My Tush Hurts!
By Ross Ashcraft
Well, your butt hurts. You sit on it all day and you can’t figure out what you could have possibly done to irritate it. The answer is “you sit on it all day.” The gluts are the biggest muscle in the human body. They also happen to be the laziest. They will make the lower back do what it should be doing—one major cause of lower back pain. They will make the thighs do what they should be handling—one important cause for hip and thigh aches.
The problem is that it’s not the easiest place to fix once it has been annoyed. In fact it’s quite awkward to self-massage the gluts at all. The BEST solution to pains caused by the gluts is to find a massage therapist. Ask your therapist for extra attention to your gluts. You can have this muscle worked on through a sheet AND your underwear or you may choose bare glut. If you are comfortable, I recommend using the option of getting a bare glut massage. It will be handled professionally and without exposure of any unnecessary body parts. It is a much more effect use of your massage session and it feels way better than having the sheet in the way.
Self-Massage
1. Find a couple of balls of various sizes and thicknesses: tennis balls, rubber balls, baseballs, etc.
2. Pick the softest and sit on it in comfortable chair. Shift it to any tender area you may find. Use your own judgment and place a harder ball in its place.
3. Let your body sink into it.
4. Once the muscle has relaxed, gently raise your whole leg and hold for 5 seconds—you may leave your knee bent
5. Rest for 5 seconds
6. Raise your whole leg again and then move it in clockwise circles for 5 seconds
7. Reverse directions and move in counter-clockwise circles for 5 seconds
8. Lower your leg and rest
9. Shift the ball to a different spot or replace with a harder ball and repeat steps 3 through 8
Please try this technique and let me know what you think.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before! It’s painful in that “hurts so good” kind of way and I prefer it to the foam rolling for sure. 🙂 Good stuff!
is a interesting technique , was uncomfortable at first but once i got it down was actually a good feeling.
Works great. I have done these excecises for years, or something similar. It helps so much if your client is complaingin of Sciatica also. That would be a beginning or starting point of relief for the Sciatic nerve. I found that the Medial part comes up a little higher so if they complain of pain around the Coxyx (forgot spelling) but that is when I start to work on the glutes also. Now as far as pain in the glutes, I can name many people, but seriously, the glutes are a way to make them think you are a magician.
I have been using this technique or at least one very similar for about a year. By using this technique and a tennis ball I have been able to work my piriformis muscle and it has helped to relieve sciatica flare-ups. Thanks for the reiteration.
This is great! Similar to foam rolling, which is amazing! This was a big help after a long day at work, realsed the tension right away!
The smallest soft ball had no effect – but the tennis ball got to the deeper muscles and felt painful in that good way – I like this tush massage!
Yes, it felt good during but nothing different after. Plus my kids thought dad was a weirdo. Thanks
I’m sure they think that anyway 😉
Holy smokes this was intense! I got a head-rush after completing this with a tennis ball and a harder ball about the same size. I moved the balls a little bit after each movement and went around the ilium. This stretching exercise I am DEFINITELY keeping!
Update to my post: being married to an LMT who does great glute work is awesome!
Agreed!!!!!
I think I would prefer to try out the bare glute massage, since I found this technique a bit painful. However, since I can’t give myself a massage, this technique seems to work fairly well. I used a tennis ball and found that the pain in my hips seemed to be gone for a short time after using this technique. I’m not sure this should have worked that fast, so I am interested to see how I feel tomorrow morning. Thank you for the technique.
This technique was very helpful, I had my boyfriend try it also and he loved it! We both found sore spots we did not know we even had.
I loved this technique. It helped with my sore back and Butt. I will continue to use this technique!
This technique sure seems like it has potential but my problem areas just seem too deep. It feels great while doing it but I just don’t get the outcome that I want and I have actually been doing this since alpa. maybe I’m just too messed up?
Okay! This technique was pretty painful during practice, afterward, RELIEF. Used a rubber ball and a tennis ball. The stretching felt wonderful. Hope the results last for a day or two–this is NICE, being pain free.
I tried this last night with a tennis ball. It was painful yet the relief this morning is so worth it. Thank you for this technique. I know lots of people to share this with.
My tush really hurts after that Tuesday’s snow day assignment! I definately need it tonight! I’ve been a fan of tennis balls under the back for a long time, but now it’s under the tush! Yet another exercise I can add to my bag of tricks.
