Pain in the buttock (buttock pain)

The buttocks are located at the back of the pelvis and are formed by several muscles. These muscles stabilise the pelvis and enable movement of the hips. Pain in the buttock is often felt deep inside the buttock and usually develops gradually. However, sometimes the complaints can also start suddenly or shoot up unexpectedly, for example by losing one’s step or making a wrong movement.

Anatomy of the buttock

The buttock is composed of several muscles, the most superficial and largest of which is the gluteus muscle. In addition, there are a number of deeper muscles. Around the muscle tissue is fatty tissue. The gluteus muscle consists of three different muscles: 

• M. gluteus maximus.
• M. gluteus medius.
• M. gluteus minimus. 

An important blood vessel and a major nerve pass through the buttock towards the leg. The nerve (n. ischiadicus) can cause pain in the buttock. The cause of this pain usually does not lie directly in the buttock but is due to compression of the nerve in the lower back. 

The deeper muscles can also cause buttock pain, particularly when excessive muscle tension puts pressure on the nerve. This excessive tension in these muscles can be the result of overuse, such as frequent hip rotation (dancers). Pain in the gluteal muscles also occurs regularly in runners when the gluteal muscles stabilising the pelvis have to work too hard and thus become overloaded.

The hamstrings attach to the so-called sitting bones, located at the bottom of both buttocks. Injured hamstrings can therefore cause pain in the buttock area and at the back of the thigh when sitting.

Check your buttock pain

Buttock pain can be very unpleasant. Do you suffer from it? Then we advise you to do the online physiotherapy check. Indicate where you feel the pain in your buttock and then answer questions about your complaints. Once you have answered the questions, your symptoms will be compared with the most common conditions and injuries within physiotherapy.

If you wish, you can visit a physiotherapy practice for professional advice and treatment.

Buttock conditions

There are many conditions and injuries that can cause pain in or around the buttocks. Below we list the most common ones for you.