Home Help for Piriformis Syndrome & Sciatica

When you’re suffering from Piriformis Syndrome or Sciatica, your lower back, buttocks, and even your legs hurt so badly that you don’t feel like walking, doing day-to-day activities, playing with your children or grandchildren, even sitting at work all day is painful…it’s nearly impossible to enjoy living! That’s why it’s helpful to understand how to get home help for piriformis syndrome and sciatica.

Here are some ideas to ease the pain – because it’s time to finally get some at-home help for your piriformis syndrome and sciatica symptoms:

1. Pay attention to your body. When you have piriformis syndrome or sciatica, it’s not uncommon for repetitive activities to cause pain and discomfort. If you usually have flare-ups when you sit at your desk for a long period or climb the stairs, do your best to avoid those things. Get up and walk around periodically during the day and make less frequent trips up and down the stairs.
2. Apply a cold compress. Even if you try your best to avoid the things that cause pain, your piriformis muscle is bound to act up at some point. Keep a cold compress handy and apply it directly to the muscle (it’s located in your buttocks, right next to your hip).
3. Rest. This one may sound obvious, but when your sciatica starts acting up, it’s time to rest. Instead of sitting on your problem area (your butt), lay down for about 10 to 15 minutes. If you can lay down with a cold compress on your piriformis muscle, that’s even better.
4. Take acetaminophen. When the pain is unbearable and you must get back to work (or go pick up the kids), acetaminophen should help dull the pain for a few hours. Even though this over-the-counter medicine will make you feel better, it’s important that you still relax the muscle as much as possible.
5. Stretch. Piriformis syndrome and sciatica are caused by spasms or inflammation of the piriformis muscle that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve. By stretching the muscle regularly, you will relax it, so it will be less prone to compress the sciatic nerve which is causing pain. But, the piriformis muscle is a tricky one, it’s not easy to reach, and yet, it is important you stretch that specific muscle. This is why we developed the Piri-Stretcher® – a device that helps target your stretch to the piriformis muscle, so you get the most out of your efforts.

Dealing with piriformis syndrome and sciatica can be a challenge, but with regular home care and stretching, many cases subside over time. Because it’s a muscle problem, it can often be solved by strengthening the muscle, making home help for piriformis syndrome not only easy, but extremely effective. So that way you can enjoy living again.