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Health

Pain in the buttocks

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Unpleasant sensations of pain in the buttocks can be a consequence of improper sitting, lifestyle in general. But sometimes, this is a symptom of quite dangerous and difficult to treat diseases. Therefore, do not self-medicate for a long time. If pain of this nature bothers you for a long time - immediately go to the doctor.

People often turn to doctors with the same complaint - pain in the buttocks. But the nature of such pain and its localization may be different depending on the cause of its occurrence. Osteochondrosis in most cases is the main cause of such pain in the gluteal muscles. Also, there are often cases when they are caused by osteoarthritis or other diseases of the sacral spine.

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Diagnostics buttock pain

Not every person, having felt pain in the buttocks, will immediately understand which doctor to contact in such a case. First of all, it is worth starting the examination in the traumatologist's office - he must exclude the possibility of mechanical damage to the muscle or other causes of injury. Then, in the absence of a traumatic origin of pain, the traumatologist will refer you to another doctor, which one exactly - this already depends on your history of previous and existing diseases. Most often, in addition to a traumatologist, patients with complaints of pain in the buttocks go to a neurologist in order to exclude all sorts of pinched nerves.

Why is it necessary to see a doctor if you have pain in your buttocks?

The fact is that painful sensations in the buttocks area can be caused by various reasons – from a common bruise to malignant neoplasms. Unfortunately, there are often cases when pain in the buttocks signals metastases in the bones that have arisen as a result of prostate or breast cancer. In order to exclude such options as soon as possible or to begin treatment of the disease that is accompanied by pain in the buttocks, a consultation with a qualified doctor is necessary.

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In what cases is it necessary to undergo examination?

  • Pain in the buttocks causes significant discomfort and interferes with walking and sitting
  • Such painful sensations tend to pass, but after some time they appear again.
  • At night, pain prevents sleep
  • Pain in the buttock accompanied by lameness
  • You suffer from cardiovascular diseases
  • Pain occurs in a child (in such cases, the first thing to do is to exclude complex infections - tuberculosis or osteomyelitis)

Treatment buttock pain

In each individual case, treatment is prescribed by a doctor - it is strictly individual and depends on many factors. But if you have felt pain in the buttocks quite recently and are not ready to go to the clinic right away - try doing a set of gymnastic exercises at home. Sitting on the couch straight, straighten both legs. Bend the painful leg at the knee and, grasping it with the opposite hand by the middle of the calf, slowly press it to the pelvis so that the heel touches the buttock or is as close to it as possible. Focus all your attention on the healthy leg, which you try to strain and hold straight. In this way, you relax the gluteal muscle, lengthen it, relieving the spasm caused in some cases by a pinched nerve. Repeat the exercise while standing. Only in this case, pull the leg with the corresponding hand so that the knee touches the stomach. Hold on to the table or the back of the chair with the opposite hand. Repeat these exercises for three days. If the pain does not go away, gets worse, or interferes with your sleep at night, consult a doctor immediately.

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