{"id":4132,"date":"2019-02-20T07:35:09","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T07:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=4132"},"modified":"2022-02-07T08:05:49","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T08:05:49","slug":"15-signs-of-piriformis-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/15-signs-of-piriformis-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Signs of Piriformis Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The piriformis is a muscle located in the buttocks. The primary responsibility of the piriformis muscle is to rotate the leg out. When this muscle becomes irritated or inflamed it can cause a person to experience pain that may radiate from the hip, buttocks, and all the way down the leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason that pain may be experienced in the leg is that the piriformis muscle is located near the sciatic nerve. This is the nerve that runs down the back and through the leg. When this nerve is restricted it can cause a person to experience pain that radiates from the back through the leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may occur on either side. Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle is inflamed and causes compression of this nerve. There are several symptoms and signs to look for if you think you may be suffering from piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Pain, Numbness, and Tingling in the Butt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to posterior hip pain there are only a few conditions that can cause this type of pain. One of the conditions that may cause a person to experience pain in their hip is piriformis syndrome. This pain is caused by the muscle that has become inflamed or swollen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be felt at the top of the hip and across the side that is affected by the inflammation<\/a>. This symptom can be aggravated through internal rotation of the hip, adduction, and hip flexion. All of these are movements that the piriformis muscle helps with. Since piriformis syndrome is not a very common condition, it is often misdiagnosed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are suffering from pain in your hip and experience pain in your buttocks, there is a chance that you have this syndrome. You may also experience tingling or numbness in the butt if you are suffering from this syndrome as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Thigh and Calf Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If the piriformis muscle becomes tight it can then cause the sciatic nerve<\/a> to be pinched. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and runs from the lower part of the spin all the way to the feet. When this nerve is compromised it can cause pain that is known as sciatica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain may start in the buttock and go down the entire back of the leg. The actual cause of the pain is difficult to diagnose. It is caused by the nerve being compressed. This is usually because a disk in the back is herniated. If the disc herniation is ruled out, a doctor may consider piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The origin of the pain is the main difference between the two issues. Sciatica that is caused by a herniated disc typically will cause pain in the lower back that runs down the leg. Sciatic pain that is caused by piriformis syndrome originates in the buttocks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Pain Walking On Stairs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person suffering from piriformis syndrome will often have difficulty walking up or downstairs. Walking up a hill or on an incline can cause the person who has piriformis syndrome to suffer from pain that radiates from the buttocks and down the leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this is that walking up or downstairs or on an incline will engage the piriformis muscle<\/a>. When the muscle is engaged it can press up against the sciatic nerve. When the sciatic nerve is under this pressure it can cause a person to experience pain. This pain is typically very sharp and can be quite intense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person may even feel a burning sensation as they try to climb up even a simple flight of stairs. If you notice that walking up or down an incline or climbing stairs has become quite painful, you may be suffering from piriformis syndrome, which a doctor may diagnose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Pain After Sitting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the main causes of piriformis syndrome is sitting for long periods of time. Unfortunately, many people now have jobs that require them to sit and stare at a computer screen for a long amount of time. Sitting puts pressure on the piriformis muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pressure can make the muscle spasm<\/a>. This type of spasm is more likely to occur if a person is not active physically. A person who has developed piriformis syndrome may find that they have more intense pain after they have sat for a long period of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your job requires you to sit for long periods of time it is important to make sure that you exercise at least some each day. During your workday, you should get up about every hour or so in order to stretch your arms and your legs. This can help prevent piriformis syndrome from occurring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Lowered Range of Motion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to movements, especially in the legs, the piriformis muscle is extremely important. It is this muscle that rotates the femur <\/a>laterally during hip extension. It also will abduct the femur during hip flexion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The piriformis muscle also helps with shifting your weight from one foot onto the other and with walking. For a person who suffers from piriformis syndrome, the movements of the thigh can be