Prophylaxis
In the majority of cases, pain in the buttock area is due to congenital malpositioning of the body axis or acquired postural defects. For this reason, most of the causes that lead to the development of such pain symptoms can be prevented by an adapted lifestyle. Above all, weight reduction and a sufficient amount of physical exercise play a decisive role in the prevention of pain in the buttocks.
Pain Localization
Pain that originates in the buttocks or lower back sometimes extends down to the legs. If a pain radiates from the lower back to the legs, in many cases a specific nerve can be named as the cause. Nerves that are responsible for muscles and skin areas in the leg originate in deep areas of the spine between the last lumbar vertebrae and the beginning of the sacral vertebrae, in the area of the sacrum.
A well-known syndrome that causes pain that starts in the buttocks and radiates into the leg is called “Piriformis Syndrome“. The pain is described as pulling and stabbing on the back of the thigh. In severe cases, it can extend to tingling and numbness down to the toes.The cause of this nerve pain is the “piriformis muscle“, which runs in the immediate vicinity of the great sciatic nerve.
Thus, when there is a strong irritation, pain is felt from the lower back to the toes. A slipped disc in the lower back can also trigger similar symptoms. A thorough examination by an orthopedic surgeon is important in order to avoid the erroneous diagnosis of “herniated disc”.
If the patient is left in a supine position with stretched knees, no pain should be felt with Piriformis Syndrome. If it hurts nevertheless, one can rather assume an origin in the spinal column or the sacrum. If it hurts the patient when the bent legs are pulled up to the upper body and rotate at the same time, this can be an indication of Piriformis Syndrome.
However, since these examinations do not allow a 100% diagnosis, an orthopedic surgeon should always be consulted if the pain radiates into the legs. The treatment of piriformis syndrome is mainly through physiotherapy. Through specific exercises under the guidance of orthopedic surgeons or physiotherapists, the piriformis muscle must be trained and the sciatic nerve relieved.
The pain should be relieved in advance by pain-inhibiting medication from the group of “NSAIDs”. These include ibuprofen, diclofenac or aspirin. In addition to the piriformis syndrome, which can also cause pain in the hip, nervous, muscular but also bony causes are possible.
Degenerative damage to the joints can cause unpleasant pain in the long term. Often the symptoms in the form of pain begin after physical work, after getting up in the morning or after doing sports and develop into permanent complaints after months or years. A frequent consequence of permanent misuse or overuse is the so-called “ISG blockage”.
The trigger can be muscle tension in the pelvis, irritation of the sensitive nerves in the sacrum or even hip joint arthrosis. The cause of pain can also lie in the area of the outer hip and extend to the buttocks. If the externally rotating muscles of the legs are irritated or inflamed at their attachments on the outside of the hip, a pulling, stabbing pain can extend into the buttock fold.
The pain itself can be treated with medication. Since the causes of pain can be extremely diverse, one should consult a doctor with permanent symptoms. In most cases, pain in the buttocks occurs on one side.
Only rarely is the pain exactly in the middle or equally pronounced on both sides. Many causes of pain can be easily eliminated and are only temporary. These include, above all, muscle tension and slight nerve irritation due to incorrect strain or overloading during physical work or sports.
If the body posture or load is inclined to a certain side, the weight also shifts to this side and a one-sided pain quickly develops there. If a one-sided load exists permanently, the body gets used to it. The muscles on one side shorten, the tendons also shorten and in severe cases degenerative changes of the bones, especially the vertebral bodies, can occur.
Nevertheless, the pain persists and can get worse in the long run. Bad posture and incorrect strain in everyday life or in sports must always be prevented and counteracted. If a slight pain occurs due to poor posture, the body automatically adopts relieving postures that promote the poor posture and worsen it in the long term.
Pain can be prevented with pain and anti-inflammatory medication. Professional physiotherapy is often necessary to correct severe bad posture. It is not uncommon for pain to occur especially when sitting in the buttocks.
The causes are obvious: a large part of all professions take place in a sitting position and represent a permanent extraordinary strain on the pelvis and lower spine. In order to keep the whole body and the back upright when sitting, a permanent strain on the muscles and ligaments is necessary. In order to relieve the hips and the back, one occasionally adopts protective postures that are particularly bad for the lower back.
Anyone who sits for many hours every day finds it difficult to maintain an optimal ergonomic sitting posture. So if the pain comes from sitting a lot, only a few things are recommended: a desk chair adapted to the shape of your back can work wonders.Likewise, despite long working hours, you should try to reduce sitting to a minimum and do some work standing up if possible.