Hip/buttocks pain - need assistance

Look up the piriformis, and stretches for it, but best get a foam roller and roll the heck out of everything- calves, hamstrings, IT band, piriformis, glutes, lower back. If rolling on an area hurts, work it hard. (You're trying to compress the nerve so it releases. A tennis or lacrosse ball can work too.) And ice everything that hurts. If it is your piriformis and not your IT band, running before you calm it down is going to prolong the process, most likely. Use an elliptical for a bit if you can, or pool running. If it isn't getting better, try someone who does ART, Graston, ultrasound, to deal with the nerve and scar tissue.

Thanks for the reply. So you think it’s most likely piriformis syndrome? And how long is recovery typically?

I’ve have similar pain off and on on my left side although not so severe as to cause a limp. If it gets worse I think I’ll see an orthopedist.

Bumping this thread. Could the cause of the pain be a gluteal sprain/partial tear? If so, what should I be doing?

If it came on quickly it sounds nerve-y. People think of nerves as being sharpy and zingy but they can also be dull and achy. Look up sciatic nerve flossing and do it several times per day -- it feels too basic to be doing anything, but if your sciatic is getting stuck then flossing could remedy it pretty quickly. Would also do some hip opening yoga poses for good measure.

Couldn't agree less with the person above who says to roll/massage harder if something hurts. If it's intense enough that you have trouble relaxing into it, back off. Just be very moderate and consistent over both sides, above and below the problem area. No good will come from bruising the crap out of something because you thought you could bash it into submission.

Any update on your injury? Do some research on SI joint pain. That’s what I’ve been dealing with for the past couple of months and the pain you describe sounds exactly like what I have.

Sounds very similar to my issue which turned out to be a disc protrusion in my lumbar spine. At first the PT thought SI joint but I wasn't getting better with PT and pushed for an MRI.

Regardless I would focus on core but the nerve flossing is also worth trying.

I had (and still occasionally deal with) a similar injury, which didn't quite seem to line up with pirifomis syndrome. It would bother me randomly on some runs on/off for a year. What helped me was adding a bunch of hip stability work like resistance band clamshells, single leg RDLs, etc. It eventually stopped bothering me after a few weeks of consistently doing these exercises.

This is OP. It's been about 12 days since initial injury.

Some days it feels like the pain is much less intense. I can walk around without a noticeable limp, etc. When I run, the pain isn't that bad however I run with essentially a limp in my left leg (yeah, I'm that runner nuts). I feel like my left leg is only doing like 20% of the work while my right compensates as best it can. My gait also feels awkward, like my left leg wants to point at the 10 o'clock position when I want it to face 12.

Yesterday I felt goodish, so I ran about six miles at ~7:20 pace. I obviously must've irritated something, since I was walking around with a limp starting this morning (getting out of bed was difficult). Tried running this afternoon but could only muster an 8:30 pace with multiple stops for a shorter distance. After my run, I tried some of the sciatic flossing someone recommended and that seems to have alleviated some of the pain/limping.

I have yet to sprint or go anything faster than low-medium effort run pace.

I'm planning on visiting the doctor tomorrow to see if they can help provide a more official diagnosis. I appreciate the comments I've received.

To those that know more about conditions like these, if it helps, I am a male in my late 20s.

With persistent butt issues, perhaps runners should consider giving themselves an enema? Just a thought…

Can't comment on hip pain, but I have (actually enjoy) buttocks pain 2-3 times each week. My boyfriend isn't complaining.

Went to a doc and they said it was a minor hamstring strain. Does that sound right? And what is the recovery process?

Bumping this thread. Is it possible a proximal hamstring strain could be causing the issues?

Although doctors can sometimes be bad at diagnosing running injuries, the doctor who looked at you probably knows better than random internet strangers who didn't look at you. Stop running if you're limping though.

Not too scare you and I don’t think this is your case. But I was running 70 mpw. In February of this year, I was diagnosed with a sacral stress fracture. I had pain in my low back, glute, and hip on my right side. It hurt a lot to have to put my pants on .

maybe a possible stress reaction in your case? Did the first symptoms happen suddenly ?

Yes, symptoms came on suddenly after a run.