cause. As Naperville’s cause-based clinic for gluteal tendinopathy, Synergy Institute Acupuncture & Chiropractic will pinpoint what’s driving your lateral hip pain and rebuild the tendon at the source.

Claim your free Pain Relief consultation today. Call or text (630) 454-1300, or call our office directly at (630) 355-8022.

Synergy Institute Acupuncture & Chiropractic 4931 Illinois Rte 59, Suite 121 Naperville, IL 60564 (at 111th Street)synergypainrelief.com

References

1. Cleveland Clinic. Gluteal tendinopathy: symptoms, causes and treatment. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22960-gluteal-tendinopathy
2. Seo KH, Lee JY, Yoon K, et al. Long-term outcome of low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy on gluteal tendinopathy documented by magnetic resonance imaging. PLoS One. 2018;13(7):e0197460. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0197460
3. Mellor R, Bennell K, Grimaldi A, et al. Education plus exercise versus corticosteroid injection use versus a wait and see approach on global outcome and pain from gluteal tendinopathy: prospective, single blinded, randomised clinical trial. BMJ. 2018;361:k1662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29720374/
4. Grimaldi A, Mellor R, Nicolson P, et al. Utility of clinical tests to diagnose MRI-confirmed gluteal tendinopathy in patients presenting with lateral hip pain. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(6):519-524. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27474385/
5. Furia JP, Rompe JD, Maffulli N. Low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Am J Sports Med. 2009;37(9):1806-1813. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0363546509333014
6. Rompe JD, Segal NA, Cacchio A, et al. Home training, local corticosteroid injection, or radial shock wave therapy for greater trochanter pain syndrome. Am J Sports Med. 2009;37(10):1981-1990. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0363546509334374
7. Ramon S, Russo S, Santoboni F, et al. Focused shockwave treatment for greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020;102(15):1305-1311. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32769596/
8. Harding L, et al. Is shockwave therapy effective in the management of greater trochanteric pain syndrome? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal Care. 2024. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/msc.1892
9. Notarnicola A, Ladisa I, Lanzilotta P, et al. Shock waves and therapeutic exercise in greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a prospective randomized clinical trial with cross-over. J Pers Med. 2023;13(6):976. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10301141/
10. Wilson R, Abbott JH, Mellor R, et al. Education plus exercise for persistent gluteal tendinopathy improves quality of life and is cost-effective: economic evaluation of a randomised trial. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S183695532200114X

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Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual results vary. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or before beginning any new treatment. No treatment outcome is guaranteed.

Reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Wise, DC, Acupuncturist — June 2026