Buttock Pain from Piriformis Syndrome 

Most people have never heard of piriformis syndrome. It's a type of buttock pain caused by a problem with the piriformis muscle, which lies deep in the buttocks under the gluteus maximus. 

Pain from piriformis syndrome starts deep in the buttocks, but can travel all the way down to the feet. It can cause numbness, and the pain can be slight, or it be so severe it's debilitating.

The job of the piriformis muscle is to help rotate the hip. When it becomes inflamed or injured, it can affect the sciatic nerve (the biggest and widest nerve in the human body), which starts in the back, passes through the buttocks and down through the legs to the feet.

In most people, the sciatic nerve passes under the piriformis muscle. But in some, it passes through it. Due to any number of factors, including injury, overuse, poor posture, or congenital abnormality, the muscle will compress the sciatic nerve.

Literally speaking, a pain in the buttocks results. In this circumstance, the buttock pain is referred to as piriformis syndrome. 

It can be difficult to distinguish piriformis syndrome from other pain felt in the buttocks related to the sciatic nerve (known as sciatic pain or sciatica).

Pain from piriformis syndrome begins deep in the buttocks and the back of the thigh. Sometimes it travels down the leg, sometimes it doesn't.

Injury or compression of the sciatic nerve sometimes causes numbness in the foot, or it may cause streaks of pain in the legs.

Even sitting or standing in one place for short periods can cause buttock pain.

Also see piriformis syndrome and buttock pain treatment.