Buttock Pain Treatment Q&A

Buttock pain can be relieved in a variety of ways, some of which involve home therapies, and others involve clinical treatments. At-home therapies include:

– Applying ice or heat, which helps to reduce swelling and relieve pain
– Doing gentle leg, hip, and buttock stretches
– Resting, so that the injury has time to heal and recover
– Taking over-the-counter pain relievers

Doctors may recommend the following treatments:

– Corticosteroid injections to bring down inflammation
– Physical therapy, which works to improve range of motion in the affected area and strengthen the muscles around the injury
– Procedures to drain a cyst or abscess

There are many causes of buttock pain, from muscle injuries to complications arising from other conditions. Common causes include:

Muscle strain: The buttocks are made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus; if any of these muscles are stretched to the point of tearing, this constitutes a strain and can cause swelling, tenderness, stiffness and trouble moving the affected muscle.

Sciatica: Many people do not realize that sciatica is not a condition, it is actually a symptom. It refers to the sharp or burning pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, the nerve that runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down each leg. It may also cause numbness or tingling in the affected leg.

Bursitis: A common condition in which the fluid-filled sacs called bursae that cushion the bones become inflamed, bursitis most often affects areas like the shoulder, hip, elbow, and knee. The bursa in the buttocks is called the ischial bursa, which can be subjected to ischial bursitis. Symptoms include: pain when sitting or lying down; pain that radiates down the back of the thigh; swelling; and redness.

Herniated disk: Each of the bones in the spine, called vertebrae, are separated and cushioned by small pads—called disks—filled with a jelly-like material. If its outer layer tears, letting some of the inner material slip out, a disk can become herniated. A herniated disk can press on nearby nerves, causing: pain; numbness; weakness; bruising; degenerative disk disease; piriformis syndrome; pilonidal cyst; perirectal abscess; sacroiliac joint dysfunction; arthritis; and vascular disease.

Sciatic nerve pain in the buttocks can be relieved through a number of treatment options. These include home solutions such as heat and ice and over-the-counter pain relievers, as well as clinical treatments, such as physical therapy and injections.

There are several treatment options for sciatica buttock pain, including the following:

– Heat and ice
– Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
– Muscle relaxants
– Physical therapy
– Spinal injections

To learn more, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are located at 1 Layfair Drive, Suite 400 Flowood, MS 39232. We serve patients from Flowood MS, Jackson MS, Pearl MS, Richland MS, Ridgeland MS, Langford MS, Brandon MS and the entire central Mississippi area.