Bursitis in the gluteus minimus tendon is inflammation of your bursa which is a fluid filled sac that is located near the insertion point of your gluteus minimus tendon on the greater trochanter of your femur.
It's commonly known as trochanteric bursitis and causes pain on the outer side of your hip, often associated with activities which involve hip abduction and rotation.
Your gluteus medius can hurt due to prolonged sitting, a sudden injury such as a fall, muscle weakness, poor posture, repetitive movements and overuse.
These things can strain your muscle and cause pain in your hip area.
Any activity that puts any excessive stress on your hip stabilizer muscle can lead to pain and discomfort.
You can tell the difference between sciatica and glute pain by the location of the pain.
Glute pain is often localized to your buttocks area and often stems from muscle strains or issues with your piriformis muscle.
Sciatica pain radiates down your leg from your lower back.
If the pain travels down your leg then it most likely is sciatica pain and if the pain is soley in your buttocks then it's likely glute pain.
The muscle that is near the sciatic nerve in the buttocks is the piriformis muscle.
The piriformis muscle is located deep in your buttocks and connects your pelvic area to the top of your thigh bone.
The function of the piriformis muscle helps rotate your hip and turn your leg and foot outward.
Your sciatic nerve most commonly runs underneath your piriformis.
The difference between the piriformis and the gluteus minimus are the gluteus minimus is a more superficial muscle which primarily helps to stabilize your hip by abducting the thigh alongside the gluteus medius.
The piriformis is a deep muscle which is primarily functions to rotate your hip externally.
The piriformis is a hip rotator and the gluteus minimus is a hip stabilizer.
The purpose of the gluteus minimus and the medius during walking is to stabilize your pelvis and ensure it remains level when one leg is off the ground.
The gluteus minimus and medius does this by preventing the opposite side of your pelvis from dropping.
Therefore it helps you maintain balance and proper gait mechanics.
It's achieved by providing lateral stability to your hip joint through the abduction and slight internal rotation actions.
The gluteus medius is the muscle that keeps the pelvis level and stable when you walk.
Your gluteus medius allows you to be able to lift your leg to the side.
Having a tear in the gluteus medius causes significant discomfort and makes it very difficult to move normally.
Gluteus minimus acts in synergy with the gluteus medius to produce the movements on the hip joint; the internal rotation and abduction of the thigh.
Weakness in the gluteus minimus results in trendelenburg gait, where the pelvic drops on the unsupported side.
Most cases of a gluteus minimus tear are degenerative and are caused by chronic inflammation from repetitive movements and overuse.
The primary symptoms of a gluteus minimmus tear include hip pain, an abnormal gait and lower back pain.
The gluteus minimus tear symptoms can increase with long periods of sitting, standing and walking.