Diagnosis | Pain in the left buttock

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is largely made from a precise questioning of the symptoms and from physical examinations. By exercising certain movements in the hip joint, the causal area can often already be narrowed down. However, it is often determined that the pain is not caused by the muscle itself.

Pressure from outside on the buttock itself can also provoke the pain in muscular problems. Hardenings and tensions of the muscles can also be felt in this way. If the muscle is inflamed, a warming and reddening of the buttocks can be detected externally under certain circumstances.

Questioning after radiating and transmitting the pain gives clear indications of nerve involvement. With complaints of this kind it is often necessary to take a radiological image in addition to the examination. CT and MRI images are suitable for this purpose, whereby the soft tissues can be better differentiated in the MRI without radiation exposure.

Treatment

The treatment for pain in the buttock on the left side can be symptomatic and targeted causative. The latter must be made dependent on the underlying disease. The vast majority of pain felt in the buttock is a simple muscular complaint.In addition to sore muscles, this can also be tension, pulled muscles, hardening or cracks.

Only rarely does this pain need to be treated. The time until independent healing can be bridged with pain and anti-inflammatory drugs. For this purpose, naturopathic remedies are recommended initially, as well as immobilization and cooling of the muscle.

In case of stronger pain, drugs from the group of NSAIDs can also be used. The most prominent representatives are ibuprofen, indometacin or diclofenac. These also counteract possible inflammation in this area. When used for several days, attention must be paid to the side effects, especially to possible heartburn in the stomach. In the case of extremely severe pain, painkillers of the opiode, such as morphine, can also be taken on a prescription from a doctor.

Duration

The duration depends strongly on the triggering cause and the severity of the underlying disease. Muscular problems, which are guilty in the large number of cases, also vary greatly in their healing duration. Tension, hardening or sore muscles can disappear of their own accord within a few days.

Severe strains, bruises or torn muscle fibers, on the other hand, often require several weeks to heal. Diseases of the spinal column can have different degrees of severity. After a herniated disc, for example, the pain may disappear after only a few days or weeks.

Especially in the spine, however, the complaints can also be chronic and persist for more than 6 months. Chronic diseases of the hip joint can also be protracted over a long period of time. In the case of severe arthrotic changes, a cure is not foreseeable, but with an operation these can be satisfactorily operated on within a short time.