Do you have a pain in the butt…
So many people these days have a pain in the butt…. What is the pain I talk about? It is muscular pain that causes similar like symptoms to sciatica, it is called Piriformis Syndrome.
What is Piriformis Syndrome?
First of all the Piriformis is a muscles located in your buttocks. It is located deep in behind the gluteus maximus. The piriformis muscle helps rotate the hip, moving the leg inwards and outwards. It is a small muscle and sits on top of the sciatic nerve. Because the piriformis and sciatic nerve are so close together the piriformis syndrome and sciatica get mixed up and people often just say they have sciatica when they don’t. Sciatica pain is linked with underlying lower back issues. Most symptoms of sciatica result from lower back disorders that put pressure on the nerve. The most common disorder is a herniated disc which presses against the nerve.
Sciatica pain is very sharp and painful making it difficult to stand up or walk compared to an achy or throbbing pain of the piriformis syndrome. So even though they can have similar like symptoms they are very different.
Piriformis syndrome is when the piriformis muscle spasms and presses on the sciatic nerve causing symptoms similar to sciatica but not as painful and most people can still go by their daily activities. Whereas sciatica you will have difficulties to walking and doing daily activities.
Piriformis Snydrome Symptoms
Tenderness or pain in the buttock area
Numbness and weakness running down the back of the legs, claves and foot.
Reduced range of movement through the hip
You may start to sit lopsided to avoid the pain in the butt.
Sometimes you can walk with you foot turned out as the piriformis muscle is shortened
What causes Piriformis Snydrome
Piriformis syndrome is most commonly caused by your piriformis muscle overworking.
The main reasons that it overworks is due to:
Protection or dysfunction of the adjacent SIJ or hip joints.
A weakness of your deep hip stability muscles.
Overpronating feet.
Treatment
Initially swapping between cold and heat
Massage treatment on the gluteus medius, gluteus maximum and piriformis can overall help your symptoms. As well as other various muscles.
Joint mobilisation techniques
Dry needling can reduce muscle tightness around the buttock
Hip strengthening and flexibility work
Please always seek a professional for any muscular pain or discomfort.