The most common symptoms that patients present with are pain in the outer thigh and hip area which usually burns or aches. The pain worsens with activity and usually stops the patient from laying on that side. Frequently it can lead to a limp.

TPS is usually caused by excessive running or walking, a fall directly on the hip or by excessive mechanical loading because of a difference in leg length. It can also be caused by tension in the Iliotibial Band and the Tensor Fascia Latae muscle which rides over the outer aspect of the hip, causing inflammation and pain in the region.