Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
A bruised glute, glutealcontusion, or butt bruise is an injury to the glute muscles of the buttocks. A butt bruise most often results in pain and visible discoloration of the skin at the injury site.
This article will describe the symptoms and typicalcauses of bruising, how a butt bruise is diagnosed and treated, and your potential healing time.
Getty Images / SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI
Gluteus MaximusThe gluteus maximus is the largest of three gluteal muscles and overlays both the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. This muscle gives the buttocks its distinctive shape.
Gluteus Maximus
The gluteus maximus is the largest of three gluteal muscles and overlays both the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. This muscle gives the buttocks its distinctive shape.
Butt Bruise Symptoms
Acontusion, or bruise, is a muscle injury that can affect any of the body’s skeletal muscles. A butt bruise can be painful, with a black and blue mark that changes color over time. Other symptoms may include:
Hematoma vs. Bruise
Butt Bruise Causes
A butt bruise occurs from direct trauma to the gluteal muscles of the buttocks. Forceful impact on a muscle causes damage to underlying blood vessels, muscle fibers, and sometimes bone resulting in bleeding underneath the skin.
Direct impacts to the gluteal muscles that can cause a butt bruise include:
If you takeblood thinners, or anticoagulant medication (e.g.,warfarin), you have an increased risk of bruising from direct contact injuries.
Butt Bruise Diagnosis
A butt bruise is usually diagnosed through a physical examination as it is generally easy to diagnose based on physical appearance, symptoms, and type of injury.
All bruises, or contusions, can be graded based on the severity according to the following criteria:
When contusions are larger, deeper, and involve a significant amount of blood pooling and swelling under the skin, they are referred to ashematomas.
If bruising is severe, a diagnostic ultrasound,CT scan, orMRImay be performed to determine if there is damage to any underlying structures.
How Do You Treat a Bruised Buttock?
Treatment for a butt bruise typically involves rest and time to allow your body to heal in order for the bleeding and bruising under the skin to dissipate. Butt bruises are generally mild injuries that do not require more involved treatment.
Applying ice to the injury site can help relieve pain and inflammation. If the bruising is severe, significant physical activity like participating in sports, dancing, running, jumping, and weight lifting should be avoided until your injured gluteal muscles heal.With more severe bruising, contraction and stretching of the glutes will be painful and can delay healing.
Rehabilitation through physical therapy may be needed for more significant injuries to restore muscle function.
Bleeding Into the Skin: Causes of Sudden Skin Changes
Butt Bruise Prognosis
A butt bruise is generally a mild injury that heals on its own with time and rest. More significant injuries take longer to heal and may require physical therapy to build up strength and range of motion if muscle function is affected.
How long does a bruised gluteus take to heal?
Healing times for bruised glutes vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury:
Summary
Like all bruises, a butt bruise can vary in severity from grade I to grade III, with higher-graded bruises requiring more time to heal. Most butt bruises can heal on their own with time and rest, but if your bruising is severe, you may require physical therapy to restore full muscle function.
If your bruising is severe, see your healthcare provider to determine if any other injuries to underlying structures, including muscle or tendon tears, are present.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mount Sinai.Bruise.MedlinePlus.Bruises.Fernandes TL, Pedrinelli A, Hernandez AJ.Muscle injury - physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment and clinical presentation.Rev Bras Ortop. 2015;46(3):247-255. doi:10.1016/S2255-4971(15)30190-7.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mount Sinai.Bruise.MedlinePlus.Bruises.Fernandes TL, Pedrinelli A, Hernandez AJ.Muscle injury - physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment and clinical presentation.Rev Bras Ortop. 2015;46(3):247-255. doi:10.1016/S2255-4971(15)30190-7.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mount Sinai.Bruise.MedlinePlus.Bruises.Fernandes TL, Pedrinelli A, Hernandez AJ.Muscle injury - physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment and clinical presentation.Rev Bras Ortop. 2015;46(3):247-255. doi:10.1016/S2255-4971(15)30190-7.
Mount Sinai.Bruise.
MedlinePlus.Bruises.
Fernandes TL, Pedrinelli A, Hernandez AJ.Muscle injury - physiopathology, diagnosis, treatment and clinical presentation.Rev Bras Ortop. 2015;46(3):247-255. doi:10.1016/S2255-4971(15)30190-7.
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