10/22/2025
This is for educational purposes only, not intended to treat or diagnose.
Let’s talk about the piriformis!
If you don’t know the other 4-5 deep gluteal muscles, you generally know this one. This muscle helps to laterally rotate the hip and knee, slightly with laterally tilting pelvis, and pulls the hip down towards the thigh on the backside. It’s connected from the Sacrum to the hip. It’s best known through the condition called Sciatica, where a nerve gets impinged and can send shooting pains anywhere from the lower back down all the way to the feet.
What are some ways pain the traps can present?
Besides the obvious of feeling pain in these areas, you can also feel or see:
Sciatica
Piriformis syndrome
Pain, numbness, and tingling to the glutes
Pain is worse when walking up stairs/hills or prolonged sitting
What can you do?
Massage therapy
Physical therapy
Chiropractor
Osteo
Lacrosse/tennis/golf ball for painful spots
See a doctor for diagnosis of Piriformis syndrome
Stretching - cow/pigeon pose or lay on back and pull knee towards chest with knee bent towards other leg
Walking around for a bit every 15-30 minutes (if tolerated) if you sit for long periods of time
Surgery if Piriformis syndrome is bad enough
Now this is not a complete list for things you can do or possible symptoms, but this may be a place to start if you are feeling these things. This is why you need to follow up with a physical therapist, chiropractor, doctor, etc to be further assessed.
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