Gluteal Strain (Pulled Gluteal Muscle)
Definition
A strained gluteal muscle is a partial tear of the small fibers of the gluteal muscles. The gluteal muscles are a group of three muscles located in the buttocks.
Causes
A gluteal strain can be caused by:
- Stretching the gluteal muscles beyond the amount of tension or stress that they can withstand
- Suddenly putting stress on the gluteal muscles when they are not ready for the stress
- Using the gluteal muscles too much on a certain day
- A blow to the gluteal muscles
Risk Factors
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease, condition, or injury.
Sports that require bursts of speed, such as:
- Running
+ Hurdles
+ Long jump
+ Basketball
+ Soccer
+ Football
+ Rugby
- Fatigue
- Tight gluteal muscles
- Overexertion
- Cold weather
Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Pain and tenderness in the buttocks
- Stiffness in the gluteal muscles
- Weakness of the gluteal muscles
- Bruising on the buttocks (if blood vessels are broken)
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, your recent physical activity, and how the injury occurred. The doctor will also examine your buttocks for:
- Tenderness and bruising
- Pain when contracting the gluteal muscles, particularly against
resistance
Muscle strains are graded according to their severity:
- Grade 1
Stretching with some microtearing of muscle fibers.
Recovery can be complete in about 2 weeks.
- Grade 2
Partial tearing of muscle fibers.
Recovery can take up to 1-2 months.
- Grade 3
Complete tearing (rupture) of muscle fibers. This is rare with
the gluteal muscles.
Recovery can take more than 3 months.
For a severe gluteal strain, you may have an MRI scan to see the extent of the injury. Professional athletes sometimes have MRI scans to help predict the length of their recovery period.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the severity of the strain. Treatment usually includes:
- Rest - Do not do activities that cause pain, such as running, jumping, and weightlifting using the leg, hip, and buttocks muscles. If normal walking hurts, shorten your stride. Do not play sports until the pain is gone.
- Cold - Apply ice or a cold pack to the affected buttock for 15 to 20 minutes, 4 times a day for several days after the injury. Wrap the ice or cold pack in a towel. Do not apply the ice directly to your skin.
- Pain Relief Medications - Take aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to help relieve pain. If you still have tenderness in the buttocks while taking these drugs, do not return to physical activity. Check with your doctor.
- Heat - Apply heat to the affected buttock only when you are returning to physical activity. Then use it before stretching or getting ready to play sports.
- Stretching - When the acute pain is gone, start gentle stretching as recommended by a health care professional. Stay within pain limits. Hold each stretch for about 10 seconds and repeat 6 times.
- Strengthening - Begin strengthening exercises for your gluteal muscles as recommended by a health care professional.
Prevention
To reduce the chance that you will strain a gluteal muscle:
- Keep your gluteal muscles strong so they can absorb the energy of sudden physical stress.
- After a short warm-up period, stretch out your gluteal muscles before physical activity.
- Learn the proper technique for exercise and sporting activities. This will decrease stress on all your muscles, including your gluteal muscles.
s o u r c e
Looks like about what I expected, I'll just need to take it easy on it for a week or two then. Knowing its a shorter time frame makes it a little easier to deal with recovering properly.
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