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Piriformis Syndrome pain relief

I have been taking perscriptions to help me cope with my piriformis syndrome, but I would like to find a non-drug method to deal with the symptoms. What are my options?

    DrWJODonnell
    Posted 11 months ago

    Lois,

    Piriformis syndrome is a sciatica-like phenomenon where the sciatic nerve is compressed or irritated by a small muscle in the gluteal region called the piriformis muscle. This muscle helps to turn your foot out and can become tight (hypertonic), scarred (adhesed), or involuntarily contracted (spastic). Any one of these issues causes the normally relaxed muscle to pull down like a taught band over the sciatic nerve. When this occurs, pain from the muscle as well as pain arising from the nerve irritation gives you the symptoms you experience.

    Prescription medication as well as over the counter medication can somewhat mask the pain that is associated with the syndrome, and sometimes muscle relaxers can be beneficial as well. Neither addresses the cause of the muscular tightness.

    Causes of the syndrome can vary from direct trauma, to overuse but by far I see this most commonly in three “types” of people.

    First, Mr. “I sit with my wallet/cell phone/keys/something else in my back pocket.” This person causes a pelvic unleveling and sometimes direct pressure on the area which injures the muscle. Simply moving these things to the front pocket will at least alleviate the insult.

    Second, Ms. “I drive a lot and rather than moving my leg to go from gas to brake in my car, I leave my heel under the brake and just turn my foot out to hit the gas.” Turning the foot out (right foot pointing right), for extended periods of time allows this muscle to shorten and give you the problem.

    Third, and perhaps most commonly, Mr. “I have always gone to my physicals, always had my teeth and dental hygiene checked, but have never had my spinal hygiene checked.” Regular chiropractic checkups search for spinal and pelvic misalignments. Because the piriformis attaches at the pelvic bones, any change in the functioning of how they move can affect the muscle.

    There are other causes from pregnancy and the birth process causing the bones to shift, to stomping hard on a Harley motorcycle to get it started, to having flat feet which cause the knees to rotate and the hips to tension the muscle (there are of course many other causes which is why the diagnosis and removal of the cause if possible is so important).

    Finding the cause through appropriate diagnosis, and removing that cause is the first thing. Rehabilitating the changes because of the syndrome (such as with adjustments and stretches for pelvic misalignments caused by the tight muscle, orthotics and strengthening exercises for fallen arches, or myofascial release/trigger point therapy/massage/ultrasound for adhesions) will bring you back to a pain free state without the use of drugs or surgery.

    Here in Corvallis you will find a number of different practitioners that can do what is necessary, and of course, if we at Vertebrata Chiropractic can help (I have seen a LOT of these over the years) give us a call!

    William J. O’Donnell, DC
    Chiropractic Physician
    http://www.VertebrataChiropractic.com

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