Tip Treating Glute and Piriformis Pain Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness TrainingVideos Tip Treating Glute and Piriformis Pain Feeling butt hurt Like literal butt hurt Stop rolling on a lacrosse ball to target the piriformis Here' s a better way by Dr John Rusin January 19, 2017April 5, 2021 Tags Exercise Coaching, Tips The piriformis is notorious for wreaking havoc on the glutes. But if you're literally feeling the butt hurt, the piriformis probably isn't the origin of your pain. But it is a player in the dysfunctional movement spectrum. When a "do-it-yourselfer" gets seriously butt hurt, he or she will try to remediate it with a lacrosse ball, softball, or whatever ball they can find to smash the area and relieve the pain. The problem? The lacrosse ball in the butt treatment isn't a permanent fix. By placing a hard object right up against the notch in your butt where the pain seems to be stemming from (likely the sciatic nerve) you're essentially attempting to target a nerve with the lacrosse ball. And a nerve isn't something you're going to "break up" no matter how much you believe in smashing or rolling it. Doing this repeatedly can cause constant irritation. And if that's what's happening, then you most likely did it to yourself. The Fix Foam Rolling the Glutes Your pain in the butt is most likely due to an instability issue in the lumbar spine or pelvis, and one of the key players to adding stabilization to this region is the gluteus maximus. By targeting the whole glute with soft tissue work, you can increase the surface area of the SMR tool that's coming into contact with your backside. You'll also be directly working on the prime areas lacking in stability. Stick to the foam roller for butt rolling and skip the ball. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training The Best Exercises I'll have to admit that my mind was elsewhere. We were all sitting in the lounge at the Los Angeles Strength Seminar and everyone was drinking wonderful things like beer and bourbon, often together. One lovely young woman was drinking a wine spritzer. I can allow that, if you're a lovely young woman. Training Dan John October 19 Training Tip The Barbell Rollout Press-Out As if ab rollouts weren't hard enough, here's how to ramp up the intensity and effectiveness one more notch. Abs, Exercise Coaching, Tips Drew Murphy June 13 Training Tip The 8-Hour Weight Vest Diet Science says this will help you lose a pound of fat per week without changing your diet. Details here. Training Chris Shugart June 28 Training Crazy Bells Bench pressing with Crazy Bells feels like having a wild animal tugging on the bar as you move it. Bench Press, Kettlebell Training, Training Craig Weller November 20