Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSciatica Buttock PainCausesPain ReliefSurgery and PTAfter SurgeryPreventing Flares
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Sciatica Buttock Pain
Causes
Pain Relief
Surgery and PT
After Surgery
Preventing Flares
Sciatica is a common cause of buttock pain that occurs when the sciatic nerve gets compressed or pinched. It causes nerve pain that starts in thespine at the lower backand goes into the buttocks, hips, and backs of the legs.
People with sciatica often report sharp, burning pain in their lower back, hip, leg, and buttocks. The condition typically affects one side of the body and may also cause muscle weakness, numbness, and tingling. Sciatica symptoms may worsen with walking, running, sitting, and taking stairs.
Various conditions can lead to sciatica, including a herniated or ruptured disc, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, or a spinal injury, such as a fracture.Most causes of sciatica buttock pain are not serious and may go away without any medical treatment.
This article will describe sciatic buttock pain, why it may occur, finding relief, and more.
Describing Buttock Pain From Sciatica
Thesciatic nerveis the longest and thickest nerve in your body.Despite its name suggesting it is a single nerve, it is actually a bundle of nerves that originate fromfive nerve rootsof thespinal cord. You have two sciatic nerves, one on each side of the body.
The sciatic nerves run through the hip and buttock on each side of the body, going down the leg until just below the knee.At the knee, the sciatic nerve branches into two other nerves that go to the lower leg and foot.
Because the sciatic nerve goes as far as it does, you can experience mild to severe pain and symptoms anywhere along the sciatic nerve. These symptoms affect the lower back, hips, buttocks, legs, feet, and toes.
A primary symptom of sciatica is nerve pain. This type of nerve pain can causeleg crampingthat is sharp and stabbing or electrical.Some people experience it starting in the lower back and going down one side of the body. Others may have symptoms that begin in the hip and radiate down the leg.
Sciatica may also cause a pins-and-needles type of numbness and burning or tingling down the affected leg.The severity and location of pain and other symptoms will vary from person to person or based on the cause of the nerve compression or location.
Some people with sciatica may also experiencecentral sensitization.This sciatica complication causes the nervous system to amplify pain.
If sciatica affects the buttocks region, you may experience:
Sciatic Nerve Pain
Why Buttock Pain Happens With Sciatica
What Is the Lumbosacral Region?The lumbosacral region or joint exists between the last lumbar vertebra (spinal bone) and the firstsacral segment(at the end of the spine in the pelvis) of the spine.
What Is the Lumbosacral Region?
The lumbosacral region or joint exists between the last lumbar vertebra (spinal bone) and the firstsacral segment(at the end of the spine in the pelvis) of the spine.
Possible causes of sciatic buttock pain related tonerve compressioninclude:
Piriformis Syndrome: Stretches and Exercises
Additional causes of sciatic nerve compression that may cause buttock pain are:
Lower Right Back Pain: Causes and Treatment
How to Relieve Sciatica Buttock Pain at Home
Most people can manage their sciatica buttock pain at home.
You can manage sciatica buttock pain at home with:
When to See a Healthcare ProviderCall a healthcare provider if the pain is not manageable or if you experience symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, such as numbness and weakness in the saddle area, urinary or fecal incontinence, urinary retention, or weakness or paralysis of the legs.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Call a healthcare provider if the pain is not manageable or if you experience symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, such as numbness and weakness in the saddle area, urinary or fecal incontinence, urinary retention, or weakness or paralysis of the legs.
Stretches That May Help Ease Sciatica Pain
Stretching regularly can help you to manage and prevent sciatica buttock pain. Some stretches that might help include glute bridges, the child’s pose, and the cobra stretch.
Glute Bridges
Steps:
Child’s Pose
Cobra Stretch
Sciatica Surgery and Physical Therapy
If at-home treatments don’t help manage sciatica buttock pain, a healthcare provider may recommendphysical therapy(PT). A physical therapist can teach you exercises thatimprove posture, reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve, and strengthen the muscles that support your back.
Your healthcare provider can also prescribe medicines to treat sciatica, such as Neurontin (gabapentin) to target nerve pain and injectablecorticosteroidsto target inflammation causing nerve pain.Muscle relaxers, anticonvulsant (anti-seizure) drugs such as gabapentin, and low-dose antidepressants can manage symptoms of sciatica, including buttock pain and muscle spasms.
You may need surgery if you are experiencing severe symptoms of sciatica for three or more months.Surgery is usually considered for managing an underlying cause of sciatica, such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis.
