A pain in the butt is quite a dilemmatic situation, as it may cause difficulty of walking, sitting, and even laying down. There are some risk factors of buttocks pain, wherein every single cause may trigger painful sensation on different regions of the buttocks—although the severity of the caused pain might be similar. Some buttock pain occur when you do certain movements or poses and thus, knowing the certain causes of every pain in the butt is beneficial for determining required treatments.

Causes of buttock pain when sitting and walking

Buttock pain falls into some categories based on the affected parts of the buttock and the caused symptoms. These locations and symptoms can help you determine what the exact cause of the pain is.

• Outer or upper buttock pain

Symptoms:

• Excruciating pain affecting one or both areas of the hip and outer or upper buttock, especially when walking, sitting, or sleeping.
• The pain is on the upper part of the buttock, but may come down to the side of the legs. The pain will elevate if you are lying down on the affected side of the buttock for prolonged time.

Possible causes:

• This kind of buttock pain is caused by weakened abductor muscles that causes a displacement of a pelvis. This pain is commonly caused by asymmetrical movement patterns that goes for prolonged period.
• Sitting or sleeping on one side of the buttocks continuously may cause this type of pain, as the pelvis on the affected side might be slightly displaced.

• Lower buttock pain

Symptoms:

• Pain right in the crease of the buttock at the back of the thigh.
• The pain elevates when you walk, but be especially pronounced if you bend your legs while sitting.

Possible causes:

• This is commonly a sign of injury to the tendon attaching your hamstring to the pelvis. When the tendon is injured, the hamstring muscles contract in order to prevent further damages to the tendon. When these hamstrings are stretched, the tendon is reinjured, causing repeated cycle of pain.

• Central butt pain

Symptoms:

• The most affected regions are the lower back and underneath the piriformis muscles—muscles sitting deep within the hip to rotate the hip externally and to hold the leg when the hip is flexed.
• The pain persists in the middle of the buttock, in the lower back, or alongside the pathway of the nerve.
• The pain commonly occurs in long period of time and can manifest as leg numbness or excruciating pain while sitting or walking.

Possible causes:

• Incidentally-pinched nerve in certain location of the buttocks, causing changed structured of the piriformis muscles, causing pain around the hip area, which elevates when you are sitting or driving.
• Sitting or driving a lot, causing excessive pressure to the sciatic nerves that passes underneath the piriformis muscles.
• Degenerative changes in the spine with age, causing the tight piriformis muscles to be tighter and less elastic.