Buttock Pain Specialist

What causes buttock pain?

There are three muscles in your buttocks, called the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. There’s also fat, nerves, and blood vessels, any of which could be injured or diseased, leading to buttock pain.

Another common cause of buttock pain is pain that’s spreading down from your back, or coming from your hips, pelvis, or sacroiliac joint.

What conditions affect the muscles in my buttocks?

Strains are the most common cause of muscle-related buttock pain. Strains happen when you push a muscle so far it tears; they frequently occur as a result of playing sports. 

Stretching the gluteal muscles and then contracting them suddenly can cause muscle strains. Pulled glutes are a frequent problem for athletes, for example, basketball players, sprinters, and long jumpers. 

Muscle pain is typically acute, and there’s often swelling and tenderness as well. It can be uncomfortable to sit down and difficult to move the muscle.

Muscle strains usually develop as a result of:

• Doing too much exercise
• Exceeding your abilities
• Not warming up properly
• Moving suddenly
• Moving awkwardly

Another cause of buttock pain is piriformis syndrome. Your piriformis muscle starts in your lower back and ends at the top of your thigh. Your sciatic nerve also follows a path from your lower back, through the buttocks, and down each leg.

If you injure your piriformis muscle or inflammation builds up from overuse, the muscle can start to press on the sciatic nerve, causing pain known as sciatica.

Sciatica can also develop from pressure on the sciatic nerve coming from problems in your spine, such as spinal stenosis and herniated discs.

What other conditions can cause buttock pain?

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction can cause buttock pain. The sacroiliac joint joins your sacrum, which is a three-sided bone at the bottom of your spine, to your pelvis. Inflammation in the sacroiliac joint causes low back pain that can spread down through your buttock into your leg.

Lower back pain from other causes, such as a herniated disc, can also spread down into your buttocks. Arthritis can cause buttock pain if it radiates out from your hips. 

How is buttock pain treated?

There are various treatments available for buttock pain, depending on what’s causing the problem. Physical therapy can build strength in the muscles and improve your movement. You might need to take medication such as anti-inflammatory painkillers, or drugs that target arthritis.

Other potential treatments include:

• Corticosteroid injections
• Laser therapy
• Massage therapy
• Ultrasound therapy
• Heat and cold therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
• Stem cell therapy 

If you have pain in your buttocks, let the team at Integrative Pain Institute help. Call today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.