In this post I am going to talk about a common issue for a lot of people. We see this in the clinic all the time. That is a little muscle called the piriformis! Don't worry about the pronunciation. For most people this little muscle (about the size of your index and middle finger together) can cause a lot of problems in the butt!
A Pain in the Butt
I treat people with pain in the butt all the time. If you have symptoms (numbness, tingling, etc.) going down your leg, you may be told it is due to your back. I suppose it could be (that's pretty common). The other thing that it can be is a tight muscle in your hip:
The Piriformis
This muscle is a rotator of the hip. Depending on the position that your hip joint is in this muscle can do both internal and external rotation of the hip. As mentioned earlier, it is about the size of your index and middle finger together. The reason tightness in this muscle can cause the symptoms down the leg or soreness in the butt is that the sciatic nerve runs right next to (or even through) it. Tightness in this muscle can put pressure on the sciatic nerve (which leads all the way to the foot).
Quick Screen For Tight Piriformis
It is really quick to self assess your piriformis.
In sitting, slide your right heel up your shin. If you can get your right shin parallel to the ground, your piriformis might be fine!!
Place a softball, baseball, or lacrosse ball on a chair and gently sit on it in the middle of your right glute. If that is tender, you may need to work on your piriformis.
Repeat both of these on the left side!
If you come back not being able to do these, then you may need to work on loosening up your hip.
Piriformis Stretches
Now What?
Try these stretches for a week or two. If you aren't seeing any change in your symptoms, give me a call.
I will try to help you over the phone and get you to the right person (even if that isn't me) for what you are experiencing. (425)202-5687 or info@bodyfixpt.com
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