Buttock, or gluteal pain, is a common, often debilitating problem that can put a serious dent in your workout plans. If you turn to the internet for an answer, it is highly likely that you will be told that you are experiencing “Piriformis Syndrome.” And yes, the piriformis can be a source of deep gluteal pain; however, there are numerous other structures that can be the culprit as well, which makes this a vexing problem to treat. Therefore, it is more appropriate to refer to pain in the buttocks as “deep gluteal pain” instead of “piriformis syndrome.” A better way to describe is that this is a multifaceted problem caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve somewhere in the deep gluteal space. It is not caused by problems in the lower back.
The biggest issue is that there are multiple issues that can cause the sciatic nerve to become irritated in the deep gluteal space, and although the tissues vary, it all ends up with the same complaint of pain deep in your gluteal region. Clinical assessment is difficult since symptoms are often vague and can easily be confused with other low back or hip problems. As with many complicated problems, we tend to end up with simple answers that at first blush, seem to make sense. However, more often than not, the simple answers just don’t work for complicated issues (piriformis stretching anyone?) Finding the tissue at fault is paramount in treating the underlying cause of this problem. Your Physical Therapists at Mondo are expertly trained to do just that. They will then design a treatment plan that will address the tissue at fault and the underlying reason the tissue broke down in the first place. This will give you a fighting chance to get back to doing what you love in a reasonable amount of time.
Reference:
1. Gwyn K, Kroon P. Deep Gluteal Syndrome: Beyond the Piriformis. AAOMT Annual Conference 2022 San Diego
