Piriformis. A Real Pain in the Backside!

27 Oct Piriformis. A Real Pain in the Backside!

Piriformis is a muscle found deep within the musculature of the buttocks and translates literally as “pear-shaped” owing to its appearance.  And when piriformis goes pear shaped, it really does!

The piriformis is responsible for many different functions around the hip and pelvis and in most people, has the sciatic nerve running very close by, meaning that when piriformis gets tight it may irritate the sciatic nerve and cause pain down the leg which can range from mild to severe symptoms.

Piriformis can cause issues for many reasons, often it is due to an imbalance in the muscles where one group is weak so another works harder and therefore becomes irritated.

A physiotherapist can establish if your leg and buttock pain is indeed coming from your piriformis (rather than your lower back) and what may be the underlying issue for the muscle to be causing trouble. Manual therapies can be used to alleviate symptoms and exercises can be advised to stretch the piriformis and help strengthen the muscle groups that may be weak.

Any pain radiating down the legs accompanied by loss of bladder or bowel control (including urinary retention), numbness around the saddle region or changes in gait should be urgently checked by a medical professional.