Piriformis syndrome - what is this?
It is a syndrome - not an exact diagnosis. Typically it means the piriformis muscle is pressing on the sciatic nerve, causing referral pain down the leg.
Very often, it is suggested that we roll out our piriformis (centre of the buttock) muscle. This might well provide temporary relief. And many people do this very often, time and time again. However typically, it just comes back again - and we are back to square one.
The most effective way to approach this is to rebalance the muscles around the core and pelvis. We should combine stretches with strengthening exercises. This is the key element in my Body Synergy approach to getting issues resolved - it is not just about stretching. We need to stabilise and strengthen as we go.
We don't just rub out where it hurts as it is not very likely to get results. Think of it this way... pain and tension is often a sign of a muscle compensation pattern. Compensations are a sort of support crutch that the body is using if something is not working quite right. If something is weakened, another muscle "jumps in" to help keep us moving. But with time, it becomes exhausted. If we used a crutch for walking and we removed this crutch before we are ready, will the body be very happy? Probably not. We might even fall over.
Instead, we need to give the body new stability first before removing the crutch.
Help is available - don't suffer in silence and hope it will go away on its own. Take action and own your healing journey.
Join our FB Group to watch a video with more detail on this https://www.facebook.com/groups/movementforlifetribe
Stay well!
