Pain in the buttocks when sitting down

[Thereisalight]

So the list of random things happening to me keeps increasing slowly but steadily. The newest thing is when i sit for long periods of time i fet this pain which can feel like burning sometimes which is not great. It's worse if i cross my legs too. Not sure what it is yet. Could it be priformis syndrome, parathesia which is common with CTD or joint pain from my CTD resulting in parathesia. Annoyingly for the first time in 4 years since i had the kids i went back to the gym and started yoga a month ago which i really liked. Now with this i worry it's doing more harm than good. Anyone had any experience of this!? Luckily i'll be seeing my new Dermy tomorrow and will ask. Hopefully he will take it seriously. Since my first issue was skin related my dermy had managed my CTD but he retired over xmas so will be finally seen by new guy after not being seen for nearly 8 months altho i'm wondering if i should be seeing a rheumy at this stage.

[MEW53]

Thereisalight,

I have Scleroderma and sit in a recliner chair most of the day with my legs elevated. With the bad weather in the UK recently I have been in my chair most of the day cos I haven’t been able to go for my daily short walks and my buttocks have been aching badly and getting a lot of pain.

Sitting down a long time does seem to cause problems, but you seem quite fit, I think it is worth talking to a rheumatologist/ specialist to get checked over, make a lot of notes so you can cover everything in your appointment.

Hope you feel better soon.

[katidid]

Welcome to me life :(. Advise: have an ortho or physiologist do diagnostics for: SI joint dysfunction, sacroiliitis and lower spine. Piriformis Syndrome is highly advertised, but is actually rare unless you’re an athelete or perform the motions that cause it. Having a tight piriformis muscle (sitting a lot, crossing your legs) is not the same as the syndrome and the syndrome is considered a “diagnosis of exclusion”.

Luckily most buttock pain can be resolved with a targeted excercise program. I had 7 procedures to tackle my SI joint pain and right-sided Piriformis Syndrome (got it from hill sprinting and cycling). At the end of the day, all the injections, nerve frying (I had all of my sacral nerves animated) and de-nervation (we chemically paralyzed my piriformis to get it off my sciatic nerve) all ended up making my Lupus a million times worse vs when I was doing regular training and good excercises.

Maybe even skip the doc and talk to an experienced personal trainer or functional / physical therapist.

Good luck and I’ve got tons of “butt pain” info resources if you ever need them!

[Thereisalight in reply to katidid]

Thank you Katidid. That's really useful to know. Mentioned it to the new dermy and he was very dismissive since it's very recent. After googling piriformis symdrome i thought i would do some of the recommended stretching. I also try to uncross legs as soon as i ferl tightness and try to be conscious of my position and if i feel tense. It does seem to help as pain has def not been as noticible. Bit weary of going to pilates/yoga now in case that causes it. Had two wks brea as i was not well so will see how i get on this wkend. If it continues i'll prob need a decent physio but will see if i find a devent one!

[katidid in reply to Thereisalight]

Definitely avoid yoga! I adore it but until your muscles are nimble and long again, you can injure yourself. However, Pilates might actually help. I do 1/2 of my physical therapy as Pilates. A good instructor can help you identify your issues and construct a personalized program.

Also, there are lots of piriformis / SI Joint excercises. Lots of strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint and P muscles to take off the strain. You can find them on YouTube. 10 min a day at home and you’ll feel better in a few weeks. Just remember to do both sides.

Also, a good rule I was taught is for as much as you stretch, you must strengthen. And vice versa. For the stretches start of with dynamic (slightly moving), never static holds until you’re strong, and be careful of over extending. You can strain your ligaments and tendons which are already inflamed and weak from autoimmune attacks.

Sorry for the long post, I’m very passionate about pains-in-the-butt after having made a lot of mistakes treating it!!!