How to Heal a Torn Gluteus Muscle

Your gluteus muscles are in your buttocks, and they are usually injured while running and jumping. Dancers and hurdlers commonly experience torn and strained gluteal muscles. If you are having pain in your buttocks when you sit or walk down stairs, you likely have torn a gluteus muscle. Healing may take several weeks if the tear is minor or you have only strained the muscle or up to three months if you have completely torn it. Accelerate the process by taking proper care of your injury.

Ice the injured area every three hours for the first three days of the injury. Leave the ice pack on for 30 minutes each time. After the first few days, the serious pain will likely abate, leaving the area sore but not horribly painful.

Rest your muscles. A torn gluteus muscle means you will be taking a break from sports and most exercise. You can continue to train, but only by doing things that will not require you to use the muscle. Work on upper body strength using free weights, or try swimming. You may need to use a pull buoy so you are not using that muscle in the water, though.

Take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory if necessary for the pain. Some people have no difficulty "toughing out" the pain from a torn muscle, but if it is giving you serious trouble you can take off-the-shelf ibuprofen or see your physician for something stronger.

Rehabilitate the muscle. This process should not begin until your physician confirms that you can safely begin using the muscle again. Generally the process will start with stretching, then as your muscles become stronger, focus on building your injured gluteus muscle back up using weights and low-impact versions of your previous activities. If the muscle was torn entirely in two, do this under the supervision of a trainer to ensure that you do not simply destroy the muscle again. If you had a partial tear or strain, once the muscle is healed you can usually return to normal activities as long as you take it easy on the weakened gluteal area at first.

Heat the injured area. Once you start using the muscle again, apply a heating pad to the afflicted area for about 20 minutes after exercise. This will keep it from becoming too tense or inflamed when you start exercising again.

Warnings

See a physician if you believe you have torn your gluteus muscle.