compromised. Walking up the stairs, raising your legs, and rotating the thigh can be almost impossible for someone who is suffering from piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The range of motion in the legs can be extremely reduced by the inflammation of the piriformis muscle. Every time you move the muscle it can cause an extreme amount of pain. Certain stretches can help improve the symptoms a great deal. Your doctor should be able to provide you with appropriate exercises to do to help improve your range of motion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Slowly Worsening Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Piriformis syndrome can present in many different ways. There are some people who experience an extreme amount of pain every time they move their legs or hips. Other people find that the pain starts out more slowly and then gets worse after they sit for a long time or while they are standing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people may experience slow pain that worsens after they have walked for a bit. Sleeping at night may cause a person to experience this type of pain as well. The pain comes from swelling <\/a>in the piriformis muscle that causes the sciatic nerve to become pinched. When this nerve is pinched it can cause the pain to be quite severe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can start out as a dull ache and then come more severe and almost feel like a burning sensation from the buttocks clear down to the toes. The pain can make it difficult to even move the way that you want and need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Weakened Hip or Leg Muscles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When suffering from piriformis syndrome a person may feel like their legs or their hips are quite weak. The hip may become weakened as the muscle <\/a>surrounding it is inflamed. This means that a person will not be able to move the way that they want to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflammation causes the entire muscle to ache or hurt. When a person is experiencing this type of pain all of their muscles may feel quite weak. In piriformis syndrome, the hips and the legs are the most affected. It is important to note that if you are feeling weakness in the hips or the legs you should discuss it with your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your doctor will be able to run some tests such as an MRI or a CT scan in order to determine what may be causing this weakness or pain to occur. Once diagnosed, proper care can be taken to alleviate the symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Tenderness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Piriformis syndrome can cause tenderness <\/a>in a specific spot. This spot is located in the pelvic area. It is between the sacrum and near the top of the femur. This is the area of the pelvis that the piriformis muscle goes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who has piriformis syndrome may actually be able to feel the exact spot where the muscle is swollen. In some cases, there is a knot located in the piriformis muscle. This may be able to be massaged out. There are also exercises that you may be able to do in order to work out the tightness of the muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One test to conduct if you think you may have piriformis syndrome is to try to push your knee out against some resistance. If doing this causes you pain it is likely that you have piriformis syndrome. Another sign is if you have pain in the back of the leg when you raise it straight into the air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Loss of Muscle Mass in the Affected Leg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who experience piriformis syndrome may not seek the physiotherapy required to correct the condition. People with severe outcomes may find that they struggle to recover, even with the assistance of a physiotherapist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the pain causes problems with the normal nerve response in the leg, causing atrophy of the muscle. Atrophy is the opposite of “hypertrophy,” and it means a slow withering of the muscle. As a result, the affected individual may find they start to lose muscle mass in the affected leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The loss of muscle mass affects the strength in the leg, causing imbalance and posture <\/a>problems in the patient. They may experience changes in their walking gait, leading to pain in the hips and knees, exacerbating the effects of piriformis syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these outcomes are rare, the chronic form of the condition requires management with medication like painkillers and anti-inflammatories. These drugs help mitigate the pain, but they won’t do anything to stop the slow atrophy of the leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Hamstring Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The piriformis muscle and the sciatic nerve have a relationship managing the movement of the leg. When piriformis syndrome affects a patient, the pain can creep down the back of the leg, causing pain in the hamstrings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s common for patients to experience issues with bending over. If they drop their keys, they may need to ask someone to pick them up because the pain of bending down is too much to bear. Typically, the effects of piriformis syndrome will continue until the patient receives physiotherapy to release the tension in the piriformis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sciatic nerve runs through the hip joint, and the piriformis muscle traps it against the bone, causing the sensations of pain. With regular stretching of the hamstrings and hips, the patient can overcome the pain, loosening the piriformis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In extreme cases, the patient may require treatment with “Botox.” Botox<\/a> is a medical version of the botulinum toxin. This pathogen can cause severe illness and death in