What Causes Buttocks Pain
First, we need to discuss why this pain occurs before we understand how to make it go away. Poor posture causes muscle pain, which is the most common reason that people experience buttocks pain from sitting. However, poor posture can also cause different issues when not treated early, including:
These conditions, and more, are also worsened by sitting in uncomfortable and unsupportive chairs.
Products That May Help:
Get a Standing Desk -standing, even for short periods throughout the day, has been proven to help alleviate or prevent sitting-caused back pain. By standing at your desk you’ll burn extra calories and the variability offered by a sit-to-stand desk will benefit you in more ways than you might think. Our writer, Ryan put together a great guide on buying a standing desk. and is a really good value for money.
Get an Ergonomic Chair – for most of us, sitting is just part of our daily lives and jobs. Even for those with the benefit of a standing desk, it’s still important to make sure that you have a quality chair for the considerable time you still spend sitting.Ergonomic focused chairsoffer lower back or lumbar support which is key in making your sitting time much less painful.
Use an Inversion Table – the only way to get 100% decompression of your spine compared to when you stand is to invert at a 60-degree angle. There is some research supporting the use of inversion tables to get rid of back pain. And besides getting rid of back pain, there are many other benefits reported by users.
Get a Foam Roller – we think foam rollers are a great, cheap option for targeted massage and tissue release. We are a big fan because they come in many shapes, sizes, and difficulty levels that will fit just about any budget. You should do your research though as there is an initial learning curve to overcome.
When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider
- Can’t stand or walk
- Temperature over 101.0°F
- Chills
- Frequent, painful, or bloody urination
- Severe belly pain
- Pain or numbness in your leg
- Pain in a new area of your back
- The pain isnt decreasing after more than a week
- Pain radiating down the leg.
- Pain that is accompanied by fever or chills, leg weakness, or loss of control of the bladder or bowels.
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Why Tailbone Hurts Sitting With Pregnancy
Pregnant women commonly experience pain in the tailbone. Relaxin and hormones generally appear to be to blame. They cause relaxation and stretch of the pelvic floor, which also influences the movement of your coccyx. Its not uncommon for pain during pregnancy to feel like lower back and hip pain.
Hormones and constipation can be to blame. Pregnancy friendly natural remedies will help relieve any discomfort or pain without putting your health or your babys health at risk. You can ease the pain by practising some stretches, but if your pain lasts more than a few days with no improvement, or if it gets worse, see a doctor. Here are some of my favourites:
- Get your sitting right. The doughnut-shaped pillow helps relieve your aching back and spine and distribute your weight evenly, allowing you to sit for longer.
- Good Sleep. In addition to the backpressure, sleeping on your left side relieves pressure on the placenta and ensures proper blood circulation. Adding a pillow between your legs may help relieve tailbone pain if this position isnt doing much for it.
- Some of my patients found great relief by using a full body pillow . A full body pillow can help maintain good sleeping alignment while relaxing the pelvic floor muscles.
- Keep moving. Exercise keeps you limber, soothes achy joints, keeps your muscles strong and helps prevent weight gain as well.
Soothe Lower Back Pain Using Hot And Cold Packs At Home
One of the most common non-pharmacologic and non-invasive treatment on how to help lower back pain is the use of ice packs and heat therapy. Studies show that both methods aid in relieving lower back pain.
Some people find that ice therapy is not as effective as hot compresses, but still, it does not mean that it has no value at all. You just have to know when to use ice packs or heat therapy.
Cold application is most beneficial during the first forty-eight hours of injury, such as back strains. It helps reduce acute pain and aids in reducing the effects of inflammation or swelling.
Once the initial or acute phase of injury is over, heat therapy works by accelerating the recovery phase and relieving muscular spams. Hot compress reduces local muscle stiffness, the reason for long-lasting lower back pain from sitting all day.
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Reasons Why Tailbone Hurts When You Sit
As you sit there reading this article, you may be in an uncomfortable chair. You need not worry because we have some good tips to manage your tailbone pain and make your work experience more enjoyable! You can follow these steps to make sure your chairs are always as comfortable as possible. What else is there to do but to be comfortable at work?
I found in my practice that tailbone pain may occur as a result of an array of factors. In most cases, tailbone pain is typically caused by an existing hairline break in the coccyx.
As a general rule, sitting can damage your tailbone . When this occurs, your tailbone tissue can become damaged, leading to coccydynia. Long periods of sitting, such as when working or driving, can exert pressure on your coccyx, resulting in discomfort and unease.
In this post, I will explain how to deal with tailbone pain as well as what to watch out for in the future. I have been treating coccyx injuries for 30 years, so I can offer you the benefit of my experience treating tailbone injuries caused by sitting at work all day long or any other cause.
