3 do-at-home stretches to release hip and buttock pain

Many factors can lead to a sore hip or backside. But one simple strategy — stretching — can ease pain and perhaps even prevent it. Below, we have three stretches for you to try, as well as insight about what’s caused your pain and how stretching might help.

Common buttock pain causes

Pain in the backside often occurs from too much sitting, especially on hard surfaces.

“If you aren’t moving your muscles through their normal range of motion, the piriformis muscle in the buttock becomes tight. That puts pressure on the nearby sciatic nerve, causing buttock pain that can go down the leg,” says Jim Zachazewski, a physical therapist and athletic trainer with Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine.

Buttock pain can also stem from tightness in the hamstrings, the muscles in the backs of your thighs.

The tops of these muscles attach to protrusions of the hip bone known as the ischial tuberosities or “sit bones.” Pain can also come from bursitis — inflammation of a bursa (fluid-filled sac) cushioning one of these bony extensions.

Common hip pain causes

Hip pain can strike in several places.

If discomfort is on the side of your hip, you might have tendinitis — irritation of the tendon connecting the gluteus medius muscle to the leg bone. Or pain could be due to bursitis at the same junction. “You can get tendinitis from overuse, such as doing a lot of stair climbing if you’re not used to it. You can get bursitis from putting pressure on a bursa, such as by lying on your side,” Zachazewski says.

If hip pain is closer to the groin (on the front of the hip), you might have osteoarthritis — worn cartilage where the leg bone (femur) meets your pelvis. The joint can feel stiff and achy.

The magic of stretching

Static stretching — holding a stretch for at least 30 seconds — can ease hip and buttock pain. “Stretching makes the muscles and tendons more flexible, so they won’t press on nerves or bursae,” Zachazewski says. “Stretching can also increase hip flexibility and decrease stiffness.”

It’s best to stretch regularly, at least three to five times per week, after a brief warm-up or your regular exercise routine. “You might feel a difference in a few days or weeks,” Zachazewski says.

It’s also essential to strengthen the hip, buttock, and leg muscles regularly, to keep the hips aligned and help muscles absorb stress placed on the legs.

And if hip or buttock pain flares, doing gentle stretches might even ease discomfort in the moment. We’ve included examples (at left), and you’ll find more in the Harvard Special Health Report Stretching.