You may have heard of sciatica, a pain that starts in the buttocks and runs down one or both legs. Sciatica is usually caused by pressure or irritation of nerves in the lower back. One condition that causes pressure on those nerves is
You may have heard of sciatica, a pain that starts in the buttocks and runs down one or both legs. Sciatica is usually caused by pressure or irritation of nerves in the lower back. One condition that causes pressure on those nerves is called piriformis syndrome.
The piriformis is a muscle that extends from the front of the sacrum. That’s the triangle-shaped bone between your two hipbones in your pelvis. The muscle extends across the sciatic nerve to the top of the femur. The femur is the large bone in your upper leg.
The piriformis helps the thigh move side to side. A piriformis muscle spasm can put pressure on the sciatic nerve and cause symptoms. The result is piriformis syndrome.
Sciatica is the main symptom of piriformis syndrome. You may experience others, however. Often the discomfort is felt in another part of the body, such as the back of the leg. This is known as referred pain.
Some other common signs of piriformis syndrome include:
- numbness and tingling in the buttocks that may extend down the back of the leg
- tenderness of the muscles in the buttocks
- difficulty sitting comfortably
- pain while sitting that gets worse the longer you sit
- pain in the buttocks and legs that worsens with activity
In serious cases of piriformis syndrome, the pain in your buttocks and legs can be so severe it becomes disabling. You may become unable to complete basic, everyday tasks, such as sitting at a computer, driving for any length of time, or performing household chores.
The piriformis gets a workout every day. You use it when you walk or turn your lower body. You even use it just from shifting your weight from one side to the other. The muscle can become injured or irritated from long periods of inactivity or too much exercise.
Some common causes of piriformis syndrome include:
- overuse from excessive exercise
- run