Experts have weighed in on 'dead butt syndrome', a new term for something many people are experiencing - and has the potential to lead to some serious health problems.
Ultimately, the cheeky term refers to 'a weak gluteus medius' which is caused by sitting or slumping, and can cause you some nasty nerve problems later down the line.
Dr. Robert Trasolini, orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine, with Northwell Health, and assistant professor at Zucker School of Medicine, told PEOPLE: "The term itself is trendy but the diagnosis, problems, side effects and risks associated with it are real and have been around for several years, if not longer.”
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The doctor notes that despite this, it is 'quite a fun name to say.'
What is 'dead butt syndrome'?
The official name is 'gluteus medius tendinosis', and it's caused by “significant weakness in one of your gluteal muscles', especially around the sides - your gluteus medius.
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Trasolini says it's something he thinks 'is progressively worsening across the population.'
As well as it affecting athletes, the professional notes that it's also affecting the 'sedentary population; essentially, people sitting at a desk for several hours a day'.
This can also refer to those of us who sometimes (or always) work from home and suffer from 'poor ergonomics' in our workspaces.
What to look out for?
Dr. Trasolini says: "Sitting with an arched back or slouching at your desk can 'put significant pressure on your deep butt muscles' as well as your lower back.
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“When you put pressure on your gluteus maximus and medius, these muscles will start to deactivate and not function as well.”
The expert identifies the first red flag as being 'a little dull ache in that area.'
He adds: “You'll notice more pain with activity - getting up from seated to standing will take a couple of seconds. Think of it like warming up the engine. You can't just get up and start walking.
“You feel like you have to give it a few seconds, get your bearings on the floor before you start walking.”
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The risks
The doctor warns: “You just start causing some knee pain. Climbing stairs can start to hurt, and you can develop deep gluteal syndrome where your hamstring attachment starts to fray and starts to kind of break down.
“It can actually lead to symptoms where your sciatic nerve starts to play a role. And then once that weakens, it goes.”
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You can also suffer from lower back pain as a result of stress on your discs, which may cause herniations.
How to treat it
The good news is, we can reverse the damage.
Dr. Trasolini says: "There's a whole host of therapy exercises where we can activate the gluteal muscles.
“Even at work, you can absolutely start to treat this. It's taking more breaks, getting up every 30 minutes going for a short walk, standing up and stretching, activating that muscle. When you sit for three or four hours staring at a computer, you're doing yourself a disservice.”
He concludes: “Set an alarm every 30 minutes, get up stretch every hour, take a short walk for between three and five minutes. Those allow the muscle to respond and get this thing stronger.”
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Kya Buller