While sitting all day might sound appealing to some people and even impossible to avoid, it can also be a painful experience. Some people experience intense pain at top of buttock crack when sitting for long periods.
Everyone knows that even a little pain can hinder our movements, but this pain can be more severe than other types of pain. With this pain, it can feel impossible to sit for more than a few minutes without feeling like you need to lie down.
This pain at top of buttock crack when sitting is referred to as coccydynia. But why does this pain occur, and what can you do to help prevent it from happening?
Reasons for Pain at Top of Buttock Crack When Sitting
There are several reasons why you might be experiencing pain at top of buttock crack when sitting, some of which are:
Piriformis Syndrome
When there is macro trauma to the buttocks, piriformis syndrome can happen. Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular problem that can occur when the piriformis muscle puts too much pressure on your sciatic nerve – your piriformis muscle is located in your buttocks close to your hip joint.
Irritation of your sciatic nerve can lead to spasms and inflammation, which results in pain at top of buttock crack when sitting.
Degenerated Disc
Your spinal discs can wear out with age; as you grow older, your discs can start to lose cushioning; this is called degenerative disc disease. The cushioning between your discs prevents your bones from touching one another, which can cause extreme pain in your thighs and buttocks.
Severe pain caused by degenerated discs can be alleviated by standing or walking.
Bruising
Black and blue bruise marks on your body can cause all sorts of pain, so if you notice pain at top of buttock crack when sitting, try to remember if anything hit you in that area.
Bruises are one of the most common causes of buttock pain, and these bruises can take longer than normal to heal. This type of pain will go away with time as the bruise heals.
Pilonidal Cyst
A common issue that’s more common in men is a pilonidal cyst that can cause pain at top of buttock crack when sitting. This type of cyst is an abnormality of the skin caused by skin debris, dirt, ingrown hair, or even friction.
You’ll find the pilonidal hole at the top of your buttock crack near the tailbone above the cleft of your buttock. If you think you have a pilonidal cyst, you need to get it diagnosed and check out by a doctor to see what they can do to help alleviate the pain.
Muscle Strain
If you overstretch your muscles, you can cause muscle strain that can cause severe pain at top of buttock crack when sitting. If you start to notice any swelling or tenderness in the area, contact your doctor.
Treatments for Pain at Top of Buttock Crack When Sitting
Now that you know some of the common causes of pain at top of buttock crack when sitting, let’s talk about what you can do to help resolve those issues.
Keep in mind that if you start to experience coccydynia, you should try to treat it as soon as possible to avoid any extraneous damage to your tailbone.
Office Chair
If you find that your pain at top of buttock crack when sitting occurs most often when you’re sitting in your office chair, perhaps it’s time to consider upgrading your chair. You can do this by purchasing a new ergonomic office chair or upgrading the office chair casters or cylinders. Either of these options will help make your chair more comfortable and improve your posture to help avoid additional coccydynia.
Cushion Under Buttocks
If you need to sit for long periods, try to use a donut-shaped cushion under your buttocks. This will provide the comfort that your body needs to deal with coccydynia.
Cushions are one of the simplest ways to help avoid pain when sitting.
Cold and Hot Compresses
The most common treatment for the pain is to apply cold and hot compresses to the area. If the pain is minor, this should help alleviate it enough to go on with your day. If the pain is extreme, this treatment might not be as effective.
Stretching
The performance of light movements that hit the proper areas can help resolve your pain but avoid doing any of these stretches vigorously. Instead, try to be gentle while still getting the most out of the stretches.
Anti-Inflammatory Medicine
Anti-inflammatory medicine can help alleviate the pain if it is constant and extreme. You can also massage the area with muscle-soothing creams and ointments to make the area feel better. Avoid taking these without consulting your doctor first.
How to Avoid Pain at Top of Buttocks When Sitting
Now that you know how to treat pain, let’s discuss what you can do to prevent the coccyx pain from happening in the first place!
Proper Posture
This is the most important thing you can do to prevent coccyx pain. Maintaining good posture means that you sit with your body straight, not slouching or bending because that can disturb the muscles in your body.
You can also achieve this with a good office chair that will help you keep your back straight without making you feel uncomfortable. By doing this, you’ll notice that pain in your buttocks and back will disappear while making you look extremely confident.
Warming Up
Before you do any exercise, you must warm up your muscles because tearing a muscle can cause coccydynia.
Avoid Sitting for Long Periods
If your job requires you to sit for long periods, try to get up and walk every once in a while. By moving a little bit every hour or so, you’re creating a balance between the pressure in your body and your overall posture. Adopting this simple habit can help solve most pain.
Conclusion
Pain at top of buttocks when sitting isn’t fun and can be extremely painful. Several things cause this type of severe pain, including strained muscles, piriformis syndrome, degenerated discs, and more.
One of the best things that you can do to resolve this type of pain is to upgrade your office chair to improve your sitting posture. This will ensure that you’re sitting straight so your back and buttocks are in the right position to avoid muscle and bone strain. Of course, there are several other things that you can do as well, including stretching.
Talk to your doctor if your pain continues or doesn’t improve.
