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Piriformis Syndrome
* Piriformis Pain Piriformis Syndrome SymptomsThis condition feels a lot like sciatica. Pain in the buttocks and radiating down the legs is the most common complaint. In addition to pain, the patient might experience tingling, numbness, burning or weakness in the legs and buttocks. Symptoms are often worsened by long periods of sitting, due to direct pressure exerted on the piriformis muscle. Most piriformis patients do not have any actual pain in their backs.Piriformis DiagnosisThis pain syndrome is diagnosed most often by exclusion. If the patient has sciatic pain, but shows no spinal reason for a cause, piriformis pain syndrome is often indicated. A physical exam might create pain through motion of the hip, but this is common in many back pain conditions. Imaging on an x-ray or even an MRI will not typically show nerve compression, so the diagnosis is never 100%. Anesthetic injections are often used to confirm the diagnosis, but this method of diagnostic confirmation is not very accurate and might lead to a misdiagnosed pain condition.Piriformis Syndrome TreatmentTreatments for this condition are identical to conservative care for sciatica. Exercise, stretching ice and heat are often employed. As always, these remedies do more to increase the circulation of blood to the area, than to treat the actual condition. If relief comes from these treatments, there is a good chance that the pain is due to oxygen deprivation rather than piriformis muscle problems.For more advice on pain relief, go to my page detailing the full range of BACK PAIN TREATMENTS. Piriformis Syndrome AdviceMost people who develop piriformis pain demonstrate a genetic abnormality, in which the sciatic nerve passes through the actual piriformis muscle, rather than underneath it. This leads doctors to believe that the muscle is somehow responsible for constricting the sciatic nerve, eliciting symptoms. Most commonly, the theory behind why the piriformis affects the sciatic nerve is blamed on traumatic injury. However, ischemia makes far more sense, given the typical symptomology. Additionally, some patients with diagnosed piriformis pain do not even demonstrate the abnormality with the muscle surrounding the nerve. All in all, piriformis conditions are one of the more speculative of all common back pain conditions.Share your own back pain story with the world by taking part in my interactive forum. Speak out now and make a difference! Please subscribe to my FREE E-Zine, The Cure Back Pain Forever Newsletter.
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