Top 5 Reasons to Consider Piriformis Syndrome Exercises

If you’re dealing with piriformis syndrome, you’ve probably tried just about everything to help reduce symptoms. Piriformis syndrome symptoms range from a minor annoyance to a major disturbance.

It all starts with pain, tingling or numbness in the buttocks. Even in the early days, the pain may be severe and extend down the length of the sciatic nerve. If you know anything about sciatica, this should all sound familiar. It is, in fact, a form of sciatica. The cause is what sets it apart from other forms. In all cases of piriformis syndrome, the sciatic nerve is somehow impeded by the piriformis muscle.

So, what can you do to ease the pain? There are a few different treatments and pain management methods, but few are recommended as often as piriformis syndrome exercises.

1.   You want to avoid surgery at all costs. Surgery is a very extreme treatment for this syndrome. If you’re in serious pain, you might think this is the only option. But if you haven’t tried piriformis syndrome exercises, you may want to hold off on the surgery until you do. Your doctor should be able to help you make the call. But just to be clear, piriformis syndrome exercises aren’t just any old exercises. These workouts and stretches are meant to target the piriformis muscle specifically, so it may begin the healing process.

2.   You like your doctor, but would love to see her less often. You know what happens when you start feeling better? You see the doctor less frequently. And regardless of how much you like him or her, that’s always a good thing. Piriformis syndrome exercises have helped many people find relief from pain, so they can spend more time living life and less time in the waiting room.

3.   You want to increase flexibility. Do you sometimes feel tightness in that muscle? If so, that may be contributing to your condition. Exercise can help loosen things up.

4.   You’re tired of feeling pain and numbness. We don’t have to be mind readers to know that with piriformis syndrome, you have days where you say, “Enough is enough!” Enough pain; enough numbness; enough living anything less than a full life. In a clinical study noted by Parziale and other researchers, they found that conservative treatments, such as stretching, is sufficient treatment in most cases of Piriformis syndrome. 

5.   Your doctor told you to! Let’s be honest, now. You’re reading this and nodding your head because you already know most of these reasons to consider piriformis syndrome exercises – because you’ve heard them from your doctor. If you haven’t already heard this from your doctor, schedule some time to have a quick chat about exercise and stretching, so you can be sure your doctor is on board with this form of treatment.

If you want help targeting your exercise to the piriformis muscle (it can be a challenge if you don’t know what you’re doing), consider the Piri-Stretcher®. This Class 1 Medical Device was specifically designed to help with piriformis syndrome exercises.