Right buttocks pain esp. when sitting

[jerrys]

I'm a 45 year old male in Atlanta who has right buttocks pain and some lower right back pain, especially when sitting.  Have seen an Orthopaedic/back pain management M.D. in Atlanta and he took an MRI of my lower back and said it looked normal...no bulging discs.  He said it might be pirformis or SI joint related.  Have had a pirformis injection, an SI joint radio frequency ablation (where they burn away the nerve endings) and have also gone to 3 months of therapy.  The therapist says my SI joint is now more stable but my pain continues to be there.  The therapist thinks I may have a bulging disc but my MD says the MRI doesn't show that.  This pain came on suddenly about 4 years ago when I was doing a lot of road bicycling, playing tennis, jogging.  I have curtailed these a lot, since any vigorous exercise seems to flame up the pain.  It is especially painful near the center of the right buttocks, almost near the groin, almost right on the bone where I sit.  But sometimes the pain radiates from the lower right back into the right hip area. When I bend over to tie my shoe, the pain also can go from the right butt into the upper hamstring.  I am new to this website, but was just looking for some advice.  I can't seem to get my doctor or therapist to give me the answer to what is causing my pain.  I would like to get back to physical exercise again. Given that my SI joint is now stable, why is the pain still there?  Could it be my hip? Are there any exercises I should be doing?(I am doing some already from my therapist).  Should I see a neurologist/neurosurgeon?
Thanks you!

[dwipar]

Hi everyone - this has been an interesting forum.  I too have pain in my right butt and would say first thing in the morning there is absolutely no paid and it is only when I start moving around and sitting that I notice the pain coming back.  Luckily, I can remember exactly what caused my problem.  I was up a ladder and on coming down, I thought I was much nearer the bottom when I jumped off.  Because I thought I was much nearer the bottom, I had already turned my leg in preparation of walking to the side of the ladder.  When my foot/leg hit the deck I immediately heard and felt a click in my right hip joint - since then it's been painful in my right butt every time I sit down of put weight on my right leg.  Of the advice above, I think calcium tables might be a good thing and perhaps my coccyx needs re-alignment as indicated by contributor 'grafwag' above.  

[CuteNsweeT]

Just skimming through most of these posts, so I may have missed vital info, but it sounds a lot like sciatica. I injured my back last year with a twisting/lifting movement and was in agony as far down as my calf. The back pain itself seemed to ease a bit in the following days, but instead became concentrated in the butt. Getting on/off seats, bending down, even getting in/out of bed was awful. It lasted for weeks. There was only one position I found completely comfortable; lying with a small cushion and hot water bottle under my butt/back where the two meet. I think it must have supported the place where the nerve was trapped, temporarily relieving the pressure and thus also the pain. I was taking anti-inflammatory pain meds too, but they don't take those sharp stabbing shocks away!
I still get twinges of it if I'm sat in one place for ages, like on long bus journeys, or if I've had a couple of inactive days, but otherwise it's okay.
If it IS sciatica, make sure to never cross your legs over one another whilst sitting; it twists everything out of alignment and makes it more likely to reoccur! Also, if you get a jolt of pain as you go to move, only move on your in-breath; for some reason (oxygen levels?) it's more bearable that way.

[Rose77746]

Hi Sue, your symptoms and experience is identical to mine.  I first got my pain after a long haul flight to the US, this was 9 months ago and I have been to the GP with no luck, privately to a chiropracter and now I am having physiotherapy.  Nothing is working at the moment and, like you, it is very frustrating.  I work in an office, so sit for hours at a time and sometimes the pain is excruciating.  I don't want this for the rest of my life and dread long journeys, in the car, train or plane.  Very disabling.  This forum is very good.

Rose

[sittingsolution2]

Has anyone checked to see if your SI joint is properly aligned?  I have never been to a chiropractor, but my physical therapist helped to get my SI joint in the right place and taught me strengthening exercises that now hold it in place.  It sounds like your chiropractor may have been trying to realign it from your description.  The PT did not have to do any "slamming".  Back up to a wall, walk your feet away from the wall about 2 feet, and rest your lower back against the wall. Does your lower back seem to rest evenly against the wall?  If one edge seems to push harder against the hard surface, then you may need to be checked by a pro for a misaligned SI (sacroilliac) joint.  Of course a pro can check your total alignment.

I think that muscle you are referring to may be your piriformis.  You may want to look that up.  Good luck!

[Blakesmomma]

I ~feel~ I made a terrible mistake and went to a chiropractor last summer.  I was having headaches and neck problems.  I mentioned that I had a catch in my right side sometimes and after x-raying my back was told I had about 3 - 4 places my back was out.  After about a month - one evening I was watching TV lying on our bed and I tried to get up and my right upper buttock cramped up, let out a scream and couldn't move for an hour.  I called the chiro and she said to take it easy and to take ibuprofen.  Over the next 3 1/2 months, my back cramped up on my - even at the chiro's.  She was more worried about getting me out of her office for the next customer as trying to help me!  I ended going to my family physician and he thought for sure that I had a muscle strain!  Imagine - how did I get the muscle strain???  My chiro was slamming my hips down so hard "aligning my hips" that I feel she tore my muscle... after a ton of money, lots of tears and pain I'm still trying to heal.  The doctor has me on relaxers and sent me for physical therapy.  Well now when it cramps (grabs) it don't hold on forever but it still hurts SO bad and the fear is still in the back of my mind.  I'm working a job now that all I do is sit unless I need to get up to get something or go to the bathroom.  It's kind of hard to keep a job and heal your back... thanks for all the posts and different ideas.  Hope we can all heal!

[sittingsolution2]

I want to share a terrific solution for the sitting pain of some of you.  It's a non-invasive treatment called the Graston technique. A physical therapist can do it for you. Graston has a website that will help you find someone in your area who is certified.  Go to the website for a good explanation of how it works.  It is amazing!  The technique uses special instruments that are carefully designed and the motion of the technique resembles what you might do if you were attempting to spread cold butter across bread.  It seems to smooth and release adhesions of the fascia to the muscle.  The adhesions create pain in us as sitting on a hot washboard would cause pain in someone who did not have our problem.  Good luck!  It's so wonderful!