Buttock pain, whether caused by muscle strain, sciatica, or other underlying conditions, can be incredibly uncomfortable and disruptive to daily life. In a fast-paced city like Tokyo, where long hours of sitting, commuting, and stress can contribute to this type of pain, finding effective and natural relief is essential. Acupuncture, a time-tested treatment rooted in Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM), has gained popularity for its ability to address the root causes of buttock pain by stimulating the body’s healing processes. This article explores how acupuncture can effectively treat buttock pain, offering a holistic solution that goes beyond masking symptoms. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor in Tokyo seeking relief, acupuncture could be the key to easing your discomfort and improving your mobility.
Buttock Pain
Buttock pain can have several causes, including injuries, overuse conditions, and nerve compression. Because buttock pain can significantly impact your ability to sit, stand, or walk, it is important to determine the underlying cause, receive appropriate treatment, and prevent your condition from getting worse.
Causes
Different causes of buttock pain can produce varied symptoms, including shooting, burning, numbness, tingling, or aching sensations. Some causes of buttock pain will come on suddenly while others can develop gradually over time.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, is a condition that causes pain, stiffness, and inflammation of joints from the breakdown of cartilage. Osteoarthritis tends to develop slowly due to the wear and tear that accompanies aging, but can also develop quickly after an injury.
Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, including the hip. Osteoarthritis of the hip can cause a dull, aching pain in the groin, side of the hip, or back of the buttocks that can make walking difficult.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a general term that refers to compression of the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in the body that runs from the lumbar spine of the lower back down the back of the leg. Compression of the sciatic nerve can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the buttock, back of the thigh, and/or below the knee.
Sciatica nerve compression can result from a variety of different causes, including bulging or herniated discs, spinal stenosis, direct nerve injury, or muscle tightness.
Herniated Discs
Discs are small jelly-like pads that separate and cushion the vertebrae (bones) of the spine. When the outer layer tears (herniates), the inner material leaks out. This causes pain, weakness, and numbness. Herniated discs in the lower (lumbar) back can cause pain to radiate from the back through the buttock and into the thigh, leg, and/or foot.
Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis syndrome is a condition characterized by an overly tight piriformis muscle in the back of the hip. Because the piriformis muscle most commonly overlays the sciatic nerve, tightness of the piriformis can cause compression of the sciatic nerve, resulting in buttock pain that radiates down the leg.
Symptoms of piriformis syndrome present or significantly worsen when sitting for extended periods due to constant pressure on the piriformis muscle.
Trauma
Injury to trauma to the buttocks or surrounding areas can result from overuse, car accidents, sports, falls, and other circumstances. The nature of the injuries varies but may include any of the following:
- Bone fracture
- Disloaction
- Strain
- Bruising
- Sprains to ligaments or muscles
Trauma to the buttocks may result in dislocation to the lower spine as well as local pain and injury.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
The sacroiliac joint forms between your sacrum and both sides of your pelvis at the base of your spine. While very little movement occurs in the sacroiliac joints compared to other joints of the body, the sacroiliac joints can become stressed or shifted out of normal alignment from pregnancy and childbirth, injury to the spine or pelvis, muscle imbalances, or uneven leg lengths.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction causes deep joint pain directly at the sacroiliac joint pain at the upper portion of the buttocks. Standing, walking, and climbing stairs all tend to worsen sacroiliac joint pain.
Hamstring Tendonitis
Tendonitis refers to inflammation of a tendon (which is the connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones) caused by overuse of the muscle.
Hamstring tendonitis is a common issue related to buttock pain. This occurs when the hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh are inflamed, which commonly occurs with long-distance running, repetitive weight lifting, and field-based sports.
The hamstring tendons attach to the ischial tuberosities of the pelvis, the hard bony prominences that you can feel at the bottom of your buttocks when you sit. With hamstring tendonitis, pain can develop at these bony areas and deep at the bottom of your buttocks.
Hip Bursitis
Bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs that lay in between tendons and bones to decrease friction and irritation at tendons from rubbing over bones. With repeated contraction or overuse of the muscles associated with the tendons, the underlying bursae can become inflamed and irritated, resulting in bursitis.
There are two types of hip bursitis:
- Trochanteric bursitis occurs at the side of the bony outside of the hip where the femur (thigh bone) joins with the hip. Symptoms of trochanteric bursitis include pain, tenderness, swelling, and muscle weakness at the side of the hip and/or buttocks.
