When you get pain in your butt

Typical symptoms in piriformis syndrome include pain in the affected buttock and tingling, numbness or pain running down the back of the affected thigh. — Filepic

My husband has had pain in the buttock and a tingling sensation running down his left leg for several months now. We took him to a doctor, and after an examination, he was diagnosed as having piriformis syndrome. We have never heard of such a thing before! What is it?

Piriformis syndrome is a disorder in which the piriformis muscle inside your buttock has spasms and causes pain in your buttock, as well as other symptoms.

The piriformis muscle is very near your sciatic nerve, so it can also irritate it and cause pain, numbness and tingling down the back of your thigh and leg.

Many times, the doctor has to differentiate between you having sciatica and having piriformis syndrome.

My buttocks have muscles? I thought they were mostly made out of fat!

Your buttocks definitely have muscles.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to clench them and do squats!

The three main ones are gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

But there are also many small muscles such as the piriformis.

The piriformis is located under your large gluteus maximus muscle, near your lower spine.

It runs across your pelvis and inserts itself to your femur, which is your thigh bone.

What does the piriformis muscle do?

It stabilises your hip movements and pelvis.

It assists in rotating your hip outwards when you straighten your leg.

It also abducts your hip when you flex your leg, such as when bending your knee.

Basically, it allows you to move your leg to the side, like when you are side-stepping or getting out of a car.

You also need it to maintain your balance while walking.

When you are standing, it helps you maintain your posture.

Should your piriformis muscle be weak, it can lead to posture issues, such as your pelvis being tilted or your lower back being too arched.

Oh. How then would I know if I have piriformis syndrome?

It can be very difficult if you are not a medical professional.

You need an experienced doctor to diagnose you.

A lot of other structures nearby can also cause similar symptoms.

Look out for:

> Buttock pain

You may feel an aching, burning, tingling or throbbing pain in your buttock that is worse after you sit, walk, run or do any physical activity that involves your hips and thighs.

Sometimes, the pain can seem even worse if you are inactive for a while, such as after you sit at your work desk for long periods of time.

> Numbness and tingling

This can be in the affected buttock and down the affected leg.

Some people describe the tingling sensation as “pins and needles”.

This can become worse with the above-mentioned activities.

> Difficulty sitting

This occurs when you have been sitting for prolonged periods of time.

It is mostly because your buttock is painful and tender, so you can’t sit on hard surfaces for long.

> Weakness or stiffness

You feel this when moving your affected leg.

In around 10% of people, these symptoms may affect two legs.

Some people also complain of their groin feeling numb and painful.

I have heard of sciatica. How is piriformis syndrome different from it?

The pain in sciatica does not typically involve the buttocks.

Buttock pain is very classical of piriformis syndrome.

The leg pain caused by sciatica is usually below the knee, where your calf is.

The pain in piriformis syndrome is in the thigh.

Is there any cure for piriformis syndrome?

You definitely have to put in a lot of effort to stretch the piriformis muscle.

The doctor may send you to a physiotherapist to help strengthen your affected piriformis, as well as the other muscles around it.

Most people experience complete disappearance of the pain one to three weeks after starting these strengthening exercises.

It is best to get a physiotherapist’s help at first, but when you go home, you still have to perform these exercises.

There are several main exercises for this:

• Posing like a bird dog with one arm outstretched and the adjacent leg outstretched.

   

  Some people also call this the Superman pose.

• Straight leg raises
• Lunges
• Lying in a bridge position
• Walking sideways against a resistance band
• Front and side planks.

Some of these poses are also used in yoga.

They will all help strengthen your core, which is not only to help treat piriformis syndrome, but also important for your health and stability in general.

What causes piriformis syndrome?

It is usually when you injure your buttock, such as direct trauma to it.

It can also be caused by overusing your piriformis muscle through repetitive movements such as cycling, sitting too much or having poor posture.

Athletes, ballet dancers, obese people, people who sit a lot and women are at higher risk of injuring the piriformis.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.