Soothing Stretches

3 maneuvers that could help relieve your hip and buttock pain

Heidi Godman
Harvard Health Publishing

Many factors can lead to a sore hip or backside. But one simple strategy — stretching — can ease pain and perhaps even prevent it. Here are three stretches for you to try, as well as insight about what’s caused your pain and how stretching might help.

Common buttock pain causes

Pain in the backside often occurs from too much sitting, especially on hard surfaces.

“If you aren’t moving your muscles through their normal range of motion, the piriformis muscle in the buttock becomes tight. That puts pressure on the nearby sciatic nerve, causing buttock pain that can go down the leg,” says Jim Zachazewski, a physical therapist and athletic trainer with Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine.

Buttock pain also can stem from tightness in the hamstrings, the muscles in the backs of your thighs.

The tops of these muscles attach to protrusions of the hip bone known as the ischial tuberosities or “sit bones.” Pain also can come from bursitis — inflammation of a bursa (fluid-filled sac) cushioning one of these bony extensions.

Common hip pain causes

Hip pain can strike in several places.

If discomfort is on the side of your hip, you might have tendinitis — irritation of the tendon connecting the gluteus medius muscle to the leg bone. Or, pain could be due to bursitis at the same junction.

“You can get tendinitis from overuse, such as doing a lot of stair climbing if you’re not used to it. You can get bursitis from putting pressure on a bursa, such as by lying on your side,” Zachazewski says.

If hip pain is closer to the groin (on the front of the hip), you might have osteoarthritis — worn cartilage where the leg bone (femur) meets your pelvis. The joint can feel stiff and achy.

The magic of stretching

Static stretching — holding a stretch for at least 30 seconds — can ease hip and buttock pain.

“Stretching makes the muscles and tendons more flexible, so they won’t press on nerves or bursae,” Zachazewski says. “Stretching can also increase hip flexibility and decrease stiffness.”

It’s best to stretch regularly, at least three to five times per week, after a brief warm-up or your regular exercise routine.

“You might feel a difference in a few days or weeks,” Zachazewski says.

It’s also essential to strengthen the hip, buttock and leg muscles regularly, to keep the hips aligned and help muscles absorb stress placed on the legs.

And if hip or buttock pain flares, doing gentle stretches might even ease discomfort in the moment.

MOVES TO TRY

1 Kneeling hip flexor stretch

Kneel. Put your right leg in front of you, knee bent at a 90-degree angle, and right foot flat on the floor. Place your hands on your right thigh, lean forward, and press your left hip forward while keeping your right foot on the floor. Feel the stretch in the front of your left thigh and hip. Hold, then return to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg forward.

2 Single knee pull

Lie on your back with your legs extended. Bend your right knee. Grasp the back of your thigh and pull your knee toward your chest until you feel the stretch in your lower back and right buttock. at the same time, flex your left foot and press your left thigh and calf down toward the floor to feel a stretch in the front of your left hip and thigh. Hold, then return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.

3 Floor pretzel

Lie on your back with your right knee bent and foot on the floor. Rest your left ankle on your right thigh, just above your right knee. Grasp the back of your right thigh with both hands. slowly lift your right foot off the floor until you feel the stretch in your left hip and buttock. Hold, then return to the starting position. Repeat with the leg positions reversed

Ex-NFL RB’s diagnosis revives ice bucket challenge

Field Level Media

Former NFL running back Chris Johnson announced last week on “Good Morning America” that he is battling ALS. Two days after that interview with former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, Johnson followed up by requesting that supporters revive a viral trend that has been on ice since 2014.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge swept the nation in summer 2014, raising $115 million for the ALS Association, according to the organization’s website.

“Years ago, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge united millions of people around one cause and helped change the fight against this disease,” Johnson wrote in his post. “Today, I’m asking you to help me do it again.”

Three men with ALS, Anthony Senerchia, Pete Frates and Pat Quinn, launched the 2014 campaign that inspired 17 million people to dump ice water on their heads and donate to an ALS charity. In addition to the monetary achievement, the campaign raised awareness of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Funds were invested in research and care for people living with the disease.

In the post, Johnson thanked fans for their support and explained that his idea to revive the challenge was inspired by Hunter Mecum, a former Utah basketball player. Mecum posted a video of himself doing the challenge in honor of Johnson, then nominated the “2,000 active NFL players” to follow his lead and take on the challenge, a reference to Johnson’s 2,000-yard rushing season.

Johnson has nominated former NFL players LenDale White, Marshawn Lynch and Adam “Pacman” Jones to take part in the challenge. White was Johnson’s backfield mate in Tennessee.

Johnson also posted a video of himself completing the challenge and requesting that donations be made to Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS. As of Thursday, more than $33,000 has been raised by Johnson’s campaign.

Lynch and White have each responded by posting videos of themselves completing the challenge. White subsequently nominated Deion Sanders, Vince Young and Mike Sims-Walker.

Johnson’s daughter has also joined in the cause and nominated her brothers and LeBron James to take part.

Johnson was the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. In his second season in 2009, he became the sixth running back in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, rushing for 2,006 yards on 358 carries. The achievement earned him the nickname CJ2K.

He had 2,163 carries for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns during his 10-year NFL career for the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.

The ALS Association website explains that the disease causes “a person’s brain (to lose) connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe. Although there is still no cure or treatment that halts progression, new treatments are helping to slow and ease symptoms.”

Southwest Montana Health Care Directory