What is Piriformis Syndrome?

Piriformis Syndrome is a neuromuscular condition characterized by pain, numbness and tingling anywhere along the buttocks and hip region. Piriformis Syndrome is very similar to sciatic pain but with sciatica, the pain is usually greater in the legs than in the lower back or buttock. Whereas in Piriformis Syndrome the pain is more likely to be localised in the hip and buttock and worsen when sitting for long periods of time and/or during hip movements.

Causess

Piriformis Syndrome is often caused by an abnormal functioning of a small muscle called Piriformis. The Piriformis muscle is a small, flat, muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. It runs diagonally across the buttocks and the sciatic nerve runs vertically underneath it. However, for some people, the sciatic nerve runs straight through the Piriformis muscle. Due to this crossover between the muscle and the nerve, any dysfunction or compression of the sciatic nerve by the Piriformis muscle can cause pain. Hence Piriformis Syndrome is considered to be a peripheral neuritis (inflammation) of the sciatic nerve caused by an irritation or dysfunction of the piriformis muscle.

Treatment and Prevention

The best treatment plan for Piriformis syndrome is a combination of a personalised rehabilitation program and hands-on myotherapy treatment to reset the firing pattern of the soft tissue structures.

If you think you might have Piriformis Syndrome, it is important to get this assessed and treated immediately as delay the diagnosis and treatment of Piriformis Syndrome may lead to other serious conditions including muscle weakness, chronic nerve pain and muscle wastage.

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