All injuries are a pain in the butt, but this one is quite literally. You feel pain or recurring discomfort in your gluteals (buttocks) and hip regions, which can be irregular and sharp or a constant dull aching. The pain can remain localized in the hip or can radiate down the leg or up into the lower back.
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Piriformis syndrome is typically caused by compression or entrapment of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle as the nerve passes through the buttocks. It is sometimes called "sciatica."
RESET IT
The best reset strategy is to target the piriformis muscle with an active-isolated flexibility exercise. This will relax the muscle, promote oxygen and blood circulation in the region, and relieve pressure and friction between the nerve and muscle.
1. Lie on your back with both legs extended. Hold the ends of a rope together so that they form a loop. Place the foot of the leg you are exercising into the loop. Lock your knee so that your leg is straight. Turn your toes inward for further stabilization.
2. Using your quadriceps and hip flexors, lift your leg straight up until it is perpendicular to the surface (at a 90-degree angle) while "climbing" up the rope with both hands, hand over hand.
3. When your leg is in position, grasp the ends of the rope (to maintain the loop) with the hand opposite the exercising leg. Extend your other hand (the one on the same side as the exercising leg) straight out to stabilize your body and keep you from rolling. Keep slight tension on the rope.
4. Contract your adductors, internal hip rotators and lower abdominals to bring your leg across your body and straight down to the surface until your hip begins to roll up. Do not pull the leg into position or you will irritate your hip.
5. Bring your leg back up to the perpendicular position (Step #2) and then back down to the floor (Step #1).
6. Repeat eight to 10 times.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
As with all active-isolated flexibility work, hold the end range of motion for only one and a half or two seconds.
Raise the leg less than 90 degrees if necessary.
Training Tip - Piriformis Stretch.
Illustration by Dan Hanafin
