Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis Syndrome

Sciatica (Sciatic Pain, Piriformis Syndrome) and Back Pain

Sciatica commonly refers to pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve and is typically felt in the buttocks, down the back of the leg and possibly to the foot. Sciatica is one of the most common forms of pain caused by compression of the spinal nerves. Often the leg pain often feels much worse than the back pain. Numbness, tingling, and a burning or prickling sensation in the back and legs are also common symptoms.

Sciatica is actually a symptom and not disease. The term literally means that a patient has pain down the leg from compression on the sciatic nerve. Usually a herniated disc causes the sciatic pain. The diagnosis is what is causing the compression (such as a disc herniation).

Most cases of sciatica are caused by a simple irritation to the nerve and will get better with time. However, some sciatica symptoms may indicate a permanently injured nerve. This is particularly if true weakness or numbness is present in the back or the leg.

Sciatic pain is simply caused by pressure being placed on the sciatic nerve and there are primarily four things that can create this... you may have one or more of the following conditions:

This is the most common cause of sciatic pain and is created when pressure is placed on the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle. Muscle imbalances pull the hip joints and pelvis out of place and this change of position typically shortens and tightens the piriformis muscle, which then places pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Here's a illustration of a study done on over 1500 people who were suffering from sciatic pain...

As you can see in example A, the sciatic nerve runs under the piriformis muscle the majority of the time... however, it occasionally will run thru or around the piriformis muscle as shown in the other examples. Whatever the case, muscle imbalances will cause major problems and are the underlying cause of piriformis syndrome.

What The Heck Is a Muscle Imbalance Anyway?

When a muscle overpowers the opposing muscle, you have a muscle imbalance... Think Tug-of-War...

When your muscles are out of balance they pull your bones and joints out of their normal position and this places your muscles, bones and joints under constant stress and uneven pressure...

For example, the position and curvature of your spine is determined by numerous muscles and whether they are balanced or not... There are over 640 muscles in the human body! Nearly every muscle in the body affects your spine and if just one of these muscles are out of balance you're in trouble...

Here's am example of excessive curvature in the lower spine due to muscle imbalances... This is just one of the many problems that can be created by undetected and untreated muscle imbalance.

What Your Body and a Automobile Have in Common...

So what the heck does this have to do with getting rid of sciatica?

Here's a quick analogy that will show you how much alike the human body and an automobile are...

What happens when you drive your car with unbalanced tires or your steering out of alignment? Your tires will wear down unevenly and quicker than normal... and eventually you'll have a blowout... the same is true for your body!

« Spondylolisthesis
«Index of lower back pain
» What is CT scan?