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Gluteal Strain
(Pulled Gluteal Muscle)
Definition
A strained gluteal muscle is a partial or complete tear of the small fibers of the group of three muscles in the buttocks.
| Posterior Hip and Thigh Muscles |
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Causes
This problem with the gluteal muscles may be caused by:
- Stretching the muscles too far
- Putting sudden stress on the muscles when they are not ready
- A direct blow to the muscles
Risk Factors
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
- Playing sports that need bursts of speed, such as track, basketball, soccer, football, and rugby
- Prior gluteal injury
- Tight gluteal muscles
Symptoms
Problems may be:
- Pain and tenderness in the buttocks
- Gluteal muscle stiffness or weakness
- Bruising on the buttocks
Diagnosis
You will be asked about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.
Images may be needed if symptoms are severe. This can be done with an
MRI scan
.
Treatment
How long it takes to heal depends on how badly the muscles are strained. Treatment will include:
- Resting the area
- Ice to ease pain and swelling
- Compression bandages to help move fluids out of the area
- Elevating the area to help fluids drain or prevent fluids from building up
Medicines may also be given to ease pain and swelling.
Prevention
This problem may be prevented by:
- Keeping the muscles strong to absorb the energy of sudden physical stress
- Learning the proper technique for exercises and sports
- Warming up the muscles slowly and stretching them properly
RESOURCES
American Council on Exercise
http://www.acefitness.org
http://www.acefitness.org
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.familydoctor.org
http://www.familydoctor.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
https://www.canada.ca
Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine
http://www.casem-acmse.org
http://www.casem-acmse.org
References
Bourne MN, Timmins RG, Opar DA, et al. An evidence-based framework for strengthening exercises to prevent hamstring injury. Sports Med.2018;48(2):251-267.
Derry S, Moore RA, Gaskell H, McIntyre M, Wiffen PJ. Topical NSAIDs for acute musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2015;(6):CD007402.
Lehecka BJ, Edwards M, Haverkamp R, et al. Building a better gluteal bridge: Electromyographic analysis of hip muscle activity during modified single-leg bridges. Internat J Sports Phys Ther. 2017;12(4):543-549.
Muscle strains in the thigh.
Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00366.
Updated September 2019. Accessed July 29, 2020.
Sports-related groin pain. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/approach-to/sports-related-groin-pain
. Updated October 31, 2019. Accessed July 29, 2020.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Laura Lei-Rivera, PT, DPT
- Review Date: 03/2020
- Update Date: 07/29/2020