- Iliopsoas bursitis occurs at the bursa on the inside (groin side) of the hip. This is less common than trochanteric bursitis.
Ischial Bursitis
Ischial bursitis occurs between the ischial tuberosity (a bone in the lower pelvis) and the tendon that attaches the hamstring muscle to the bone. This condition is associated with prolonged sitting and repetitive movements of the gluteus maximus muscle. Symptoms may include pain in the upper thigh or buttocks.
Coccydynia
Coccydynia, or coccyx (tailbone) pain, often results from a fall on your buttocks and landing directly on your tailbone. Injuring your tailbone can cause a tailbone fracture or bruise to the connective tissue around your tailbone, causing significant pain and discomfort, especially when sitting.
Infection
If you’re suffering from pain around the anus and have any pus discharging from the rectum, you may have an anorectal abscess. This is an infection in the gland near the anus. Surgery is usually required to drain and heal the abscess.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids result from swollen and inflamed blood vessels around the rectum, causing pain, burning, itchiness, and sometimes bleeding during bowel movements. Hemorrhoids are often caused by straining during bowel movements, chronic constipation or diarrhea, or pregnancy.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition characterized by the presence of trigger points within muscles or fascia. When these trigger points (or muscle knots) occur in the gluteal region, it can result in buttock pain.
Other Causes
Some other conditions can also lead to pain in the buttocks, including:
- Pilonidal cyst: A cyst that grows on the tailbone just above the buttocks
- Muscle strain: Sharp pain felt in gluteal muscles
- Degenerative disc disease: The breakdown of spinal discs that often causes lower back pain that radiates to the buttocks
- Ischiofemoral impingement: An uncommon source of hip and buttocks pain resulting from the soft tissue between the hip bones being pinched
Symptoms
The wide variation of causes means that buttock pain is very different depending on the underlying problem
While the type, severity, and location of pain can vary from person to person, common symptoms relate to the following conditions:
- Stiffness and a dull ache may be related to arthritis.
- Pain that worsens with sitting, standing, or walking is possibly due to piriformis syndrome or joint dysfunction.
- Numbness or tingling in the leg is often related to nerve issues like sciatica.
- Pain that radiates down the leg is associated with both sciatica and piriformis syndrome.
- Weakness along the hip or legs can be caused by disc problems and bursitis.
- Swelling and tenderness are common with bursitis.
Diagnosis
To diagnose the cause of your buttock pain, a healthcare provider may:
- Review your medical history
- Perform a physical examination
- Order X-rays to check for signs of arthritis or broken bones
- Request an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to check for a sprain, tear, tendinitis, spinal stenosis, nerve root compression, and more
- Conduct a nerve conduction test to measure how fast your nerves transmit signals to assess abnormal nerve functioning
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you have persistent, unexplained buttock pain (not due to a hip or leg injury) that travels into the leg, contact your healthcare provider.
The presence of certain signs and symptoms should also prompt you to schedule a visit to a healthcare provider, such as:
- Your pain significantly impacts your ability to walk, stand, or sit for extended periods.
- You cannot move your hip without causing pain.
- You experience burning, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hip or leg.
- You have pain and/or difficulty passing bowel movements.
- You have unusual symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss.
Acupuncture Treatment in Tokyo
The Role of Acupuncture
Acupuncture known as the main complementary treatment in traditional oriental medicine is a holistic method of healing that is done with the help of inserting very fine needles into the so-called acupuncture points on the body. These are lying on the meridians or pathways along these lines vital energy moves.
Acupuncture works through the re-establishment of harmony with vital energy in both the mind and the body, acting against the cause and effect of imbalances. Although the idea of vital energy could appear elusive to a certain number of people, recent scientific studies are trying to figure out the physiological basis that is responsible for the action of acupuncture treatment.
The sticking of acupuncture needles into the acupuncture points activates the nerve fibers transmitting the messages to the brain to release the endorphins, the body’s alleged natural painkillers. This process facilitates conditioning which in turn reduces the painful sensation and discomforts caused by gluteus medius pain. Among other things, acupuncture establishes a balance in the body’s inflammatory reaction by impeding swelling and speeding wound healing.
