How to relieve buttock pain from sitting? In this time of Corona, when the home office is a common scenario everywhere in the world, developing back pain is even more common. Employees that work from home or office and the drivers who drive for long hours can improve severe buttock pain and even muscle damage. Hence, looking for solutions for relieving buttock pain is usual these days.
A recent survey reveals, 4 out of 5 Americans are now spending more time at home. Hence, a significant change is noticed in their sitting habits, resulting in more butt pains than ever before. Additionally, some other related health issues occurring, like- hemorrhoids, constipation, physical pain, and more.
Presumably, 4 out of 5 Americans are experiencing new pain and health issues because of inactivity and prolonged sitting habits. Smartphones are quite responsible for that. However, this pandemic has undoubtedly made us lazier than we have ever been.
Sitting for a long time causes buttock pain. Not only can it make you feel numb in the butt, but it also causes serious damage to your butt tissues. Additionally, a long-time habit can cause bone damage and permanent numbness.
So, it is better to take measures timely and even better to prevent it from happening with a healthy sitting posture using an ergonomic seat cushion and a healthy diet.
Top 7 Reasons for Buttock Pain Isuues
There might be several reasons behind your back pain. First, you’ll have to find out the causes and treat them one by one.
Bruisits:
Bruisits are inflammation or irritation of the bursa sacs in your body. These glands are spread all over the body. As this inflammation is very common around the major joints, you can also get your buttock pain from this. In the condition of buttock pain, the fluid-filled sacs in the buttock called ischial bursae are inflamed and cause ischial bursitis.
Some common symptoms include-
- Swelling in the leg and/or redness.
- Pain in the butt when you lie or sit down.
- Radiating pain from the buttock down the leg.
Common reasons include sitting for a long time on a hard surface or somehow bruising the gland. The condition is called weaver’s bottom or tailor’s bottom. Some easy exercises can help you get rid of the pain easily. Also, take a rest and don’t sit for long times.
Pilonidal Cyst
A Pilonidal cyst forms combining dead skin cells and tiny ingrown hairs with fluids, usually between the slits of the buttocks. It can grow in other parts of the body as well. Common reasons include repetitive friction, like- riding bikes or horses and sitting for long hours. This is generally more common in men than women and the people who sit for a long time.
Some common symptoms-
- Swollen of the affected skin.
- Redness.
- Disgusting smell.
- Blood and/ or pus deposition and draining from the open mouth.
Piriformis Syndrome
This syndrome is sometimes misunderstood with lower back pain. In about 6% of the cases, this happens. This can be caused by injuries or excess pressure in the piriformis muscle in the lower back of your body. But this is completely different from lower back pain, as we said earlier. Also very different from the sciatic nerve.
The symptoms are common to sciatica pain. Common symptoms include-
- Buttock numbness.
- Tingling in the leg or back.
- Difficulty in sitting on a hard surface.
- Pain worsens when you sit or do activities.
The major reason behind the piriformis syndrome- is the contraction or compression of the piriformis muscle by repeated movements. Running, lunging, or exercising on uneven surfaces and without warming up may also cause this to happen.
Sciatica
Sciatica can happen from the herniated discs or the narrowing of particular parts of the spine. However, this is more common among older adults, aging from 40 to 50 years old. About 40% of this age range can face a sciatic nerve-related issue during their lifetime. This is not a condition rather a symptom that happens due to age-related changes in the spine.
The common symptoms are-
- Moderate to sharp pain in the lower back, buttock, and down the legs.
- Numbness or weakness in the fellow area.
- Pain that severs with movement.
- Tingling or sudden pin and needle feeling in the affected areas.
Walking with the right posture, doing stretches for pain relief, taking medications by consulting a doctor can improve the symptoms.
Muscle Strains
Your buttocks have 3 types of muscle- the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and lastly, gluteus minimus. Muscle pulls in any of the three buttock muscles can cause buttock pain. Too much stretching can cause the ligament to tear.
Some common symptoms include-
- Stiffness of the muscle.
- Trouble in movement.
- Swelling of the affected area.
- tenderness.
Reasons behind the muscle strain can be exercising without warming up or exercising too much at an extreme level. Also, any sudden awkward movement may cause it to happen. You can rest, use an ice pack, use a cushion to lift up the affected limb. Here’s a detailed guideline.
Arthritis
Arthritis thrives as you grow older. The painful illness causes stiffness of the muscles and joints. There are many, to be specific, 100 types of arthritis that can be diagnosed. And about 54 million Americans are affected by this illness. Arthritis can happen due to the wearing down of the joints. Or it can happen because of the poor immune system.
Arthritis in the hip joint can cause buttock pain which can radiate to the thighs and below. The buttock pain from arthritis increases in the morning. The muscles become stiffer in the morning and gradually radiate through the thighs to the legs.
Prescribed medication and advised physical therapy can help in this case to reduce the butt pain.
Any Previous Injury
Sitting on a previously injured muscle or nerve may revive the pain in your buttocks. The pain increases when you sit or lie on your back. Consulting your physician is the best solution in this case.
Home Remedies to Relieve Buttock Pain From Sitting
There are some remedies that you can apply for instant pain relief. However, these remedies do not alternate the doctor’s prescription and only are suggested for initial comfort.
- Take sufficient rest.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes.
- Develop a healthy sitting posture.
- Use a seat cushion for comfortable sitting.
- Avoid sitting for long hours without taking breaks.
- Do light and gentle stretches of the bottom part of the body.
- Take OTC or over-the-counter medicine following the instruction on the label for initial pain relief.
- Try applying ice packs or hot bags for at least 10 to 15 minutes alternately on the affected area without removing it.
- Lastly, if you have the bad habit of smoking, leave it as soon as you can. Tobacco delays muscle repair.
If you still feel uncomfortable or have trouble walking and buttock pain, do not hesitate to consult a physician immediately.
When to Consult a Doctor?
Do not ignore the early symptoms of your buttock pain. It can unknowingly lead to a problematic situation. Consult a doctor if you face the following symptoms-
- Numb and weak leg and walking difficulty for a prolonged time.
- Sharp and sudden pain in your buttock and legs.
- A sore buttock that doesn’t heal even after a week or two.
- If you face trouble holding your urination and poop.
- A high fever of 104°F or above. (40° C)
- And if the home remedies do not have any efficacy.
Diagnosing Buttock Pain From Sitting
You may have to take some physical tests to identify the disease. Sometimes the symptoms are not enough to diagnose the illness. The general physician may need an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan to know the actual reason and refer you to a specialist (physical therapist, orthopedic specialist, or rheumatologist) if necessary. So, be prepared for that as well.
Conclusion
Prevention is always better than cure. So, take preventive measures whenever possible. The buttock pain is easily avoidable if taken care of on time. Most of the time, we are too ignorant to take care of the things that matter most in our life, like- your health. Ignoring such serious issues is never a good thing.
As discussed in this article, one of the most common reasons is the wrong sitting position. So, develop an ideal and healthy sitting posture. Use an ergonomic seat cushion whenever you have to sit for a long time, whether at the office desk, at home, or driving. Take occasional breaks between the long working hours.
Stretch whenever taking a break for a coffee in the middle of a long journey parking the car at a suitable parking space. Do not exaggerate while exercising. Please keep it to a minimum with a painful buttock. And consult your doctor if the symptoms seem severe.