What is the piriformis muscle?
The piriformis is a muscle in the buttocks. Due to the positioning of the piriformis, it can compress or irritate the sciatic nerve when it spasms or becomes too tight. When this happens, we call it piriformis syndrome.
How can North Adelaide Chiropractic help piriformis syndrome?
Piriformis syndrome can be quite painful and debilitating due to the nature of nerve pain. Sciatica (compression of the sciatic nerve) can cause intense pain to shoot down the back of the leg. Numbness, tingling and other abnormal sensations can also be felt down the affected leg. Piriformis syndrome can also lead to highly localised tenderness and sensitivity in the piriformis region.
At North Adelaide Chiropractic, we aim to treat both the symptoms and the cause of piriformis syndrome. We can treat the piriformis muscle in a number of ways, such as through trigger point therapy, dry needling and home exercises such as stretching.
Stretching the piriformis muscle is not particularly difficult. Firstly, sit up straight with one foot crossed over the knee of the other leg. Then, slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch along the outside of your hip and into your buttocks. This is a basic piriformis stretch.
What may be more difficult is figuring out what other biomechanics have changed or been affected by the piriformis being in spasm – or figuring out what caused the piriformis to spasm in the first place. While trauma is a common cause of piriformis syndrome, it’s important to check around the pelvis, sacral and lumbar regions to make sure that everything else around the piriformis is working as it should be.
For comprehensive consults that take the time to find out the best treatment for you, give North Adelaide Chiropractic a call on 8361 8182. We are an Adelaide chiropractic clinic located near the CBD and service people from all around the city.