Sciatica Exercises to Avoid
Sciatica and Nerve Damage After Surgery
Nerve damage can occur during spinal surgery.This could mean new numbness and weakness in one or both legs, the buttocks, or anywhere along the sciatic nerve.Paralysisis a rare but possible complication.
You may still have sciatica symptoms following surgery.Or symptoms may disappear and return months or years later. If you have a recurrence, your healthcare provider will recommend nonsurgical options and additional surgery down the road if needed.
Between Sciatica Flares: Steps to Minimize Pain
For most people, sciatica is a condition that causes periods of flare-ups with pain and other symptoms and periods of remission, in which symptoms are gone. A sciatica flare-up can last up to six weeks.
It might be possible to prevent sciatica flare-ups with lifestyle changes. These include:
Summary
Sciatica is a common cause of buttock pain. It can result from various conditions affecting the lower back and spinal cord. While most of these causes do not lead to serious problems, sciatica can be painful and affect walking, running, sitting, and taking stairs.
You can manage sciatica buttock pain at home with rest, activity, hot and cold therapies, and OTC pain relievers. A healthcare provider can prescribe additional treatments, including medications and physical therapy when at-home treatments aren’t successful. Some people may need surgery to treat an underlying cause of sciatica, such as a herniated or ruptured disc.
17 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.MedlinePlus.Sciatica.Taylor T.The sciatic nerve: anatomy and 3d illustrations. Inner Body. July 3, 2018.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sciatica.Defrin R, Devor M, Brill S.Tactile allodynia in patients with lumbar radicular pain (sciatica).Pain. 2014;155(12):2551-2559. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2014.09.015Hopayian K, Heathcote J.Deep gluteal syndrome: an overlooked cause of sciatica.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(687):485-486. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X705653Kenhub.Lumbosacral joint: anatomy, ligaments and movements. October 30, 2023.Lavy C, Marks P, Dangas K, Todd N.Cauda equina syndrome-a practical guide to definition and classification.Int Orthop. 2022;46(2):165-169. doi:10.1007/s00264-021-05273-1Ahmad Siraj S, Dadgal R.Physiotherapy for piriformis syndrome using sciatic nerve mobilization and piriformis release.Cureus. 2022;14(12):e32952. doi:10.7759/cureus.32952Fairag M, Kurdi R, Alkathiry A, et al.Risk Factors, prevention, and primary and secondary management of sciatica: An updated overview.Cureus. 2022;14(11):e31405. Published 2022 Nov 12. doi:10.7759/cureus.31405Atlas SJ.Taming the pain of sciatica: for most people, time heals and less is more. Harvard Health Publishing. March 15, 2022.Harvard Health Publishing.Sciatica home remedies and self-care. April 21, 2020.Jones B.Stretches and exercises to ease sciatica pain, from a PT. Hospital for Special Surgery. September 29, 2022.Yale Medine.Sciatica.University of Maryland Medical Center.Complications of spine surgery.MedlinePlus.Guide to good posture.MedlinePlus.Lifting and bending the right way. August 12, 2023.Rajesh N, Moudgil-Joshi J, Kaliaperumal C.Smoking and degenerative spinal disease: a systematic review.Brain Spine.2022;2:100916. doi:10.1016/j.bas.2022.100916
17 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.MedlinePlus.Sciatica.Taylor T.The sciatic nerve: anatomy and 3d illustrations. Inner Body. July 3, 2018.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sciatica.Defrin R, Devor M, Brill S.Tactile allodynia in patients with lumbar radicular pain (sciatica).Pain. 2014;155(12):2551-2559. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2014.09.015Hopayian K, Heathcote J.Deep gluteal syndrome: an overlooked cause of sciatica.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(687):485-486. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X705653Kenhub.Lumbosacral joint: anatomy, ligaments and movements. October 30, 2023.Lavy C, Marks P, Dangas K, Todd N.Cauda equina syndrome-a practical guide to definition and classification.Int Orthop. 2022;46(2):165-169. doi:10.1007/s00264-021-05273-1Ahmad Siraj S, Dadgal R.Physiotherapy for piriformis syndrome using sciatic nerve mobilization and piriformis release.Cureus. 2022;14(12):e32952. doi:10.7759/cureus.32952Fairag M, Kurdi R, Alkathiry A, et al.Risk Factors, prevention, and primary and secondary management of sciatica: An updated overview.Cureus. 2022;14(11):e31405. Published 2022 Nov 12. doi:10.7759/cureus.31405Atlas SJ.Taming the pain of sciatica: for most people, time heals and less is more. Harvard Health Publishing. March 15, 2022.Harvard Health Publishing.Sciatica home remedies and self-care. April 21, 2020.Jones B.Stretches and exercises to ease sciatica pain, from a PT. Hospital for Special Surgery. September 29, 2022.Yale Medine.Sciatica.University of Maryland Medical Center.Complications of spine surgery.MedlinePlus.Guide to good posture.MedlinePlus.Lifting and bending the right way. August 12, 2023.Rajesh N, Moudgil-Joshi J, Kaliaperumal C.Smoking and degenerative spinal disease: a systematic review.Brain Spine.2022;2:100916. doi:10.1016/j.bas.2022.100916
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.