I was able to find some kind of massage ball my mother had and tried it out. The miracle ball or something like that. I didn’t feel much, maybe not enough air in it, but the right side had a very slight bit of pain and worked on it. I think if i would have had a ball that was firmer, like say a tennis ball you suggested, it would have work better. Curious to try this out after leg day at the gym. My glutes are always extremely sore and for a few days after, Maybe this technique would help alleviate some pain.
foam rolling helps too 🙂
It hurts in the being because the tush is already mad from not being worked out. Once the balls are in place and you get the muscles worked out. Then this is what makes a big difference. I do like the tennis ball techique because its easy to get a hold of some even if you have to buy some they arent that expensive. Foam rolling is just as great but not easy to find a foam roller and more expensive if you can find one…and they both hurt really good!!
This was just what I needed today!! Thanks
Interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about this yet. My tush didn’t hurt in the first place, but now I definitely know its there.
Glute massages are the best. 😀 Thanks for the new technique.
This felt much different than I imagined would but it did help to relieve some sore spots. Thanks for the tips.
It was pretty uncomfortable but I see how it works. Basically the same concept as the foam rollers. Thanks for the tip, I wouldn’t have ever thought of it.
I have actually never heard of this before now and I unfortunately i cant say its my favorite. I thought it was very uncomfortable and i feel like i have more pain now than when i began. 🙁 I am going to give it another try after reading some others comments about it hurting at the beginning but yet feeling better in the end. Maybe i just gave up to soon? Thanks for the technique. Ill let you know how my second attempt goes. 🙂
Hi Ross:
Thanks for this great idea. I will definitely keep this in mind next time I have glute muscle pain. I have tried other things before trying to ease my pain, but the tennis ball and raising the leg sounds like a great technique to benefit myself when there’s no one around to help massage it for me.
Thanks!
Pamela Rockwell
Great idea, Pam 🙂
WOWZERS…I had no idea that my bum muscles were so sore. I tried a few different balls and the tennis ball worked really well to get into the spots that were sore. Once again it was one of the “Hurts so good!” I have a feeling if you tell a client to sit on a ball they might think you are a wee bit cRaZy!
I did this with a tennis ball and it felt great! I was actually sore in my glutes from working out and this little exercise really loosened things up. Its funny how you start to sink into the ball after a while.
Yes I remember doing this but withe hard formson our legs, back, butt, & neck. Yes it did feel good but sometime you just need to use something smaller in certain areas that the foam can’t get. I will have to try this on my tush. HAHAHAHA 🙂
All i have to say, Is ouch! Okay it didn’t hurt that bad. But It felt akward. I don’t know, I did it, but idk just felt akward. And uncomfortable
I tried this technique with a baseball and it just hurt. So I tried it with a small ball that my son had and that one worked better. I will do this when my glutes are sore. I also like the foam roller and you can get the same affect with it.
Wow! I tried this and it kinda hurt at first, but after I raised my leg a few times it started working out the soreness and actually started feeling good. I waited for about 2 hours and tried it again and it actually felt much better and was not near as sore. Thanks for the tip!
Sincerely,
Pamela
I loved it! I’ll have to start doing this more often. =]
I have back pain all the time even when sitting straight! Usually what helps me maintain my pain is by sitting on one of those soft exercise balls, not only they are soft and pain free but very comfortable on your glutes! As for the Glute massage with a ball I did find my dogs throwing ball, sat on it like it said and it was sooooo uncomfortable, but I felt a little bit better on my right side.
I like this but I like the foam rolling too 🙂
I tried this with a tennis ball, a rubber ball, and a baseball. The rubber ball was bigger so it felt good sitting under my glutes. Then i tried the tennis ball, ouch! It was ok until I started rotating my legs. The baseball was really painful! I don’t think i’ll do it again with the baseball. Overall, very affective, but can be uncomfortable.
Well…I used my pilates ball. 2lbs, soft, and just right! It feels kinda good, kinda sore. I like to just sit on it and apply the pressure. I will definitely continue to use this technique for the rest of my life, and recommend it to others. Oh, and I am still anti-foam roller…haha
I really like this idea. It is pretty much the same concept as foam rolling but using something like a tennis ball could be easier and cheaper for future clients to buy or even find around their house. This is definitely a ‘hurt so good’ technique to use to find and get rid of sore spots in the glutes. You could probably even use tennis balls to lay on for knots in your scapulas, back, or even use them for a still point object under your occiptals if you put 2 of them into a sock.
I tried this with a baseball and it didnt feel to good. But I am going to try it again a tennis ball soon.
Okay so where was this idea when I was in pain with my left cheek. 🙂 I am so Happy to have this technique now when I am in desperate need I will be sure to look this right up and use it.
The information is great. I will apply this to my daily routine.This also great homework for future clients. Thank you!