Hip Pain & Tendon Injuries

Accurate diagnosis for hip pain using real-time ultrasound — so treatment matches the true source of pain.

Who This Is For

Hip pain is extremely common in:

  • Middle-aged active adults
  • Runners
  • Lifters
  • Women with lateral hip pain
  • Individuals previously diagnosed with “bursitis” that never improved
  • Patients who failed physical therapy alone

Many patients come in after months — or years — of persistent hip pain without clear answers.

Physician performing diagnostic ultrasound for hip pain evaluation in Tacoma

The Hip Is a Complex Joint

Hip pain can originate from:

  • Gluteus medius or minimus tendons
  • Greater trochanteric bursa
  • Rectus femoris tendon
  • Hip joint (labrum or osteoarthritis)
  • Proximal hamstring tendon
  • IT band irritation
  • Deep posterior hip structures

Symptoms overlap significantly.

Without imaging, lateral hip pain is often labeled “bursitis,” anterior pain is dismissed as tight hip flexors, and posterior pain is misattributed to the low back.

Ultrasound helps differentiate exactly where the pain and dysfunction are coming from — which completely changes treatment.

Using real-time musculoskeletal ultrasound, we evaluate:

Lateral Hip Pathology

  • Gluteus medius tendinopathy
  • Gluteus minimus tendinopathy
  • Partial gluteal tendon tears
  • Greater trochanteric bursitis
  • IT band-related irritation

Anterior Hip

  • Rectus femoris tendinopathy
  • Iliopsoas irritation
  • Hip joint effusion

Posterior Hip

  • Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
  • Ischial region irritation

Intra-Articular Suspicion

  • Labral-related pain
  • Hip osteoarthritis

Dynamic ultrasound and side-to-side comparison allow us to correlate findings directly with your symptoms.

Ultrasound-guided hip joint injection performed by sports medicine physician

Every hip evaluation begins with diagnostic ultrasound paired with your functional complaints.

This allows us to:

  • Differentiate tendon pathology from joint pathology
  • Confirm partial tears
  • Identify chronic degenerative changes
  • Determine if injection is diagnostic or therapeutic
  • Avoid unnecessary imaging when appropriate

Ultrasound also allows seamless transition into ultrasound-guided procedures during the same visit when indicated.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound assessment of ankle joint and peroneal tendons

Precision-Guided Treatment

Treatment depends on:

  • Ultrasound findings
  • Symptom chronicity
  • Activity demands
  • Response to prior therapy

Corticosteroid Injections

Used selectively for:

  • Diagnostic hip joint injections
  • Significant inflammation
  • Pain limiting rehabilitation

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)

Frequently used for:

  • Gluteus medius and minimus tendinopathy
  • Partial gluteal tendon tears
  • Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
  • Hip osteoarthritis
  • Labral-related pain

PRP is commonly performed under real-time ultrasound guidance for gluteal and hamstring tendons to ensure precise placement at the site of pathology.

All injections are image-guided to improve accuracy and safety.

Hip pain rarely exists in isolation.

Compensatory tension and fascial restriction often contribute to persistent symptoms.

We frequently incorporate:

  • Dry needling
  • Cupping therapy

These are used to:

  • Modulate pain
  • Reduce surrounding muscular overactivity
  • Improve fascial glide
  • Support improved load tolerance

The goal is restoring functional movement — not simply reducing symptoms.

Dry needling used to address muscular and fascial restrictions contributing to hip pain

Ready to Get Clear Answers for Your Hip Pain?

If hip pain has not responded to rest or therapy — or you’ve been told it’s “just bursitis” without improvement — diagnostic ultrasound can identify the true source.