From novanthealth.org
Dead butt syndrome is a silly name but a serious symptom of sitting all day. This doctor says ‘movement is medicine.’
Are you working at a desk job day after day? That could be why you’re feeling pain in the posterior.
Gluteal amnesia, a condition someone thought would be fun to call “dead butt syndrome,” is aggravated by spending too much time sitting.
Why? Too much chair-time weakens the gluteal muscles, and the effects of that inactivity can spread to the lower back and knees, taking a toll on your overall health.
“Patients often assume that pain in the buttocks is caused by sciatica, but there may be something else going on,” said interventional pain management specialist Dr. Evander Britt of Novant Health Spine Specialists - Kimel Park in Winston-Salem.
“The spine is responsible for 70% to 90% of overall pain issues we treat in our practice, and spine pain can be worsened by wearing the wrong pair of shoes or sleeping on an old mattress,” he said.
Britt primarily addresses spine and lower back pain management by using steroid injections, ablations or other interventional techniques.
“We usually get some form of imaging, whether it’s an X-ray or an MRI, depending on symptoms,” Britt said. “That will point us in the right direction, but there may be things on the imaging that don't need to be treated. We always like to treat the patient, not the picture. The X-ray may differ from the level of pain the patient is experiencing, so individualized care is the name of the game.”
Here, Britt explains how to revive your rear end. Step one? Get moving.
How to prevent and manage pain caused by dead butt syndrome
Should I be standing or sitting while talking to you right now?
Ideally, you’re standing. Movement is medicine. Our bodies were made to be moving, so more standing than sitting throughout the day is a good thing. Standing gets the blood pumping, activates more muscles and burns more calories than sitting. Your body’s natural mechanisms are firing more when you’re standing.
What are the most common and least common reasons for rear end pain?
Nine times out of 10, it’s not “sciatica.” Sciatica implies an issue along the path of the sciatic nerve, or a pinched nerve mimicking that pain. Some people say sciatica when they actually mean back pain or leg pain, so that always prompts follow-up questions from me. The next step is for them to tell me more.
Sometimes that pain can be coming from a joint issue in the spine, even though the patient feels it in the buttocks. That’s an example of “referred pain,” where the issue is in one part of the body but felt in a different part. There’s also sacroiliac joint pain, which is where the back of the hip connects to the sacrum (bottom of the spine). It’s a common cause of butt pain that originates in the spine.
What should people try first to address backside pain, and when is it time to see a doctor?
Early evaluation is never a bad thing, so it’s worth seeing your primary care provider early on, or you could come see us in the clinic. Of course this depends on the patient, and whether their pain is acute – meaning something has happened recently – or chronic, which means it’s been ongoing for at least three months. The degree of chronic pain can be wildly variable, and physical therapy is usually part of the treatment process.
Is it a matter of helping them follow an exercise regimen?
The approach is personalized to the patient. Regular exercise is beneficial, especially for someone who is sedentary. Some people experience degeneration because their muscles are weak and atrophied from no physical activity, and they must become more active to build up that strength.
Specific exercises like glute bridges, lunges, squats and walking uphill are great for targeting and strengthening the lower body. Working at a standing desk is also positive for your overall health, because it encourages you to keep moving throughout the day.
What simple things can we do to address backside pain?
When talking about the spine, think of your body as a chain. The right pair of shoes can do wonders for foot, knee and back pain.
Knee problems can alter your gait and lead to foot and ankle pain, which travels up the chain to the hip and spine. I tell patients that proper footwear can be remarkable. As a former soccer player and runner, I experienced a lot of foot, ankle and knee pain. Putting on the right shoes changed my life.
https://www.novanthealth.org/healthy-headlines/that-pain-in-your-rear-end-may-not-be-what-you-think
