Pain in the Piriformis - What Is Piriformis Syndrome?

Have you ever experienced a sharp, stabbing pain in your buttocks? Not only is this a bit embarrassing, but it can also get in the way of your life, making simple things like walking a struggle. What is the cause of this kind of pain, and more importantly, what can you do about it? Well, first of all, let me tell you that you should probably see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis, but for most people I’ve spoken to, the cause is Piriformis Syndrome. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, it’s actually something quite simple. There is a nerve in your body called the sciatic nerve that runs from your lower back and down your legs into your feet. When there is any kind of pressure on this nerve, you will feel a pain called sciatica. This is the name of the pain you are probably experiencing. There are a lot of things that can cause sciatica, Piriformis Syndrome is one of them. You also have a small muscle in your hips called your piriformis muscle. This muscle connects your upper leg with your hips and it is responsible for helping you rotate your legs from side to side. The piriformis muscle can become overly tense from strenuous physical activity like sports training, or from lack of use such as sitting for prolonged periods of time at a desk. When your piriformis becomes too tense it will contract and start to crush your sciatic nerve, which runs right underneath this muscle. This is how Piriformis Syndrome causes that pain in your buttocks. Okay, so what can you do about it? Well, if the cause is a tense muscle, then the obvious solution is to relieve the tension in the muscle. the best way to do this is with stretching exercises. However, the piriformis muscle is very deep inside your body and it is difficult to think up an obvious way to stretch it. Try this stretch. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you and your knees bent. If, for example, you were experiencing pain in your right side, you would cross your right leg over your left leg. Then you grab your right knee and hug it toward your chest. You should feel a stretch happening in your buttocks. This is your piriformis muscle. Hold this stretch as long as you feel comfortable doing so, or for about 5 minutes to really stretch the muscle. Repeat this stretch every day for a few weeks. Over time, this will help to relax the tension in your piriformis muscle and help to release your sciatic nerve. If your pain is rather severe, you may wish to take medicine to help reduce inflammation and ease the pain a bit. But remember that removing the pain isn’t the same as fixing the problem. Take the pain pills if you must, but keep doing the stretching as well to help fix the real cause of the problem.