What is Buttock Pain?
The buttocks mainly consist of fat and gluteal muscle located in the posterior part of your pelvis. The unpleasant sensation arising in these structures as a result of infection, muscle strain, orthopedic injury, or neurological disorders may be characterized as buttock pain.
What are the Symptoms Associated with Buttock Pain?
Some of the symptoms associated with buttock pain include:
- Weakness or numbness in the leg
- Swelling and tenderness
- Stiffness and inability to move the affected muscle
- Radiating pain from the buttocks to the leg
- Tingling sensation
- Reddened skin and bruises
- Sore or abscess formation
What are the Causes of Buttock Pain?
Some of the conditions that may cause buttock pain include:
- Muscle strain
- Bruising
- Bursitis
- Sciatica
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Piriformis syndrome
- Perirectal abscess
- Pilonidal cyst
- Sacroiliac joint impairment
- Vascular disease
- Arthritis
How is Buttock Pain Diagnosed?
Your doctor will review your symptoms and medical history of trauma to the buttocks, perform a physical examination to elicit pain in the affected area, and may order certain diagnostic tests such as MRI to rule out disc impairment or sciatic nerve compression as the source of the buttock pain.
What are the Treatment Options for Buttock Pain?
Some of the treatment options that your doctor may employ to treat buttock pain include:
- Draining of abscess or cyst in the buttocks area
- Corticosteroid injections to mitigate inflammation in the buttocks
- Physiotherapy to improve range of motion and strengthen muscles in the affected area
- Surgery to replace a worn-out joint or repair an impaired disc
- Application of heat or ice to mitigate swelling and relieve pain
- Ample rest to heal the injury
- Medications such as pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
How Can Buttock Pain be Prevented?
Some of the preventive measures that can be employed to prevent buttock pain include:
- Avoiding walking or running on uneven surfaces
- Warming up adequately before exercise or any activity and gradually increasing intensity thereafter
- Avoiding repetitive movement that can stress the buttock muscles
- Maintaining proper posture while sitting or doing other activities
- Avoiding sitting for long periods of time
- Avoiding activities that aggravate symptoms
- Maintaining ideal body weight
