Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram Youtube
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram Youtube
Contact Us
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram Youtube
Contact Us

Piriformis Syndrome treatment and rehabilitation exercises help video

  • Injuries
  • Easy
Subscribe

This is an instructional video to correctly demonstrate Piriformis Syndrome treatment and rehabilitation exercises help video

The content in this video is provided for general information purposes only and is not meant to replace a physiotherapy or medical consultation.

Step by Step

  1. This video’s aim is to help you if you are suffering with Piriformis syndrome
  2. What is it?
  3. The piriformis muscle, located in the buttock region, spasms and causes buttock pain. The piriformis muscle can also irritate the nearby sciatic nerve and cause pain, numbness and tingling along the back of the leg and into the foot
  4. Anatomy :
  5. Small muscle located deep in the buttock , behind the gluteus maximus.
  6. Symptoms:
  7. Pain in buttock and sometimes down the back of the leg
  8. Sometimes pins and needles or numbness down the back of the leg also
  9. Painful to sit on that buttock
  10. Pain walking up and down the stairs
  11. Stiffness in the hip or back
  12. Causes:
  13. Muscle spasm in the piriformis muscle, either because of irritation in the piriformis muscle itself, or irritation of a nearby structure such as the sacroiliac joint, lower back or hip
  14. Tightening or swelling of the muscle, in response to injury or spasm either within the area or close by
  15. Bleeding in the area of the piriformis muscle.
  16. Common in people who sit for long periods
  17. Diagnosis:
  18. Piriformis syndrome can be diagnosed by a Physiotherapist and there is usually no need for further testing although the underlying reason for it to develop may need investigating.
  19. If you are unsure of your diagnosis then consult your G.P or Physiotherapist as the wrong exercises for the wrong condition can make you worse
  20. Exercises are able to help your symptoms
  21. The flexibility exercises should be pushed into discomfort while performing them but should generally make you feel better and looser afterwards.
  22. The strengthening exercises should be pain free or should not increase your pain during or after.
  23. If you get worsening symptoms or are unsure, then initially reduce the push into the discomfort and if this isn’t enough then stop altogether and consult your Physiotherapist
  24. Flexibility exercises:
  25. The first exercise is single knee hugging
  26. Lying on your back, bring one knee up towards your chest, grab your knee and pull it up so you feel a stretch. Hold for 20 seconds. Now swap and repeat with the opposite leg.
  27. Next bilateral knee hugging
  28. Lying on your back, bring both your knees up towards your chest, grab your knees and pull them up so you feel a stretch.
  29. Hold for 20 seconds.
  30. Next extensions in lying
  31. Lying on your front in a press-up position. Use your arms to push up so that your lower back arches and your pelvis remains on the ground.
  32. Go as far as is comfortable and hold for 20 seconds then slowly lower back down.
  33. The next exercise is hip flexion adduction/abductions
  34. Lying on your back, bring one knee up towards your chest, grab your knee and pull it up so you feel a stretch. Next roll your knee from one side to the other. Continue this movement for 20 seconds. Now swap and repeat with the opposite leg.
  35. The next exercise is hip external rotation
  36. Lying on your back, bring your right knee up towards your right shoulder with your right hand on your knee. Maintaining this position take hold of your right ankle with your left hand and pull it round towards your head. Hold for 30 secs. Now swap and repeat with the left leg.
  37. The next exercise is hip internal rotation
  38. This one is a less aggressive stretch and there are also other ways of stretching this movement.
  39. Lie face down and bend both of your knees to right angles. Now allow you feet to move apart using gravity to gain a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds.
  40. Hamstring stretch:
  41. Lie on your back, Lift your right leg up of the ground keeping your knee straight.
  42. Now reach and hold your leg with both hands and pull it as far up as you can while maintaining a straight knee.
  43. Hold for 30 secs then repeat with the left leg if needed.
  44. If you can’t reach with your hands use a towel and loop it behind the leg.
  45. Piriformis stretch:
  46. Lying on your back, bring your right knee up towards your left shoulder with your right hand on your knee. Maintaining this position take hold of your right ankle with your left hand and pull it round towards your head. Hold for 20 secs. Now swap and repeat with the left leg.
  47. Strengthening exercises
  48. The next exercise is glut strengthening “the clam”
  49. Lying on your side, feet together, knees and hips bent and knees together. Slowly lift your top knee off the bottom one as far as you can but being careful not to roll body at all then lower down. Repeat 15 times or till fatigue then change and do other leg.
  50. The next exercise is bridging
  51. Lying on your back, put your feet flat on a the floor with your knees bent to 90 degrees. Lift bottom of the ground till straight and lower back down. Hold at the top for 5 secs and repeat 5 times or till fatigue.
  52. The next exercise is knee pivots
  53. Lying on your side, feet together, knees and hips bent and knees together. Slowly lift your top leg off the bottom one. Now the aim is to keep the knee of your upper leg in the same spot in the air so that you pivot around it. Next lift your heel up towards the ceiling. Now lower the heel down as far as you can maintaining the same knee placement in the air and without rolling back with your body. Repeat 15 times or till fatigue on this side then swap and repeat for the opposite leg.
  54. The next exercise is heel pivots
  55. Lying on your side, feet together, knees and hips bent and knees together. Slowly lift your top leg off the bottom one. Now the aim is to keep the heel of your upper leg in the same spot in the air so that you pivot around it. Next lift your knee up towards the ceiling without rolling back with your body. Now lower the knee down as far as you can maintaining the same heel placement in the air. Repeat 15 times or till fatigue on this side then swap and repeat for the opposite leg.
  56. All of these exercises need to be done at least 3 times each day. Ideally little and often.
  57. It takes a few weeks to increase the flexibility and several months to increase strength so give it time and persevere.
  58. In some cases the condition will need some hands on treatment, which usually involves massage, myofascial release, acupuncture and possibly treatment of the hip, back or sacroiliac joint.
  59. If your symptoms worsen then it is vital to book an appointment to confirm your diagnosis.

Related Exercises

For

Services

General

Exercises

  • Talke Clinic

  • 113 Chester Rd, Talke, ST7 1SB
  • Stoke Clinic

  • Samien Fitness, 38 Yeaman St, ST4 4AP
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram Youtube
  • Copyright Hawkes Physiotherapy 2024
Website Managed and Hosted by
Stellified Digital Marketing Agency

Subscribe to our mailing list

Get tips, offers, new articles & exercises straight to your inbox!

  • By clicking subscribe below you are confirming that you have read our Privacy Policy.

Enquire

By clicking subscribe you are confirming that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy.
Click here for our opening times

Enquire

Online Physiotherapy

Put simply this is Physio done via either telephone or video over the internet. Skype and facetime are examples of this.

Contrary to popular belief online physiotherapy can be very effective and it can help the same injuries that face to face physio can help. I have helped many people with injuries such as disc prolapses, tennis elbow, neck pain and much more).