Paincyclopedia
  • Pain recognition
  • Neck pain
    • Neck pain without arm pain
  • Shoulder pain
    • Shoulder infection, cancer
    • Shoulder muscle pain to arm
    • Local shoulder muscle pain
    • Shoulder muscle pain - back side
    • Frontal shoulder/arm muscle pain
    • Shoulder impinged nerve pain
    • Posterior shoulder pain
    • Shoulder and arm pain - Thoracic outlet syndrome
    • Shoulder neck pain from torticollis
    • Shoulder/ upper back pain from liver gallbladder
    • Shoulder/upper back pain from abscess of the liver
  • Arm pain
    • Arm pain from posture
  • Abdominal pain
    • Abdominal pain from nerve
    • Abdominal pain from Appendicitis
    • Abdominal pain from colon
    • Abdominal pain from lactose intolerance
    • Abdominal pain from adrenal failure
    • Abdominal pain from porphyria
    • Abdominal pain: liver gallbladder
    • Abdominal pain from air in the abdomen
    • Abdominal pain/kidney, urinary bladder
    • Abdominal pain/DKA
    • Abdominal pain after food postprandial
    • Abdominal pain omental infarction
    • Abdominal pain/blocked artery or vein
    • Abdominal pain/mesenteric panniculitis, Abdominal pain
    • Abdominal pain: ovarian torsion
    • Abdominal pain/bowel obstruction
    • Abdominal pain/ volvulus
    • Abdominal pain-aorta dissection
    • Abdominal pain/Belly dancer syndrome
    • Abdominal pain/Spleen infarction
    • Abdominal pain/Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich Syndrome
    • Abdominal pain/liver abscess
    • Abdominal pain: Gallbladder diseases
    • Abdominal pain: pancreatic cancer
    • Abdominal pain: pancreas
    • Abdominal pain: lymph node cancer
    • Abdominal pain: Tabes crisis
  • Hip, thigh, calf pain
    • Buttock pain
    • Piriformis syndrome-a sciatica pain from buttock shooting to leg
    • Frontal hip and thigh pain
    • Posterior thigh and calf pain
    • Thigh pain and groin pain
    • Back and leg pain: Tabes dorsalis
  • Back pain that stays local
    • Mechanical back pain 1
    • Mechanical back pain 2
    • Mechanical back pain from fracture
    • Back pain flank pain to groin
    • from ruptured artery
  • Headache
  • Chest Pain
    • Chest pain: aorta arch aneurysm
    • Chest Pain from cancer
    • Chest pain with position and movement
    • Chest pain with skin rash
    • Chest pain with skin cord
    • Chest pain with short of breath
    • Chest pain with difficulty breathing
    • Chest pain with pneumomediastinum
    • Chest pain with lung infection
    • in children adolescent
    • from heart attack
    • from over eating and spicy food
    • Chest muscle pain 1
    • Chest muscle pain
    • from abdominal organ
    • from the back
    • from epipericardial fat pad necrosis
  • Foot pain
  • Knee pain
  • Flank pain
  • PMH
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. 
Disclaimer: This site and its entire content are for informational purpose only. It is not for diagnosis and management of diseases. It is not a substitute for a medical professional. Nothing is. Seek immediate medical assistance if you feel any pain or weakness or numbness.

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