A Case of Buttock Claudication Treated with High Load Exercise Therapy

Abstract

We herein report on a case of buttock claudication, associated with occlusion of the internal iliac artery, which was successfully treated with high-load exercise therapy. The case involved a 61-year-old male. His chief complaint was of right buttock claudication. His medical history included chronic atrial fibrillation, acute arterial occlusion of the lower extremities, and contrast medium allergies. He was referred to our department with pain in the gluteus muscles and fatigue when walking, symptoms which had continued for over half a year. The appearance of buttock claudication was observed when climbing up and down a singlefloor. An MRI of the lower limbs revealed poor visualization of the right internal iliac artery. An 8-week program of exercise training under strengthening instructions, with a focus on strength training and placing a high-load on the gluteus muscles, made it possible for the buttock claudication caused by climbing stairs to improve significantly and nearly disappear. High-load exercise therapy for the gluteus muscles is non-invasive and its effect can be highly predictable, suggesting that going forward, it may be the focal point of treatment for buttock claudication.