MedlinePlus.Sciatica.Taylor T.The sciatic nerve: anatomy and 3d illustrations. Inner Body. July 3, 2018.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sciatica.Defrin R, Devor M, Brill S.Tactile allodynia in patients with lumbar radicular pain (sciatica).Pain. 2014;155(12):2551-2559. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2014.09.015Hopayian K, Heathcote J.Deep gluteal syndrome: an overlooked cause of sciatica.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(687):485-486. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X705653Kenhub.Lumbosacral joint: anatomy, ligaments and movements. October 30, 2023.Lavy C, Marks P, Dangas K, Todd N.Cauda equina syndrome-a practical guide to definition and classification.Int Orthop. 2022;46(2):165-169. doi:10.1007/s00264-021-05273-1Ahmad Siraj S, Dadgal R.Physiotherapy for piriformis syndrome using sciatic nerve mobilization and piriformis release.Cureus. 2022;14(12):e32952. doi:10.7759/cureus.32952Fairag M, Kurdi R, Alkathiry A, et al.Risk Factors, prevention, and primary and secondary management of sciatica: An updated overview.Cureus. 2022;14(11):e31405. Published 2022 Nov 12. doi:10.7759/cureus.31405Atlas SJ.Taming the pain of sciatica: for most people, time heals and less is more. Harvard Health Publishing. March 15, 2022.Harvard Health Publishing.Sciatica home remedies and self-care. April 21, 2020.Jones B.Stretches and exercises to ease sciatica pain, from a PT. Hospital for Special Surgery. September 29, 2022.Yale Medine.Sciatica.University of Maryland Medical Center.Complications of spine surgery.MedlinePlus.Guide to good posture.MedlinePlus.Lifting and bending the right way. August 12, 2023.Rajesh N, Moudgil-Joshi J, Kaliaperumal C.Smoking and degenerative spinal disease: a systematic review.Brain Spine.2022;2:100916. doi:10.1016/j.bas.2022.100916
MedlinePlus.Sciatica.
Taylor T.The sciatic nerve: anatomy and 3d illustrations. Inner Body. July 3, 2018.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sciatica.
Defrin R, Devor M, Brill S.Tactile allodynia in patients with lumbar radicular pain (sciatica).Pain. 2014;155(12):2551-2559. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2014.09.015
Hopayian K, Heathcote J.Deep gluteal syndrome: an overlooked cause of sciatica.Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(687):485-486. doi:10.3399/bjgp19X705653
Kenhub.Lumbosacral joint: anatomy, ligaments and movements. October 30, 2023.
Lavy C, Marks P, Dangas K, Todd N.Cauda equina syndrome-a practical guide to definition and classification.Int Orthop. 2022;46(2):165-169. doi:10.1007/s00264-021-05273-1
Ahmad Siraj S, Dadgal R.Physiotherapy for piriformis syndrome using sciatic nerve mobilization and piriformis release.Cureus. 2022;14(12):e32952. doi:10.7759/cureus.32952
Fairag M, Kurdi R, Alkathiry A, et al.Risk Factors, prevention, and primary and secondary management of sciatica: An updated overview.Cureus. 2022;14(11):e31405. Published 2022 Nov 12. doi:10.7759/cureus.31405
Atlas SJ.Taming the pain of sciatica: for most people, time heals and less is more. Harvard Health Publishing. March 15, 2022.
Harvard Health Publishing.Sciatica home remedies and self-care. April 21, 2020.
Jones B.Stretches and exercises to ease sciatica pain, from a PT. Hospital for Special Surgery. September 29, 2022.
Yale Medine.Sciatica.
University of Maryland Medical Center.Complications of spine surgery.
MedlinePlus.Guide to good posture.
MedlinePlus.Lifting and bending the right way. August 12, 2023.
Rajesh N, Moudgil-Joshi J, Kaliaperumal C.Smoking and degenerative spinal disease: a systematic review.Brain Spine.2022;2:100916. doi:10.1016/j.bas.2022.100916
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