I even created a seat cushion that I ran a successful Kickstarter for to help with coccyx pain! So, I can help you reduce your tailbone pain after sitting for a long time, at work or at home, thanks to my hands-on experience.
Bad Habits Contribute To Back Pain When Standing Lifestyle Changes Can Help
Parts of your everyday routine may be contributing to the low back pain you experience when standing. These include:
- Not exercising regularly or doing the wrong exercises
- Having poor posture which interferes with proper weight distribution
- Not wearing supportive shoes or, if necessary, orthotics
- Sleeping on an old or unsupportive mattress
- Lifting heavy objects or weight-lifting as a form of exercise
- Being overweight or obese
Some changes are easier to make than others and some require professional assistance. For example, while it may be easy enough to purchase a new mattress, you are probably better off consulting a doctor who understands which type of mattress is best in your particular case. Similarly, purchasing over-the-counter orthotics is rarely wise. Such products should be customized to serve your unique needs.
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Poor Mechanics Affect The Muscles That Protect You
Most of us do not use our chairs upright properly, and over time, may slouch while seated. Here the pelvis develops a posterior tilt, leading to greater disc imbalance and risk or injury.
Placing our arms and hands on the table, keyboard or steering wheel, for example, allows us to relax our upper body further. Relaxing exacerbates the curve in our spine as we bear down more of the weight of our upper body. Our natural and balanced lumbar S-shaped curve becomes a C-shaped curve.
Other muscles like the abdominals and the transverse abdominus relax, resulting in less support. Hamstring and quadricep muscles become progressively shorter . The progression causes them to pull on the pelvis during activity, thereby reducing our pelvic mobility.
With less pelvic mobility, the lower back compensates by bending and moving more than needed when we are engaged in daily activity.
Stop Trying Passive Treatments
Passive treatments like heat, ice or ultrasound may feel good, but their effect is usually only temporary. Most research indicates that active self-care exercise and postural correction is an effective remedy for low back pain.
A visit to your physical therapist can help determine which exercises are best for your specific condition.
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When To See A Specialist For Lower Back Pain
If you’re experiencing lower back pain that’s not responding to rest and self-care, it’s time to consider seeing a spine specialist.
“A spine specialist will likely perform a physical exam as well as one or more imaging scans to diagnose the root cause of your lower back pain. Depending on your diagnosis, he or she will then design a treatment plan aimed at alleviating your pain and preventing it from disrupting the everyday activities you enjoy,” says Dr. Palmer.
Get Help From A Professional:
Massage – Getting pain treatment through massage is another great way to get rid of pain. While this may be a luxury approach, a monthly massage can be affordable and effective. There are many types of massage options, so be sure to ask about targeting your areas of pain. With the rising accessibility of massage guns, you can also get a frequent and affordable targeted massage. You can get a very high-quality massage gun for a few hundred dollars.
Go to a Chiropractor – Finding a good chiropractor can be the key to relieving your pain. Chiropractors are trained in musculoskeletal manipulation and can identify the cause of your pain and specifically treat areas of pain with specialized procedures. They can also advise you on managing your pain in your day-to-day life and suggest other activities that may help.
Physical Therapy – Often treating patients that have suffered trauma or recovering from surgery, physical therapists and their staff are also more than qualified to help treat back pain. Overlapping with treatment from a chiropractor, seeking help from a physical therapist can be another highly effective option for treating back and neck pain caused by sitting.
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Preventing Back Pain From Sitting Too Long
Instead of worrying about all the ways youre doing it wrong, consider a few tweaks to your posture or routine here and there because the reality is youre going to have days where you forget to get up and move around or you have a lot more work than usual. Here are some easy changes you can make to avoid back pain from sitting too long:
Adds Dr. Rushton, Wed rather see you before it gets to that point so if you have ongoing pain thats concerning you, or you had a pre-existing back issue or sciatica thats worsened now that youre working from home, just make an appointment and come see us. It doesnt hurt to get some diagnostic work done and see whats going on. With a few lifestyle changes and a combination of treatments , were often able to resolve back pain issues before they become more serious.
Main Line Health serves patients at hospitals and health centers throughout the western suburbs of Philadelphia. To schedule an appointment with a specialist at Main Line Health, or use our secure online appointment request form.
How To Relieve The Pain
If you’re experiencing back pain when sitting, your impulse may be to lie down and then try to slowly progress back to sitting, says Dr. Atlas. But this is the wrong approach. You should lie down to relieve the pain, but the goal should be not to return to sitting, but rather to regain your ability to stand and move. “The goal isn’t to get into the chair. The goal is to start moving. Walking is better than sitting,” he says. Movement is often the best medicine when it comes to relieving pain.
