Piriformis syndrome

Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder in which the small, but significant piriformis muscle located deep in the buttock causes pain to radiate out from the gluteal muscles. Piriformis runs across the buttocks and attaches to the greater trochanter of the hip, where it is responsible for turning the hips outwards. Pain is caused when this muscle is overworked, causing it to impinge the sciatic nerve. The pain is generally described as “pressure” on the gluteal muscles, slightly above the mid-buttocks. In classic piriformis syndrome, this is often associated with intense pain. Those affected flinch noticeably when the thumb is used to palpate the muscle. Treatment of piriformis syndrome often proves difficult. First rule: Advise the afflicted patient not to carry their wallet in their rear pocket, because pressure on the area can trigger tension states. However, it is important to consider that malalignments in the hip joint, knee joint or foot can often cause the muscle to become overstrained as well. This is where corrective footbeds provided by sensorimotor foot orthoses come
into play.