Apr 22, 2015

Tennis Ball Massage (2) – Low Back, Hip and Buttocks


If you have low back pain, you may feel it where the pelvis (illium) and the base of the spine (sacrum) meet – the sacroiliac (SI) joints. 
However, it doesn’t always mean that the joint is the cause of pain.  It is most likely the joint is irritated because of the tilt/twist of your pelvic structure.  A lot of muscles are attached to the pelvis, so if one (or more) of them gets tight pulling the structure one way or another, you feel pain in the SI joint.  Quite often, low back pain is actually originated in your buttocks.

Common trigger points for the low back pain in the buttocks are below the top ridge of the pelvis (iliac crest) toward the hip in the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius). 
They don’t normally hurt themselves until you press on them, and they are surprisingly tender.  It’s effective to use a tennis ball to massage the sensitive spots than a pointy self-massage tool. 

If low back pain comes on after standing or walking, or you have sciatica, massage in the middle of the buttock (piriformis), especially at the edge of the sacrum and the top of the thighbone.  It could be very tender. 

I strongly recommend you receive a massage in the buttock area from a massage therapist.  If you are new to the idea, please read my posts FAQ: Does a massage therapist work on my buttocks? (with a video) and FAQ: Should I take off my underwear?.