Woodley Massage Practice

After the lovely long summer I am glad it is now October. I am ready for cosy pyjamas, hot chocolate, ginger cake, movie nights with the family and Halloween.

Now the weather is getting cooler and damper your joints may be starting to ache and you may be feeling like you want to hibernate.
Why not book yourself in for a thermally therapeutic Hot Stone Massage and melt your aches and pains away.

AVAILABILITY TO END OF NOVEMBER
Tuesday 20th October at 10am and 12pm
Thursday 22nd October at 10am and 12pm
Monday 2nd November at 12pm and 2pm
Tuesday 3rd November at 12pm
Saturday 7th November at 1pm
Sunday 8th November at 1pm and 3pm
Monday 9th November at 2pm
Thursday 12th November at 10am and 12pm
Monday 16th November at 12pm
Thursday 19th November at 10am and 12pm
Sunday 22nd November at 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Monday 23rd November at 10am and 12pm
Tuesday 24th November at 10am and 12pm

Tel: 07923 552583 to book

Next Availability
Friday 9th October at 10am and 2pm

Tel 07923 552583 to book

🚨 STOP STRETCHING YOUR OUTER HIP INTO MORE PAIN! THAT “TIGHT HIP” MAY ACTUALLY BE A LOAD-TOLERANCE PROBLEM. 🍑⚠️

If sleeping on your side hurts…

If climbing stairs irritates the outside of your hip…

If standing on one leg creates a deep lateral ache…

If running suddenly makes the outside of your hip angry…

You may be dealing with a condition commonly described as greater trochanteric pain syndrome, or GTPS.

And one of the biggest problems with the way this condition is discussed online is that everything gets reduced to:

“Your glutes are tight.”

“Your IT band is tight.”

“Stretch more.”

“Roll the outside of your hip.”

That explanation is often too simplistic.

Current NHS guidance describes lateral hip pain/GTPS as involving tissues around the greater trochanter, with gluteal tendons commonly considered important pain sources. Contributing factors can include sudden increases in activity, prolonged positions, increased hip compression and changes in hip loading.

Think of the lateral hip as a biological suspension system.

Your pelvis sits above the femur.

The gluteal muscles help control the pelvis and hip.

Their tendons transfer force.

The hip repeatedly manages compression and tension during walking, running, stair climbing and single-leg stance.

This system doesn't operate in isolation.

It responds to:

LOAD.

POSITION.

FREQUENCY.

RECOVERY.

And especially:

COMPRESSION + TENSION.

THE ENGINEERING BREAKDOWN

Imagine a suspension bridge.

It has cables.

Anchors.

Load-transfer points.

And structural limits.

Now imagine repeatedly applying force while also compressing one section of the system.

The problem isn't necessarily that the cable is “too short.”

The problem may be that the structure is repeatedly being exposed to more stress than it currently tolerates.

The lateral hip can behave similarly.

That does not mean every case of lateral hip pain is caused by poor posture or weak glutes.

It means the mechanical environment matters.

THE MECHANICAL FAILURE

Sudden activity increase: More walking, running or stair volume can increase hip demand.
Single-leg loading: Standing and moving on one leg requires substantial pelvic control.
Hip compression: Certain positions can increase compression around the lateral hip.
Side sleeping: Direct pressure can aggravate an already sensitive region.
Prolonged standing: Habitually loading one leg may increase local demand.
Running progression: More distance or intensity can raise repetitive hip loading.
Reduced capacity: If the gluteal system has not adapted to the new workload, symptoms can emerge.
The “Compression Zone”: The red hotspot represents the lateral hip symptom region—not proof of one single pathological structure.

And this is where one popular fix can become counterproductive.

WHY AGGRESSIVE OUTER-HIP STRETCHING CAN MISS THE TARGET

If the lateral hip is sensitive to compression, repeatedly forcing the hip into positions that increase compression may not be the smartest starting point.

That doesn't mean stretching is universally “bad.”

It means the exercise has to match the problem.

A person whose symptoms are strongly aggravated by compression may need a different strategy from someone whose main limitation is mobility.