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Treating Chronic Back Pain
Experts recommend starting with non-invasive treatments for chronic back pain such as heat and ice, stretching/exercising, massage, and dry needling. Electrical stimulation may be helpful in relieving pain. While there are several medications available to relieve back pain, the American College of Physicians recommends starting with non-invasive and non-drug therapies. Medications may have side-effects or risks of addition, especially prescribed opioids. If chronic pain persists, spinal injections may help relax muscles and treat pain. Steroidal injections can treat pain for inflammation-associated sciatica, but steroids are not advised for long-term use.
If chronic, severe pain does not respond to non-invasive treatments, your doctor may recommend surgery as a last-resort option. Surgery is not always successful and can have a long recovery period. During surgery, doctors can repair or replace damaged intervertebral discs, re-align or fuse vertebrae, or implant nerve stimulators that disrupt pain signals with electrical stimulation. Physical therapy can help the recovery process after surgery.
Christopher J Centeno Md
Christopher J. Centeno, M.D. is an international expert and specialist in Interventional Orthopedics and the clinical use of bone marrow concentrate in orthopedics. He is board-certified in physical medicine as well as rehabilitation and in pain management through The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
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A Strong Back Is A Healthy Back
Some simple exercises can help keep back pain at bay. These exercises build not only strength, but also flexibility. For more tips and exercises to help your back, check out the Harvard Special Health Report Back Pain: Finding solutions for your aching back .
Lie on your back with both knees bent. Pull one knee toward your chest and hold it for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg. Do this 5 to 10 times with each leg.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet on the floor. Pull both knees toward your chest and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Return to the starting position. Do this 5 to 10 times.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet on the floor. Gently flatten your lower back to the floor and hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax. Do this 5 to 10 times.
Lie face down on the floor, your bed, or an exercise mat. Bend your torso upward and rest the weight on your forearms. Gently arch your lower back and hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Start on your hands and knees. Lift and straighten one leg, extending it gently backward without lifting it above your body level. Hold the position for 5 seconds. Do this 5 to 10 times with each leg.
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet on the floor. Gently raise your buttocks off the floor 4 to 6 inches, hold for 5 seconds, and return to the starting position. Do this 5 to 10 times.
The Most Common Causes Of Lower Back Pain Are A Strain Or Sprain
Whether you notice it or not, your lumbar spine gets put to work throughout the entire day.
Amid all of this work and motion, a lower back sprain or strain can result from an acute injury, such as one experienced while falling, lifting something too heavy or playing sports. A sprain or strain can also develop over time due to repetitive movements or poor posture.
“Straining a muscle or spraining a ligament are the most common causes of lower back pain,” says Dr. Palmer. “While they can be serious, these common causes of lower back pain aren’t long-lasting taking anywhere from a few days to heal or, at most, a few months.”
Your doctor can help you determine the particular course of self-care that can help heal your lower back pain.
“The treatment for a pulled back muscle or strained back ligament is fairly simple and can include pain and anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, ice to help reduce inflammation, heat to promote healing, and avoiding strenuous activity until the pain recedes,” explains Dr. Palmer. “The best course of care will depend on the severity of your injury as well as your overall core and lower body strength.”
If your lower back pain persists despite treatment, it may be time to consider other causes of lower back pain.
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What Can I Do If I Have Acute Low Back Pain
The following advice will benefit a majority of people with back pain. If any of the following guidelines causes an increase of pain or spreading of pain to the legs, do not continue the activity and seek the advice of a physician or physical therapist.
The key to recovering from acute low back pain is maintaining the normal curve of the spine . Supporting the hollow of your back will help decrease your recovery time.
Follow these guidelines for 10 to 20 days after you experience acute low back pain:
Sitting
- Sit as little as possible, and only for short periods of time .
- Sit with a back support at the curve of your back.
- Keep your hips and knees at a right angle. Your legs should not be crossed and your feet should be flat on the floor.
Here’s how to find a good sitting position when you’re not using a back support or lumbar roll:
Correct sitting position without lumbar support.
Correct sitting position with lumbar support.
Driving
- Use a back support at the curve of your back. Your knees should be at the same level or higher than your hips.
- Move the seat close to the steering wheel to support the curve of your back. The seat should be close enough to allow your knees to bend and your feet to reach the pedals.
Standing
Stooping, squatting, and kneeling
Lifting objects
Reaching overhead
Sleeping and lying down
Other helpful tips
If you sleep on your back, put pillows under your knees and a small pillow under the small of your back.
