The buttock muscles, or gluteals, become strained when the muscle fibers are stretched or torn. Gluteal strains are associated with running or jumping activities and are often seen in hurdlers and in dancers. Symptoms consist of pain in the buttock associated with walking up and down stairs or upon sitting for long periods. The patient may also have pain moving the leg in a backward direction. The physician will note tenderness in the buttock on physical exam.

Treatment consists of intermittent ice to the area for up to three days. The physician may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, as well as physical therapy. Activity modification is a major part of the rehabilitation process. The athlete may temporarily change their sport or activity to aid in recovery. For example, if running causes pain, the patient may need to cross-train by swimming. The goal of rehab is to return the active individual to sport as soon as possible. However, if one returns too soon, permanent injury to the muscle may result.

Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate, and rehab must be individualized. Return to sport is determined by how soon the injured area recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since the injury. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer improvement will take. To safely return to one sport or activity, one must first have a full range of motion and full strength in the injured extremity compared to the uninjured side. Running, jumping, and cutting should all be painless.

Gluteal strains are best prevented by warming up properly and doing stretching exercises prior to all sporting activities.