Piriformis syndrome causes pain or numbness in your butt, hip or upper leg. It occurs when the piriformis muscle presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition may be caused by injury, swelling, muscle spasms or scar tissue in the piriformis. Most episodes go away in a few days or weeks with rest and simple treatments.
What are 3 common causes of piriformis syndrome?
Etiology
- Trauma to the hip or buttock area.
- Piriformis muscle hypertrophy (often seen in athletes during periods of increased weightlifting requirements or pre-season conditioning)
- Sitting for prolonged periods (taxi drivers, office workers, bicycle riders)
- Anatomic anomalies: Bipartite piriformis muscle.
How do you fix piriformis syndrome?
Treatment
- adjustments in gait.
- improved mobility of sacroiliac joints.
- stretching to relieve tight piriformis muscles and those surrounding the hip.
- strengthening of the hip abductors (muscles that move the hips outward from the body)
- application of heat.
- acupuncture.