The body doesn't read Instagram captions.

It responds to mechanical input.

So if every stretch reproduces the exact lateral hip pain you're trying to calm down, more stretching isn't automatically better.

The same applies to aggressive foam rolling.

You may change sensation.

You may temporarily reduce perceived tightness.

But you haven't necessarily increased the capacity of the gluteal tendon system to tolerate running, stairs or single-leg loading.

THE 3-STEP MECHANICAL FIX

STEP 1 — Identify the compression triggers.

Look at the positions that reproduce symptoms. Side sleeping? Crossing the legs? Hanging on one hip while standing? Long walks? Running? Stairs? Getting out of a car? The objective isn't to become afraid of movement. It's to temporarily reduce unnecessary aggravating exposure while maintaining useful activity.

STEP 2 — Rebuild hip-abductor capacity.

Depending on the clinical assessment, rehabilitation may include progressive gluteus medius and gluteus minimus strengthening, isometric loading, controlled single-leg exercises and eventually more demanding functional movements. The goal is progressive capacity—not endlessly squeezing the glutes for a few seconds and calling it rehabilitation.

STEP 3 — Restore real-world loading.

A hip that can perform a side-lying exercise isn't automatically ready for a 10-mile run. Progress from controlled exercises toward walking, stairs, running, lateral movement or sport-specific tasks according to the individual's goals and symptoms. Gradually increasing exposure allows the system to adapt to the demands it actually needs to handle.

This is why “rest until it goes away” can also be incomplete.

If you stop everything, symptoms may settle.

But your body hasn't necessarily developed the capacity required for your next workload.

Then you return to your old routine.

The same demand appears.

The same irritation returns.

And you conclude:

“Nothing works.”

Sometimes the missing ingredient isn't another treatment.

It's progressive loading.

Current NHS guidance notes that GTPS can take months to settle and that gradual return to normal activity can help rebuild strength and stamina. Corticosteroid injections may sometimes be discussed for pain management, but they are not presented as a guaranteed cure.

That distinction matters when social media starts selling one injection, one stretch or one magic exercise as the entire solution.

Your lateral hip is a mechanical system.

Treat it like one.

And remember:

Not every outside-hip pain is GTPS.

Hip-joint pathology, lumbar-related pain, tendon disorders and other conditions can overlap.

Persistent symptoms, significant weakness, trauma, severe pain or unexplained worsening should receive appropriate professional assessment.

The objective isn't to “fix your posture.”

The objective is to restore enough capacity for the activities you actually want to perform.

Your hip doesn't need to be bullied.

It needs the correct dose of mechanical stress.

Posting this early because some of my wonderful clients are extremely organised when it comes to Christmas. That's right, I am now in possession of the Christmas Cards for The Christie Hospital. If you are interested in purchasing any, please bring extra pennies with you to your appointment or arrange with me to come and choose some 🙏

Early start as working in London today. I may not be able to respond to messages until this afternoon 🙌👐🙌

Next Availability
Fri 9th Oct at 10am and 2pm
Tues 20th Oct at 10am and 12pm
Thurs 22nd Oct at 10am and 12pm
Mon 2nd Nov at 10am and 12pm
Tues 3rd Nov at 10am and 12pm
Tel: 07923 552583 to book

LAST MINUTE APPOINTMENT AVAILABLE TOMORROW (28th Sept) at 12pm

Tel: 07923 552583 to book

Alleviate muscular discomfort with a Professional Therapeutic Massage at Woodley Massage Practice.

AVAILABILITY
Friday 9th October at 2pm
Saturday 17th October at 11am and 1pm
Tuesday 20th October at 10am and 12pm
Thursday 22nd October at 10am and 12pm
Tuesday 3rd November at 10am and 12pm
Friday 6th November at 10am and 12pm
Saturday 7th November at 1pm
Sunday 8th November at 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Monday 9th November at 12pm and 2pm
Tuesday 10th November at 2pm
Thursday 12th November at 10am and 12pm

Tel: 07923 552583 to book

Oooh I do love a paper diary 🤣. All is well now I have one for 2027 😁