Pain in buttocks: Why and What to do?

Different causes of Buttock Pain

• Trauma and Bruising

Bruising is the common cause of buttock pain. Normally, it happens after an injury or trauma, which causes the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) to break or burst underneath the skin, and thus creating small amounts of internal bleeding.

• Muscle strain

Our buttock muscle, often called gluteal muscles are made up of three muscles: gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Over-exercising, not warming up before exercising or sudden movement in an awkward way can cause these muscles to be strained and finally lead to your buttock pain.

• Bulging disc in lower back

Lumbar disc herniation can cause pressure on the nerve root which then develops a sharp or burning pain that radiates down your sciatic nerve. The pain normally runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down to the foot and ankle. Usually, movement of the low back reproduces pain in the buttock.

• Piriformis syndrome

  The piriformis muscle is located quite deep underneath your gluteal muscles. Piriformis syndrome is a disorder that occurs when your sciatic nerve is compressed and/or irritated by the piriformis muscle as it passes deeply through your buttock, resulting in pain. This pain is very similar in presentation to the sciatic nerve pain that is caused by a bulging disc in the lower back.

The sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle. Therefore, tightness of piriformis can squeeze the sciatic nerve, producing symptoms including pain and numbness down to the buttock & leg.

• Bursitis

Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae. It is a painful condition that occurs when fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which act as a cushion between bones, tendons, and muscles, become inflamed. You can develop ischial bursitis which causes pain in the buttock if you injure the bursae or prolonged sitting on hard surfaces.

• Other medical conditions

Other conditions such as sacroiliac joint dysfunction, pilonidal cyst, arthritis, or serious conditions such as vascular disease or cancer can also be the reasons for your buttock pain.

It is important to think about the presence or absence of other clinical manifestations to accurately identify the reason of your buttock pain.

What Exercise Can I Do to Improve my Buttock Pain?

We have posted a short video ‘Simple Exercises for Butt pain’ on our instagram and youtube. Click here to watch.

However, we recommend seeing a doctor or physiotherapist as they will determine the root cause of your condition and treat you accordingly. If you have any more questions or would like our physiotherapists to assess or treat your buttock pain, feel free to drop us a question, talk to us, or fill in the form below. Do check out our Instagram page too.