If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people who work from home now – or who have been working a job that keeps you in front of a screen most of the time – then there’s a good chance you’ve gotten up and felt like your butt had gone numb.

It turns out it’s a real thing, and it’s called “dead butt syndrome” or DBS.

Sometimes referred to as gluteal amnesia or gluteus medius tendinosis, and symptoms can range in intensity from an annoyingly numb behind to severe and chronic pain.

It occurs when the gluteus medius – a part of the body that helps stabilize the back, hops, and knees – falls asleep and forgets to sent important signals to the rest of your body.

When it’s not working correctly, if can cause other parts of the body to try to overcompensate, which ends up causing more trouble than it fixes.

Untreated, the syndrome can cause a loss of strength in the hip flexors or glutes.

It’s caused by sitting down too much, sitting in an incorrect position, or moving too little throughout the day. That all causes your butt muscles to lengthen and your hip flexors to tighten up.

A numbing or painful sensation can crop up, but typically disappears when you get up, stretch, and walk.

The pain comes from the sciatic nerve being irritated. People who run long distances can cause similar pain and discomfort, as well.

If you’re wondering whether or not dead butt syndrome has got you in its clutches, you can ask your medical provider to do the Trendelenburg test. You’ll stand and lift one leg in front of yourself while your doctor checks to see whether or not your pelvis dips down on the side of your body with the lifted leg.

A positive result would suggest weakness in the glutes on the opposite side.

Curvatures in the lower back can also indicate tight hip flexors.

The best way to treat this condition is to prevent in in the first place by keeping your glutes strong with appropriate exercise. You can also help yourself out by getting up and walking around during your work day, and by making sure your seat has enough cushioning.

You might need to take a break if physical activity is the cause, and physical or massage therapy is never a bad idea.

This is the way of the world these days, but if you can avoid a dead butt, you definitely want to!