individuals. However, the processing of the poison into a medical treatment makes it safe for use in treatments like piriformis syndrome and bruxism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Pain Getting Out of Bed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the first signs of piriformis syndrome is a pain in the back of your leg and lower hip when getting out of bed in the morning. After sleep, the muscular system is in a relaxed state. However, piriformis syndrome maintains the tension in the piriformis muscle, even during sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you rise in the morning, the muscular system <\/a>increases the tension on the piriformis muscle, resulting in the rapid onset of pain. As you move your legs to get out of bed, the muscle may trap the sciatic nerve, causing shooting pain down your leg as you apply pressure to your feet when standing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain is typically milder in the morning, but people with the condition notice a fast reoccurrence of the pain as they start to move around. Some patients may stay in bed and perform stretches to the hips and hamstrings before they swing their legs over the side of the bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Pain Bending Over<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, the trapping of the sciatic nerve between the piriformis and the hip joint results in pain shooting down the hamstring. As a result, most people with PS find that they have issues in the mobility of the hips and the hamstring muscle<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we bend down to pick something up, we use the hip flexors and the hamstrings to support our body weight while completing the movement. The compression of the piriformis traps the sciatic nerve, and most people find that they struggle to bend their body to a 90-degree angle to the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something as simple as dropping your keys on the ground can be a nightmare for patients when they attempt to pick them up. However, with regular stretching, heat treatment, and OTC anti-inflammatories, it’s possible to loosen the muscle and remove the pain associated with the condition. However, if the patient doesn’t seek treatment, there is little chance that the condition goes away by itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Lower Back Bain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some patients experience lower back pain <\/a>accompanying the pain in the hips and the hamstrings. The lower back and pelvis work in sync when adjusting your posture. As a result, the pain can cause cramping in the lower back as it compensates for the loss in the range of motion in the hips and legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lower back compensates for the movement, helping to support your hips and the affected leg. When you’re walking around all day with a sore leg and hips, your lower back takes up the slack, leading to the overuse of the muscles. They start to fatigue and lose the strength to support the lower back and the hips, resulting in more pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s possible to mitigate the pain with painkillers and anti-inflammatories, but they will not do anything to resolve the problem. You’ll have to see a physio to stretch the piriformis and release the tension on the sciatic nerve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Risk Factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people are at a higher risk <\/a>of developing piriformis syndrome than others. As with any condition, there are a set of risk factors that expose people to a higher chance of developing piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Aging is the most common cause of the problem. Seniors that don’t get enough exercise and fail to stretch the muscles in the hips and legs are more likely to develop the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who spend all day sitting in an office chair are also more likely to develop piriformis syndrome. Sitting in the chair causes changes to the hip flexors, and the piriformis muscle, causing the onset of the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obese and overweight people are also more likely to develop the condition. When you’re obese, you’re carrying around more bodyweight, placing pressure on the hips and the piriformis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sedentary people are also more likely to develop PS. Exercise strengthens the piriformis while loosening the muscles in the hips. If you sit in a chair all day and come home from the office to spend time on the couch, you’re setting yourself up for an attack of PS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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15. A Sign of Other Disorders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Piriformis Syndrome<\/a> can also signify other deeper problems with your physiology. As mentioned, the hip flexors are vital components of the pelvic structure, and if they are experiencing dysfunction, it results in the onset of PS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient could also have issues with a herniated disc in the lower back, resulting in changes to the stresses in the lower back and the hip flexors as the body adjusts to manage the pain involved with the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spinal stenosis is a disease affecting the health of the spine. It slowly degenerates the discs and vertebrae over time, disrupting the balance and structural integrity of the mid and lower back. Typically, this condition occurs in seniors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sciatica and hip bursitis are other conditions affecting the hips and the pelvis. Hip bursitis is tremendously painful and may cause the patient to adjust their walking position to relieve the pain. As a result, they stress the piriformis, resulting in the onset of PS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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