Piriformis Syndrome

posted on 29 November 2011 | posted in General

Deep within the buttocks is a small muscle called the piriformis. It attaches at the sacrum and follows through to head of the femur. It is involved in the lateral rotation of the hip and abducts the femur when the leg is flexed.

Piriformis syndrome is a term for the pain caused by the tightening of the muscle and the compression of the sciatic nerve that runs underneath the piriformis muscle. The pain can be localized specifically to the muscle ranging from a tingling sensation, numbness and even causing sciatica where the pain radiates down the leg.

This is a very common complaint in pregnancy as the pelvis tilts forward and the centre of balance changes due to the growing baby, causing a contraction in the piriformis muscle.

Massage can be really useful to help alleviate the discomfort in the area and certain techniques can be used specifically to the muscle to reduce the pain.

 
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