Piriformas Syndrome

Symptoms & Causes

Treatments

What is it?

The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. This muscle is important in lower body movement because it stabilizes the hip joint and lifts and rotates the leg away from the body. This enables us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to another, and maintain balance.

Piriformis Syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle becomes so tight that it causes the sciatic never to become irritated and cause pain in the buttocks region.

Symptoms

Pain, tingling or numbness in the buttocks.
Pain can extend down the length of the sciatic nerve (down the back of the leg)
Pins and needles in the buttocks, travelling down the leg.

Causes

When the piriformis muscle gets tight and presses on the sciatic nerve.
You can develop piriformis syndrome from everyday activities, such as sitting for long periods of time, climbing stairs, walking, or running.
You can also develop it after a traumatic event, such as a car accident or a fall.

Treatement options

Remedial Sports Massage
Sports Massage
Physiotherapy

Exercises to do at home

Sitting on medium-hard ball (tennis ball, hockey ball or cricket ball) on the pressure point in the middle of the buttocks will release some of the piriformis tension. Hold for 30 seconds then repeat on the other side.
Simple Seated Stretch:
- Start by sitting in a chair and cross your sore leg over the knee of your other leg.
- While keeping your spine straight, bend your chest forward. If you don’t feel pain, bend forward a little more.
- Hold this position for about 30 seconds.
- Repeat this stretch with your other leg.
Inner Thigh/Short Adductor Stretch:
- While sitting on the ground, put the soles of your feet together in front of your pelvis.
- Hold your ankles with the opposite hands (left hand – right ankle and vice versa).
- Gently push downward with your knees with the effort to touch the ground with them. You need to stop right before any pain occurs, which means that if you feel pain, get back an inch or two and stay there.
- Hold for 30 seconds, release, and flutter your legs in that position (like a butterfly) for 30 seconds.
- For a deeper stretch, push your knees down with your elbows and bend your torso forward while keeping your back straight.

What is it?

Symptoms

Causes

Treatement options

Exercises to do at home

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Physiotherapy

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