Acupuncture for Deep Gluteal Syndrome

The journey to diagnosing Deep Gluteal Syndrome (DGS) can be a long and frustrating one filled with unanswered questions and a multitude of tests. As a patient, you may have spent months or even years visiting multiple healthcare providers, undergoing numerous invasive investigations with no clear diagnosis or relief from the persistent, debilitating pain in your buttock region. This convoluted process can leave you feeling exasperated, misunderstood, and desperate for a solution.

But there’s an effective, evidence-based intervention gaining recognition in the medical community – Acupuncture. 

Acupuncture, as performed by experts like Dr. Hanson in Tampa, FL, targets myofascial trigger points which are often the source of the unrelenting pain associated with DGS.

Acupuncture can offer both immediate relief and long-term pain management. Acupuncture might just be the solution you’ve been seeking in your journey towards a pain-free life.

Read on to learn more about the details of how Acupuncture can be the solution you need for deep gluteal syndrome and how Dr. Hanson is one of Floridas most experienced Acupuncture practitioners.

Understanding Deep Gluteal Syndrome (DGS)

Definition and Symptoms of DGS

• DGS is a condition characterized by persistent pain in the buttock region, often accompanied by radiating pain down the leg.
• Other symptoms may include numbness, tingling, or weakness in the lower extremities.
• This syndrome can be caused by various factors such as trauma, inflammation, or compression of nerves and blood vessels.
• Diagnosis of DGS can be challenging as symptoms may mimic other conditions such as sciatica, piriformis syndrome, or sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

The Muscles of the Deep Gluteal Region

The six deep external rotator muscles of deep gluteal region include:

1. piriformis (PI)
2. quadratus femoris (QF)
3. obturator internus (OI)
4. obturator externus (OE)
5. superior gemellus (SG)
6. Inferior gemellus (IG)

These 6 muscles work together and play a role in both hip stabilization and rotation.
To further complicate this region we cannot discount that some of your pain could also be coming from some of the superficial gluteal muscles like the gluteus medius, gluteus Maximus or gluteus minimus and even your TFL (tensor fascia latte).

Conventional Treatment Options for Deep Gluteal Syndrome

Conventional treatment options often fail to address Deep gluteal syndrome. There are two common scenarios I hear patients go through that result in failure.
1. Scenario 1: The most common story is someone has pain in their deep gluteal region and they look up stretches for the deep gluteal region or for piriformis syndrome. These stretches at best do nothing and more often make the patient feel worse. There is no magic stretch you are going to find on YouTube or Instagram for deep gluteal syndrome that will actually address the underlying cause of deep gluteal syndrome.

2. Scenario 2: I often hear patients receiving multiple cortisone injections and at best they get a couple of days relief. Those couple of days of relief are likely from the needle insertion into the region and not the cortisone itself. I’ve written multiple articles on the danger or cortisone injections (FYI cortisone is toxic to tissues like muscles). Cortisone does not address the underlying cause of deep gluteal syndrome and will be a bandaid at best.

• Traditional treatments for DGS include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and corticosteroid injections.
• These options may provide temporary relief but do often fail to address the underlying cause of the pain.

Common Misdiagnoses and Challenges in Detecting DGS

• Due to the complex anatomy of the deep gluteal region, DGS is often misdiagnosed or overlooked.
• The symptoms of DGS can mimic other conditions such as lumbar spine disorders, hip joint pathology, and pelvic floor dysfunction.
• This can result in unnecessary treatments and delays in receiving proper treatment for DGS.

Why Acupuncture Works for DGS

The Role of Myofascial Trigger Points in DGS

• Myofascial trigger points are hyperirritable spots found in muscle tissue that can cause referred pain and other symptoms.
• These trigger points are often found in the gluteal muscles and can contribute to the pain experienced in DGS.
• You CANNOT see these trigger points on MRI, so they are often overlooked.
  
  The only way to accurately diagnose a triggerpoint is with a thorough physical exam. Relying solely on imaging like MRI leaves out the vast majority of pain generators. Unfortnately the physical exam has become a lost art and most doctors perform a cursory exam at best.
  
  The only real tool to treat a myofascial trigger point has been shown to be Acupuncture. No amount of massage or compressive force can create the biochemical change necessary to deactivate a trigger point – only a needle can do the job.

The Process and Experience of Acupuncture for Deep Gluteal Syndrome

What to Expect During Acupuncture for Deep gluteal syndrome

• We begin your treatment with a thorough health history and comprehensive physical exam.
• The physical exam is ESSENTIAL to accurately diagnosing what is generating your pain. An MRI alone is useless – it is a static picture. You are a complex dynamic human and if a physical exam is not performed then we cannot correlate MRI findings to your actual body.
• The Acupuncture procedure involves the insertion of a thin acupuncture needle into the affected muscle trigger points. Dr. Hanson will comprehensively treat every pain generating area.
• This causes a gentle twitch response and biochemical changes in the muscle, resulting in pain relief and improved function.
• Dr. Hanson is skilled and experienced in performing Acupuncture techniques for deep gluteal syndrome with minimal discomfort to the patient.
• To further enhance treatment, Dr. Hanson will potentially use electro-stimulation on the affected trigger points to further enhance your body’s ability to heal itself.
• Treatment takes less than 30 minutes and Dr. Hanson will perform a thorough physical exam to determine what is contributing to your pain then directly treat those pain generating tissues.
• You can expect a little bit of muscular soreness after a Acupuncture session that lasts about a day.

Suffering from Deep Gluteal Syndrome (DGS) can be a frustrating experience, with the persistent pain and discomfort interfering with your daily activities, and the complexity of your symptoms often leading to misdiagnosis or ineffective treatments. This can leave you feeling hopeless, trapped in a cycle of debilitating pain. However, there is a powerful solution at hand – Acupuncture. 

This proven, evidence-based intervention, administered by experts like Dr. Hanson, directly targets the root cause of your pain, providing both immediate relief and long-term management of your DGS symptoms. If you’re tired of being held back by the pain of DGS and desire a life free from this agony, the path to healing starts with a phone call. Contact Dr. Hanson at 813-534-0311 and take your crucial first step towards a pain-free life.