Do you have a pain in the butt?

We really want to know – do you have pain in your bottom area when you sit? Do you have sharp shooting pain or tingling in your bottom or legs while sitting? Do you struggle sitting while watching your kids or grandkids play sports or perform in a play? Does sitting and reading cause you discomfort?  

Believe it not, this is one of the most common issues we hear about from our clients here at Balance Within PT. Sitting is painful or at best uncomfortable. We know that sitting too long is something we should avoid but many times you can’t. Your job may require long hours of sitting or perhaps you have a long car ride in front of you. There are many health dangers from sitting for too long day in and day out.  

Dangers of sitting:

• Extended periods of sitting can increase your risk for heart related issues
• High blood pressure is associated with sitting for too long
• Weak and stiff muscles are a common occurrence from sitting for extended periods of time
• Sitting for too long can create bad posture which can then lead to additional pain and issues
• A couch potato mentality can be habit forming.

Yikes! And yet we do have to sit sometimes (or even a lot of the time). Taking breaks is very helpful, but pain when sitting can make things extra uncomfortable in our lives. Afterall, sitting is a normal everyday event. However, pain while sitting should not be. So to find out why you have pain when sitting and what can you do about it – Read on to find out these answers and get some helpful tips for easing your pain in your bottom!

Why am I having pain in my bottom while sitting?

Pain in your bum could be caused from a number of things:

• Bottom, hip and leg pain while sitting may be caused by tight or compressed muscles around your pelvis and hip area.  
• Nerves that run through that area may also be compressed which could cause your pain 
• Your pelvis may be out of alignment.  It only takes a slight misalignment to cause pain or discomfort.  
• Lack of proper stability through the hip, glutes and core can cause the muscles in this area to tighten up in order to try to create some stability… and this often causes pain in sitting. So stretching (and strengthening) can be a big help.
• Your leg bone (your femur) and how it sits in the socket could also contribute to your issue..  

Ways to Correct Bottom/Leg Pain while Sitting – A Helpful Video

In the following video, Dr. Megan talks about how you can reduce your bottom pain and get relief while sitting.  She offers three tips to begin the process.  

1. Try to keep your hips higher than your knees. You should be sitting at a slight slant.  This helps to take the pressure off of your pelvis
2. Spread your cheeks for instant relief. Swift in your chair and focus on moving each butt cheek out to create a space or gap. This will also help to reduce the pressure that sitting can cause
3. Try this easy stretch. Place your ankle to your opposite knee. Then gently press down on that knee to create a stretch. While short term solutions are good, finding the root of the problem will provide long term relief. We specialize in looking for the core issue and providing treatment to address the underlying causes of your pain.  

While these are a great place to start, there are so many more tips and tricks & gentle & natural exercises & hands on treatment that we specialize in so we can help you make sure you don’t lose sleep over your hip pain!  These hands-on treatments include pelvic realignment, specialized exercises for exactly what your body needs to bring it back in balance (no cookie cutter approaches here!)  and myofascial release.

More details on our natural treatments

• Pelvic Realignment

Your pelvis is an area that is shaped like a bowl and helps to cradle your abdominal muscles and organs. This area can shift due to sitting position, walking and other every day activities.  Our therapists are able to assess your pelvic area and realign with exercises and treatments to bring this area back into balance.  

• Myofascial release

Your fascia is connective tissue that literally surrounds and connects not only muscles, bones and nerves, but also every single cell of the body.  It is woven throughout the body like a 3D webbing (like a spider’s cobwebbing). Restrictions in the fascia cannot be seen on standard imaging (x-ray, MRI, CT scans), Traumas to these tissue areas, whether from small traumas (ie: poor posture, using a dominant side with repetitive movements) or large traumas (ie: auto accident, surgeries or old sports injuries) cause the tissue to tighten down and solidify. When left untreated, these tight areas can place tension in surrounding areas causing further compensated movements and positioning, thus placing the body into further dysfunction.

Our specialized trained therapists offer natural and medication free treatments to release the tension and provide relief to pain and discomfort.

Some more tips to help reduce pain and discomfort 

• Stand every hour. Standing burns more calories than sitting. If you need to sit for an extended period of time, try and stand for a few minutes every hour. Set a timer or alarm to remind you.
• Stand or walk when talking on the phone.  
• Incorporate stretching into your sitting routine.  
• Remember to hydrate.  Keep a water bottle nearby and refill it throughout the day.
• Swap out your chair for a stabilizing ball. This will keep you moving throughout the day as your body moves to adjust  
• Find a few moments each day to spend outside.Sunshine provides many benefits

Schedule your FREE Pelvic/Bottom/Hip Pain Assessment Consult Today

Our health specialists are available to meet with you, hear your story, and answer all your questions about your unique needs and how to get you back to feeling your best! 

We’d love to help give you more information about how to get on the path to less pain and feeling like yourself again (all without being a pain in the butt) – simply click the button below to inquire for more information: 

Other great resources to help relieve pain while sitting:  

Click here to request our free Ease your Hip Pain Guide –  it offers helpful tips to provide relief for your pain.

For more expert advice, read our other blogs and check out our YouTube channel, Instagram and Facebook pages.:

Read more about hip pain on our blog page

Visit Our Balance Within YouTube Channel 

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