ESWT vs Conventional Physical Therapy in Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

January 24, 2026 updated by: Zeynep Karakuzu Güngör, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital

A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy and Conventional Physical Therapy in Patients With Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) with conventional physical therapy in patients with Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS). GTPS is a common cause of lateral hip pain, often related to gluteal tendinopathy rather than trochanteric bursitis. Sixty patients will be randomly assigned to two groups: ESWT or conventional physical therapy (TENS, hot pack, ultrasound). Pain (VAS), hip function (Harris Hip Score), lower limb function (LEFS), and global improvement will be evaluated at baseline, week 3, and week 12. The purpose of this study is to determine which treatment provides greater pain relief and functional improvement.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) is a frequent cause of lateral hip pain and is now understood to be primarily associated with gluteus medius and minimus tendinopathy rather than inflammation of the trochanteric bursa. Although several conservative treatments are available, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy modalities, there is no consensus on the most effective treatment strategy. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) has emerged as a potential non-invasive treatment option that may promote tissue regeneration, reduce pain, and improve tendon healing.

This prospective randomized controlled trial will include 60 patients aged 18-65 years with MRI-confirmed GTPS. Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to either the ESWT group or the conventional physical therapy group. The ESWT group will receive five sessions over 3 weeks (15 Hz, 3 bar, 2000 pulses). The physical therapy group will receive 10 sessions of TENS (20 minutes), hot pack (20 minutes), and continuous ultrasound (1.5 W/cm², 5 minutes). Both groups will be given a standardized exercise program.

Outcome measures include the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain (night, rest, activity), Harris Hip Score, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), and the Global Rating of Change Scale. Assessments will be performed at baseline, week 3, and week 12. The primary objective is to compare the effect of ESWT versus conventional physical therapy on pain reduction. Secondary objectives include evaluating functional improvements and global patient satisfaction.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Lateral hip pain for at least 3 months
  • Ability to understand study procedures and provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hip deformities
  • Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, or piriformis tendon tears
  • Lumbar radiculopathy or history of lumbar spine surgery
  • Recent trauma or active infection in the hip region
  • Corticosteroid injection to the hip within the last 6 months
  • Neurological, psychiatric, or rheumatologic diseases
  • Active malignancy or systemic inflammatory disease
  • Cognitive impairment preventing cooperation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ESWT Group
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy applied 5 sessions over 3 weeks (15 Hz, 3 bar, 2000 pulses). Standard hip exercises included.
Device: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)
ESWT applied with Elmed Vibrolith Ortho device at 15 Hz, 3 bar, 2000 pulses, 5 sessions over 3 weeks.
Active Comparator: Conventional Physical Therapy Group
10 sessions of TENS (20 min), hot pack (20 min), and continuous ultrasound (1.5 W/cm², 5 min). Standard hip exercises included.
Other: TENS; Hot Pack; Ultrasound
10 sessions of TENS (20 min), hot pack (20 min), and continuous ultrasound (1.5 W/cm², 5 min).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Pain Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 12
Pain intensity will be assessed using a 0-10 Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for activity, rest, and night pain. The primary endpoint is the change in VAS score from baseline to Week 12.
Baseline, Week 3, and Week 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Harris Hip Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 12
Hip function will be evaluated using the Harris Hip Score, which includes pain, daily activities, gait, and range of motion parameters. Higher scores indicate better hip function.
Baseline, Week 3, and Week 12
Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)
Time Frame: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 12
The LEFS questionnaire will be used to assess lower limb function. It consists of 20 items scored from 0 to 4 (total score 0-80), with higher scores indicating better function.
Baseline, Week 3, and Week 12
Global Rating of Change (GROC)
Time Frame: Week 3 and Week 12
Overall patient-perceived improvement will be assessed using the Global Rating of Change Scale, scored from -1 (worse) to +3 (near normal improvement).
Week 3 and Week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Zeynep Karakuzu Güngör, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 14, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 19, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

November 21, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 24, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BTAS-ESWT-2025-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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