Sciatica & Low Back Pain – How the Piriformis Muscle Causes Pain
Low Back Pain and Scaitica (where pain is felt travelling down the leg) are two different conditions. Having said that, they can be closely related with regards to their cause. One such similarity is a tight Piriformis muscle, which can be responsible for either condition.
Passing from the Sacrum to the outside of your hip, the Piriformis muscle is situated deep within your buttock. The Sciatic Nerve is also present in this region and it actually passes either through or just underneath the Piriformis muscle.
A tight Piriformis muscle will place increased stress upon the Sciatic Nerve as it passes through or underneath it, potentially aggravating the Sciatic Nerve and causing pain. On the other hand, as far as Low Back Pain is concerened, it is the constant ‘tugging’ upon the Sacrum, caused by the tight Piriformis muscle, which is the problem.
The Sacrum forms half of the Sacro-Iliac joint (Sacro referring to the Sacrum and Iliac referring to a specific part of the pelvis) and if the sacrum is being pulled on too much, there will be increased stresses placed across the Sacro-Iliac joint, which itself can ultimately lead to pain.
If you find that your Low Back Pain begins not in the lower back itself, but rather a little further down (but above the buttock region), there is a reasonable chance it is Sacro-Iliac pain your are suffering with. Some people often say to me it feels as if the pain is coming from an area below their back where there are a ‘couple of dimples’. This is in the area of the Sacro-Iliac joint and if you feel the same, it maybe this joint which is the source of your pain.
If you find that your Sciatica begins in the buttock area and not the lower back, there is a reasonable chance it is the Piriformis muscle which is contributing to your pain. If this is a result of the Piriformis muscle being tight, it needs to be stretched.
Towards the bottom of this page, you will find an active link which will show you a couple of nice gentle stretches for the Piriformis muscle.
Massage is an excellent way of loosening up this muscle, and by using a small ball (maybe a tennis ball or something similar) this is something you can try yourself:
The best thing to do here is to place the ball underneath your buttock, while lying on your back with your knees slightly bent. Using your body weight, as much or as little as you feel appropriate, gently ‘massage’ the ball into your buttock. The Piriformis muscle is situated approximately in the middle of each buttock.
This self massage exercise can be an excellent way of loosening up the Piriformis Muscle. However be careful, as it may also aggravate your Sciatica if the pain is still quite sensitive. This is because not only will you be massaging the Piriformis muscle, but also the Sciatic Nerve as it passes through or underneath it. Consequently, it may stir your pain up a little.
If you do happen to make your pain a little worse with this exercise, do not concern yourself too much. OK, so we would rather not have aggravated things, however, this increase in pain is simply your body’s way of telling you that you need to slow down. This is because it is not strong enough for that particular exercise yet. Take heed of this warning and stop performing that exercise until the pain quietens back down. Once it has, gently re-introduce the same exercise, only this time try not to be quite as firm!
If a tight Piriformis muscle is contributing to your Low Back Pain or Sciatica, then gently stretching and massaging this muscle will help alleviate your pain.
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