Do you have a pain where your rear-end meets the back of your upper thigh?
This area is also known as the glute-hamstring tie-in or junction.
What could be causing pain there?
“Pain in the buttocks can be attributed to a wide variety of issues, such as nerve entrapment, bursitis, spinal pathology, tendonitis, and partial or complete hamstring injuries,” says Reggie Alexander, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
“Taking a good history and teasing out whether or not there are neurologic symptoms can help distinguish between an entrapped nerve versus muscle or tendon pathology.”
A mechanical cause of discomfort or pain where the butt muscles merge with the upper hamstrings is that of repeatedly decelerating very quickly from a hard run, as you might do when doing fast running intervals on a treadmill or in a parking lot.
You should never stop abruptly! Always gradually decelerate, taking at least 12 seconds. How do I know?
It happened to me: pain in the gluteus maximus hamstring junction from abrupt cessation of treadmill sprints.
I switched to a gradual slow-down of the speed once I completed each fast interval, and within a few weeks the discomfort where my buttocks meets the back of my thigh was nearly gone.
Competitive sprinters avoid stopping abruptly after a false start by gradually decelerating. You’ll see this at every Olympics.
They understand that a sudden stop from high-speed running can lead to muscle injuries.
Instead, they allow their body to slow down naturally, which helps to prevent strain and damage to their muscles.
This controlled deceleration minimizes the risk of injury and ensures they remain in good condition for their next attempt.
“Resting after the initial injury can be helpful,” says Dr. Alexander, regarding injuries in general to the area where the buttucks meets the thighs.
“Other possible solutions include anti-inflammatory agents, stretching and physical therapy once the initial pain subsides.”