Moreover, acupuncture can improve blood circulation to the affected area, delivering essential nutrients and oxygen for tissue repair and regeneration. By targeting specific acupuncture points associated with the buttocks, hips, and lower back, acupuncturists can effectively address the root cause of gluteus medius pain while promoting overall well-being.
How Acupuncture Works for Gluteus Medius Pain
Acupuncture (as a holistic technique) effectively deals with medial gluteal pain. Aptly utilized acupuncture points located on the buttocks, hips, and lower back enhance the multipronged reaction promoting recovery through acupuncture by the acupuncturists. Another amazing thing about acupuncture is that the acupuncture points correspond to certain areas where muscle tightness is most concentrated, which further stimulates the promotion of broadening of blood flow to the affected sites.
Also, acupuncture has been found to promote the release of endorphins, which are the so-called natural pain-delete relief hormones. What’s fascinating is that the harmless nature of endorphins not only absolves pain but also works in the mood brightening up to a sense of great well-being. Through tapping the individual’s self-healing resources, acupuncture delivers a high level of pain relief from the tears in gluteus medius muscles, while restoring physical and emotional harmony.
Benefits of Acupuncture for Gluteus Medius Pain
- Pain Relief: Acupuncture provides effective pain control by directly selecting the trigger points as well as the tenderness related to gluteus medius causes. These are sensitive spots in the body when pricked by acupuncture needles, this empties endorphins, which are natural painkillers chemical substances in the body. On top of that, acupuncture does not just improve pain perception but, of course, it also quickens the process of brain activity so that the acute pain perception gets better immediately. Acupuncture is a less risky option than medications and also does not involve an invasive technique. Acupuncture makes people reduce their dependence on pain pills as an effective alternative for gluteus medius pain.
- Improved Mobility and Flexibility: Occasionally gluteus medius pains can be noticed as aches and restrictions in the hip-looking parts of the body. Acupuncture relief from these spots provides this sort of release of tension improves muscle relaxation and brings an increased range of movement and flexibility. It stimulates both the affected muscle and the widened surroundings, thus improving mobility and restoring to normal function of the tissues. Hence, patients feel comfortable and move freely.
- Enhanced Recovery: Acupuncture enhances the inner healing procedure which is a channel within the body to enable fast recovery after injuries or pulls in the gluteus medius muscle. The stimulation of acupuncture points enhances the irrigation of blood supply to the affected part, which releases food and oxygen for the process of tissue regrowth and regeneration. Further, the application of acupuncture diminishes inflammation, swelling, and bruising, respectively helping the patient to resume his routine activities in no time and promoting a faster healing process.
- Stress Reduction and Mental Well-being: Chronic gluteus medius pain can take a toll on mental well-being, leading to stress, anxiety, and depression. Acupuncture offers holistic support by not only addressing physical discomfort but also promoting relaxation and mental wellness. During acupuncture sessions, patients often experience a deep sense of relaxation and tranquility, allowing for stress reduction and emotional balance. By harmonizing the body’s energy systems, acupuncture fosters a sense of inner peace and overall well-being, essential for coping with the challenges of chronic pain.
- Holistic Approach to Healing: Unlike invasive procedures or pharmaceutical interventions that may only target symptoms, acupuncture takes a holistic approach to healing, addressing the root cause of gluteus medius pain while enhancing overall health and vitality. Acupuncturists at Fuji Wellness employ a comprehensive treatment strategy tailored to each individual’s unique needs, considering factors such as lifestyle, diet, and emotional well-being. By restoring balance to the body’s energy systems and addressing underlying imbalances, acupuncture promotes long-term healing and wellness, empowering individuals to reclaim their health and vitality.
Book with us today
Gluteus medius problems (buttock pain) can significantly impact your quality of life, affecting everything from daily activities to athletic performance. Acupuncture offers a natural, more holistic approach to addressing pain relief, improving muscle function, reducing inflammation, and supporting the body’s healing process.
Don’t let gluteus medius problems hold you back from the activities you love. The experienced practitioners at Fuji Wellness are ready to help you on your journey to hip health and pain-free movement.
Contact our office today to schedule your initial consultation and take the first steps toward overcoming your gluteus medius issues. With our personalized approach and expertise in sports acupuncture, we’re committed to helping you achieve long-lasting relief and improved function.
Fuji Wellness:
- Address: 132-0031 Matsushima 1-chome, 21-14, Tokyo, Japan
- Contact: Click here
- Email: sunnyphamsensei@gmail.com
