Is ‘dormant butt syndrome’ giving you a pain?

Columbus, OH – Have you been experiencing knee, hip or back pain? “Dormant butt syndrome” – a condition found among people with weak gluteal muscles and tight hip flexors – is a possible cause, according to experts from the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

People who have dormant butt syndrome are vulnerable to the muscles and joints around the gluteal muscles becoming strained during exercise. This strain can lead to hamstring injuries, back or hip pain, and knee injuries – some that require surgery.

“The entire body works as a linked system, and a lot of times when people come in with knee or hip injuries, it’s actually because their butt isn’t strong enough,” Chris Kolba, a physical therapist at the center, said in a press release. “The rear end should act as support for the entire body and as a shock absorber for stress during exercise. But if it’s too weak, other parts of the body take up the slack and often results in injury.”

Inactivity and sleeping in the fetal position can weaken gluteal muscles and strain other parts of the core, Kolba said in the release. Stretching, strengthening the gluteal muscles through exercise, and frequently standing and walking can prevent injury to parts of the middle and lower body.