What Is Piriformis Syndrome?

The piriformis muscle runs from the lower spine to the top of the femur (thighbone). Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle presses against the sciatic nerve. This can lead to pain and numbness in the lower body.

Symptoms

Sciatica is the most common symptom of piriformis syndrome. This term refers to tingling, numbness, or pain that starts in your buttocks and then moves down the back of your leg.  Pain is aggravated during activities that presses the piriformis muscle against the sciatic nerve like sitting, walking stairs, or running . Sciatica may begin as a sharp pain deep in the buttocks.

When Should You Consult The Physician?

Talk to your physician if any of the following symptoms are in you.

• Pain lasts longer than just a few weeks.
• You have numbness or weakness in the muscles in your legs and sudden, sharp pain in your lower back or legs.
• After you are injured in a traumatic event, your pain will begin.
• Problems controlling your bladder or bowels.

Causes 

One can develop piriformis syndrome from daily activities like climbing stairs, sitting for prolonged periods, running, and walking. It can also be caused by a traumatic event such as a fall or car accident.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will perform a physical examination. The doctor will take the affected foot in many different posititons to investigate your pain level.

Your doctor may order additional tests if something other than piriformis syndrome is causing sciatica. MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computerized tomography) scans can not diagnose piriformis syndrome. However, they can show your doctor if something else is putting pressure on your sciatic nerve.

Treatment

People with piriformis syndrome generally gets better after treatment and lifestyle adjustments. Failure to treat piriformis syndrome can cause permanent sciatic nerve damage, so always follow your doctor's instructions.

These are some self-care tips to help with piriformis syndrome:

• To stretch the piriformis muscle, perform exercises. Ask your doctor he/she will give you information about what stretches will help
• Temporarily cease doing activities that causes pain, like bicycling and running.
• If you have to sit for long periods of time, take frequent breaks to walk around and also perform a little bit of stretching
• Use a cold pack and warm/hot pack. Start by using cold packs on the affected area several times daily for approximately 15 minutes each time. After using the cold pack for a few days, switch to the hot pack or heating pad. If you constantly suffer pain, then alternate between the cold pack and the warm/hot pack.
• Massage the affected part in case your pain does not improve with self-treatment. In that case, your physician may refer you to a physical therapist or inject a steroid medicine where the sciatic nerve and piriformis muscle meet.
• You can take NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to relieve your pain like aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen (Brand Name: Motrin or Advil).

Some Questions You Can Ask To Your doctor

• What could be causing my pain?
• To confirm piriformis syndrome, do I require any tests?
• What type of exercise should I do?
• Is it safe for me to perform the exercise?
• Do alternative therapies like massage and yoga help relieve my pain?
• What can I do if my pain does not go away?

Resources 

Piriformis Syndrome : Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment