Causes of Buttocks Pain

There are several causes of buttocks or butt pain, depending on the location in your body.

Pain in the Buttock/Butt muscle - Do you have pain in the big muscle of your butt while sitting, standing, walking, or during sex or other physical exercise? If you push on the center of your butt muscle does it hurt worse? How about during bodywork when they rub you hard in that area - do you just about yell out in pain? Does the pain radiate down either or both legs? Is it sharp, dull, burning, or aching, there all the time? Does it keep you from sleeping? Is it crampy? All of these could be describing butt pain caused by your sciatic nerve.

What is the sciatic nerve? - The sciatic nerve is a big nerve that comes from your lower back, runs through your butt muscle and down your legs. It can easily be irritated by stress. When stressed, your muscles become tight and squeeze down on that nerve, causing all sorts of problems and generally making your life pretty unhappy.

Pain in low back/butt - The lower back and buttocks are close together, so often if you have pain in one area you will also have pain in the other. The sciatic nerve runs through both your lower back and your buttock. Some people have pain only in the lower back, some only the butt or just one butt cheek, some people have pain in the low back radiating down one butt muscle all the way down the leg. All of these describe a typical sciatic nerve issue.

Pain in your rectum (or butthole) - This is more than likely hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are veins in your rectum, or right outside of it, that become swollen, hard, and very sensitive. Sometimes you can even see the hemorrhoids if you aim your butt toward a mirror, bend over, and spread your butt cheeks. They may look like little, round purple balls (that is the vein,) or they might be red and swollen. (Google 'hemorrhoids' and select images.) Hemorrhoids are caused by sitting (truck drivers often suffer from them), constipation (straining while trying to crap will create hemorrhoids over time), pregnancy (due to constipation and pressure from the growing baby), and dehydration. Lack of hydration is one of the main causes of bowel constriction, and therefore, hemorrhoids. Drink 2 quarts of water, minimum, each day. Coffee, tea, and soft drinks are not counted. You can get Preparation H at your local pharmacy which will provide temporary relief of the itching, burning, and swelling. But to really get rid of them for good you have to drink more water in your diet, and more fiber. I like to drink 2-3 quarts of water per day PLUS eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I don't get hemorrhoids any longer because of these changes. If you think it is hemorrhoids, but it doesn't go away after a couple weeks of hydrating yourself and curing your bowel blockage, please see your doctor. P.S. the toilet is NOT a library. Don't sit there for hours and read - that is one of the main causes of hemorrhoids.

Pain or burning in the top of the gluteal cleft - If you have soreness, redness, itching, burning, and/or mild bleeding at the top of your butt crack, you could have a pilonidal cyst.

From Wikipedia: "Pilonidal cysts are quite painful, afflict men more frequently than women, and typically occur between the ages of 15 and 24. Although usually found near the coccyx, the condition can also affect the navel, armpit or penis."

These cysts often get bacterial or fungal infections. If you want to try treating it yourself, get an over-the-counter anti-bacterial cream and treat yourself twice a day after showering. If you still have the issue after a couple weeks, you might want to see your physician. I know, embarrassing. I had to go to the doctor once for an extremely painful hemorrhoid. Please check out Wikipedia for more on this issue.