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Is Your Piriformis Causing Sciatica?
The cause of sciatica sometimes isn't rooted in the low back, but in the piriformis, which is a buttocks muscle.
The piriformis is a small, but highly important muscle that runs from your sacrum, passes under the greater sciatic notch and attaches at the top of the greater trochanter, which is at the top of the femur. If you don't know anatomy, that might sound confusing, but if you Google the piriformis muscle, you will see what described.
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve can be from; a bony impingement, a bulging or herniated disc, from inflamed surrounding tissue or from muscular impingement.
In the muscular impingement category, lurks piriformis syndrome, which typically begins in your buttocks with the piriformis muscle going into spasm and impinging the sciatic nerve. pain can then radiate down into your thigh, or past your knee and can even reach your foot.
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The function of the piriformis is to externally rotate your hip. Piriformis syndrome may be overlooked in a clinical setting as it looks very similar to other pelvic or lower back musculoskeletal conditions.
By changing your ergonomics, which is the daily biomechanics of your body, adding specific stretches to your routine, seeing a chiropractor, physical therapist or an acupuncturist, as well as by using natural anti-inflammatory strategies, you may be able to reduce the piriformis spasm, inflammation and pain and also improve your function, as your you perform your activities of daily living.