Sciatica is a very common problem in people suffering with back pain. Sciatica (aka radiculopathy) is the pain along the course of the sciatic nerve and extending from the low back, into the buttocks, and down the leg.
Often times sciatica is blamed on a herniated disc, but this isn’t always the case. More often than not, sciatica is directly related to tightness in a small muscle called the piriformis, which runs from the tailbone to the hip.
The piriformis is the red structure in the pictures above. You can see a depiction of the sciatic nerve (the large yellow structure) running just below the piriformis in the picture on the right.
When the piriformis gets tight, it can cause the sciatic nerve to become irritated resulting in pain in the buttocks and down the leg. Typically, the pain will run from the buttocks, down the back of the thigh, over the outside part of the knee and lower leg, and onto the top of the foot. Sciatica pain resulting from piriformis tightness is referred to as piriformis syndrome.
Factors that make the condition worse are prolonged sitting, standing, and walking. In part 2, I’ll give you a couple of sciatica treatment exercises that are very effective in getting rid of piriformis syndrome.
Of course, the Erase Your Back Pain program addresses sciatica head on and gets lasting results fast. Get the details here ==> No More Back Pain!
I welcome your questions and comments. Let me hear from you below.
Dedicated To Erasing Your Back Pain,
Malton A. Schexneider, PT, MMSc
Clinical Specialist
Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
2 comments ↓
Malton
i have been tsking NSAIDS now for the last 4 days the inflamation has reduced ihave had an MRI scan which has shown i have herniated disks L5′S1 according to my neuro surgeon i have just had a deep tissue massage . how can i strenghten the muscles around this area as i am 34 years old and do not want to undergo surgery if at all possible yours faithfully
john connolly
John,
Time to get busy, My suggestion is that you seriously consider the Erase Your Back Pain Program. You can check it out here: No More Back Pain!
If you prefer to contact me, you can email me at malton@eraseyourbackpain.com
I look forward to helping you.
Leave a Comment