{"id":4180,"date":"2019-02-22T08:37:08","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T08:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=4180"},"modified":"2021-05-27T16:32:52","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T16:32:52","slug":"15-symptoms-of-piriformis-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/15-symptoms-of-piriformis-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Symptoms of Piriformis Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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30%. This is the percentage of people that experience back pain at least once in their life, normally during ages 18-55. The percentage can even go up and reach 45%.
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Speaking of which, a similar condition, yet quite uncommon, can cause utter pain. Known as the Piriformis syndrome, it causes pain in body parts which may include hips, buttocks, or any parts of the leg.
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Since the piriformis muscle is located in the buttock area, it can cause buttock pain or other sensations around the buttock area. The same muscle can even cause trouble for the sciatic nerve and lead to tingling sensations or numbness from the back of the leg to even the foot.
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Though there\u2019s a lack of deep research on Piriformis syndrome, physiotherapists and chiropractors have enough knowledge of the condition to help patients. There are various treatments for the illness and more information is being discovered on similar illnesses.
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1. A Dull Ache in the Buttock. <\/strong>
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Patients often report a dull ache in the buttock, which is obviously a common symptom of the syndrome. Piriformis syndrome may seem complex at times and difficult to understand, but it\u2019s quite simple if patients adhere to the medication. Taking the right medications when needed, and doing enough body movement can lead to the condition being less severe.
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A dull ache in the buttock lasting for a long time may suggest that you may need to contact a doctor or a physiotherapist<\/a>. Other than that, if you know the difference between what might be a dull ache in the buttock or pain for sitting in one position for too long, then you\u2019re doing fine.
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The dull ache might last for a few moments or may last longer than you would expect. It depends from person to person and also on the severity of the piriformis syndrome.
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2. Pain down the back of the thigh. <\/strong>
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This is a very common symptom, which means that your sciatic nerve<\/a> is getting bothered. The sensations and the pain is all because of the condition itself and the sciatic nerve.
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You might be wondering, what is a sciatic nerve?
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It is the widest and also the longest nerve in the human body and it starts from your hip, lower backbone to ending in the feet. The nerve has the duty of maintaining the sensation and strength of the lower leg. When the sciatic nerve is damaged or certain things trigger the illness, the sciatic nerve can cause such sensation and pain that you might be experiencing.
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This is the reason why many patients going through Piriformis Syndrome experience pain down at the back of their thigh. It is a common symptom that often worries patients because of the intensity of the pain.
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3. Pain walking upstairs. <\/strong>
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One of the most common symptoms of Piriformis Syndrome is a pain walking upstairs. Patients often report feeling mild to utter pain when they\u2019re walking up inclines or stairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various ways you can calm down the pain if you are supposed to walk upstairs every day. The way you climb upstairs should be changed. Try doing things like placing your foot on the next step before you climb up to the next step. Try not to lead with your foot, but instead your body. Not only that, you may want to try aligning your knee <\/a>with your second toe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason you may experience pain when walking upstairs is due to the pressure on the knees. When a person climbs up the stairs, the pressure is on their lower legs. That\u2019s why it hurts when you walk upstairs.
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4. Difficulty sitting or putting weight on the buttock on one side<\/strong>
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If you\u2019re experiencing pain down the thigh, calf, and even foot, then you might be going through this symptom as well. Difficulty sitting or even putting a bit of weight <\/a>on the buttock on one side might indicate that you have Piriformis Syndrome. The feeling of uneasiness and pain in the buttock suggests that there might be something wrong with the sciatic nerve.
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When it comes to the sciatic nerve, you may know that it controls your ankle and other parts of your foot too, as well as maintaining strength in your legs. So, when you experience such pain and difficulty sitting or even putting weight on the buttock, you might want to take notice of that.
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When you start doubting what may not be normal pain, getting in touch with a doctor would be the best.
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5. Increased pain after prolonged sitting. <\/strong>
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When you feel like your pain might be getting worse after sitting for a prolonged period of time, then you should see it as a symptom. This kind of pain might indicate that you sit in a poor posture too. So, make sure you\u2019re sitting with a good posture<\/a>.
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Poor posture can actually put compression on the discs of your spine and cause many problems.
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Other than that, if you are sure you\u2019re going through Piriformis syndrome, then a poor posture can worsen the condition. So, make sure to always sit in a position that your physiotherapist or chiropractor suggests.
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Also, ensure that you are not sitting in one position for hours. As said before, prolonged sitting worsens the pain you might be having already. To prevent the pain, try to consult a good physiotherapist and avoid sitting in one posture for a long time.
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6. Reduced range of motion for the hip joint. <\/strong>
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You might experience this kind of symptom when you\u2019re walking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, any kind of difficulty in the movement of the hip joint might suggest that there is something wrong within the hip area.
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So, don\u2019t try to force yourself or the joint into moving as you want. If your doctor recommends any certain exercises for increased motion in the hip joint, then try to do it regularly as recommended.
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Just make sure you don\u2019t end up exerting unnecessary pressure <\/a>on the hip joint and try to maintain the range of motion.
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Some people may experience more difficulty when facing this symptom, while others may experience the symptom on a lesser intensity. If your range of motion is enough for you to walk properly, then there isn\u2019t much to worry about. On the other hand, if it\u2019s something that is worsening day by day, then you should visit a doctor.
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7. Nerve pain arising from buttocks to down the leg. <\/strong>
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Along with the strange sensations and pain you might be experiencing in your legs, a nerve pain that arises from the buttocks to down the leg is a common symptom as well.
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People with the piriformis syndrome experience electrical sensations from the sciatic nerve too. It is due to the sciatic nerve and how it functions. Not only does the pain arise from the buttocks, but it may also give off electrical sensations to the person.
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Sometimes, the pain may arise from one buttock, lasting a few seconds only. Frequent check-ups and following the doctor\u2019s advice might help in reducing the symptoms of the piriformis syndrome.
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The syndrome takes many weeks to recover from, while some people may recover on a faster period of time. Taking the right medication and going for frequent follow-up check-ups to the physiotherapist <\/a>or chiropractor is important.
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8. Pain in the Piriformis muscle during a rectal exam. <\/strong>
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When a doctor doubts that the patient might have the piriformis syndrome, a rectal exam is performed.
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If you happen to go to a check-up to the doctor, you might want to prefer telling all the symptoms <\/a>clearly. If you feel electrical sensations specifically, then make sure to mention it.
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If your doctor is certain that you might be going through piriformis syndrome, then there are chances that he or she wouldn\u2019t perform a rectal exam. But if the symptoms and the results are unclear, then a rectal exam is important.
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If you\u2019ve already had a rectal exam, you might have noticed that you experienced pain in the piriformis muscle during the exam. It means that you actually have the syndrome.
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Though a rectal exam takes only a few seconds, it can determine whether or not you may have the Piriformis syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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