Piriformis is a muscle in the middle of the buttock. It sits on top of the sciatica nerve. When this muscle is strained, it stiffens and presses upon the sciatica nerve and causes sciatica, a pain in the back of the leg shooting down to the foot with or without a electricity sensation.
This is fairly common condition in women which accounts about 70-80% of all piriformis syndrome. This pain is worse when the patient is sitting on the side of the buttock/sciatica pain. It can be worse with walking or standing too. Driving may make it worse if the piriformis syndrome is on the right side. Indeed, any hip and leg movement to turn out and away may make this syndrome worse. Intercourse in missionary position can be very painful for women with this syndrome..
Piriformis syndrome accounts for a small percentage of sciatica. However, it is often misdiagnosed simply because it is rare and unfamiliar to both patients and doctors.
The key for diagnosis is that the most painful area is located in the deep, middle buttock area but not lower back around the lumbar spine. Further, a firm pressure at the middle buttock area produces a severe pain shooting down to the back of the thigh AND reproduces the typical or similar sciatica pain. More, a simple diagnostic injection of this piriformis muscle usually relieve the pain quickly.
The majority of sciatica is from a pinched nerve root from a herniated lumbar disc. Separating sciatica from herniated disc and piriformis impingement can be difficult but of great importance as the treatments are totally different.
Piriformis syndrome can be treated with simple piriformis muscle injection and a sciatica nerve block if needed. This procedure can be done under fluoroscopic guidance.
This is fairly common condition in women which accounts about 70-80% of all piriformis syndrome. This pain is worse when the patient is sitting on the side of the buttock/sciatica pain. It can be worse with walking or standing too. Driving may make it worse if the piriformis syndrome is on the right side. Indeed, any hip and leg movement to turn out and away may make this syndrome worse. Intercourse in missionary position can be very painful for women with this syndrome..
Piriformis syndrome accounts for a small percentage of sciatica. However, it is often misdiagnosed simply because it is rare and unfamiliar to both patients and doctors.
The key for diagnosis is that the most painful area is located in the deep, middle buttock area but not lower back around the lumbar spine. Further, a firm pressure at the middle buttock area produces a severe pain shooting down to the back of the thigh AND reproduces the typical or similar sciatica pain. More, a simple diagnostic injection of this piriformis muscle usually relieve the pain quickly.
The majority of sciatica is from a pinched nerve root from a herniated lumbar disc. Separating sciatica from herniated disc and piriformis impingement can be difficult but of great importance as the treatments are totally different.
Piriformis syndrome can be treated with simple piriformis muscle injection and a sciatica nerve block if needed. This procedure can be done under fluoroscopic guidance.