{"id":3994,"date":"2019-02-18T07:29:41","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T07:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=3994"},"modified":"2021-11-11T08:04:39","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T08:04:39","slug":"15-causes-of-piriformis-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/15-causes-of-piriformis-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Causes of Piriformis Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The piriformis is the muscle located just above the hip joint. It is located in the buttocks. When this muscle becomes damaged or inflamed it can cause a person to experience piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder. It is not very common and is caused by the piriformis muscle causing pressure on the sciatic nerve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The piriformis muscle is important for lower body movement as it is what stabilizes your hip joint. It helps to live and rotates the thigh from the body. This allows us to walk, maintain balance, and shift weight from side to side. It is used for sports that require rotating and lifting the thighs. Almost every motion from the thighs and hips uses the piriformis muscle. It can cause pain throughout the leg because of the pressure it puts on the sciatic nerve. Here are 8 causes of piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Short Leg Syndrome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Short leg syndrome may cause a person to experience piriformis syndrome. Short leg syndrome is when a person has one leg that appears to be longer than the other. This length discrepancy may occur in the tibia, femur, or both. There are two types of short leg syndrome, acquired or congenital, which means that you are born with the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birth injuries such as a hip dislocation during delivery can cause this syndrome. Poor posture <\/a>and dislocation or an injury to the leg can cause one leg to be longer than the other, even after healing from the injury. If a person is diagnosed with short leg syndrome, they are likely to develop piriformis syndrome as well. This is because of the way that a person has to walk when one leg is longer than the other. It puts more strain on the hips, which can cause issues with the piriformis muscles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Sitting for Long Periods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

More and more people are finding themselves in a seated position for long periods of time. Jobs require a person to be sitting at a computer for long periods of time in order to get their work done. Sitting for long periods can cause a whole host of health problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research has shown that people who sit for long periods can develop heart<\/a> issues, diabetes, and more. In addition, if you sit for long periods of time it may cause piriformis syndrome to develop. This is mainly due to the way that you sit and not providing the piriformis muscle with the exercises that it needs in order to remain healthy and functioning properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking and stretching out the piriformis muscle is important. If you have a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time, try to take frequent breaks where you stand up and work or simply walk around for a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Wearing High Heels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a woman wearing high heels is quite fashionable. In fact, many women choose this type of shoe to make their legs look longer. A great pair of high heels can make any outfit go from okay to fabulous and every woman knows this. However, there are some downfalls to wearing high heels on a regular basis. One of the downfalls is that these shoes can cause a person to develop piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle becomes inflamed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wearing high heels puts extra strain <\/a>on the hips and leg muscles. If you are struggling with leg pain that is caused by piriformis syndrome, it might just be time to put the heels away and trade them in for some fun flats instead. While flats may not be your shoe of choice, they are much better for your leg muscles and can help when you are dealing with the pain associated with the piriformis muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Pregnancy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When a woman is pregnant it can wreak havoc on her body, after all, she is growing another human inside of her. Along with the many other ailments that a pregnant woman may have such as morning sickness, frequent urination, and overall aches and pains, a woman may start to experience hip and joint <\/a>pain during her pregnancy. As the fetus is growing it can begin to put pressure on the hip bone and the piriformis muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this occurs, the woman may experience leg pain as there is added pressure to the sciatic nerve. During pregnancy, the hips are often stretched, which can cause the piriformis muscle to work extra hard. Doing exercises that are safe during pregnancy can help alleviate some of the symptoms of piriformis syndrome that occurs during pregnancy. It is important to discuss your symptoms with your OBGYN in order to make sure that your baby remains safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Poor Posture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chances are that you have been told by someone older than you that you need to have good posture. The reason for this is because poor posture can create many different health-related issues. This includes piriformis syndrome. Sitting up straight helps to alleviate a lot of pressure from your hips and other joints. It helps to stretch out the back and is good for your muscles in general. People who slouch over often, perhaps bent over a keyboard all day, may develop piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this is because slouching puts more pressure on the piriformis muscle as well as the other joints in the legs. If you find yourself slouching and are experiencing some of the symptoms of piriformis syndrome, try sitting up straight and practicing good posture as this can help to alleviate some of the issues that are being caused by piriformis syndromes such as hip and leg pain<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Injury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Any sharp blow to the buttock area or the lower back that causes injury <\/a>to the pelvis may cause a person to develop piriformis syndrome. If you fall down and land on your butt or your back, an injury to the piriformis muscle is likely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have taken a hard fall or have been in a motor vehicle accident and experience pain in your lower back, hips, or down your leg, chances are that you have injured your piriformis muscle. It is important to go to your doctor to determine the underlying cause of the pain that you are experiencing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your doctor will be able to help you once they understand exactly what your injury entails. Physical therapy, rest, and other exercises will likely be recommended to help you heal from the injury. Make sure that you do everything that your doctor recommends so that you can heal from the injury and ease the symptoms caused by piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Overcompensation from Other Injuries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have injured your lower leg, knee, hip, or ankle, there is a good chance that you may develop piriformis syndrome. The reason for this is because when you are suffering from any type of leg injury you are going to overcompensate by using one leg more than the other. When you have a knee injury, such as an injured ACL, you will try to keep your knee as straight as possible while it is healing. This can cause you to use your other leg more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you do this it can cause your hips to move out of place, causing pressure on your piriformis muscle. When there is extra pressure on your piriformis muscle it can become inflamed. This inflammation <\/a>can cause pain throughout the leg that is not injured. It is important to take care of the leg that is injured and try to make sure that you are resting and stretching often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Certain Exercises<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone knows that it is good to exercise<\/a>. In fact, it is recommended that you try to get at least 30 minutes of activity each day. This helps to keep your heart and body healthy and functioning properly. However, there are certain activities that may cause a person to develop piriformis syndrome. Cycling and running are two activities that may cause a person to get piriformis syndrome. The repetitive motion that these activities require can put extra pressure on the piriformis muscles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any activity that requires repetitive forward motions of the leg can cause piriformis syndrome to occur. This is why it is important to make sure that you stretch well before performing any of these activities. You should also stretch afterward as this can help relax the muscle. There are many great hip flexor stretches that you can do in order to help alleviate some of the symptoms caused by piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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