Sciatica / Piriformis Syndrome, how to Spot the Difference.
People commonly self misdiagnose piriformis syndrome as sciatica.
The difference between the two is sciatica pain will originate from the lower back and radiate down to the calve or foot with some people experiencing numbness in the foot and toes. Sciatica is caused by inflammation in the lumbar spine surrounding the origin of the sciatic nerve which is a much more chronic condition usually relating to the disks in the lumbar spine which could require a lot more treatment.
With piriformis syndrome pain will originate from the glute/buttock area and radiate down to the knee, this is caused by and impingement of the sciatic nerve where it runs from the sacrum down the hip or in some cases under the piriformis muscle located in the glutes.
Piriformis syndrome is a lot more common than sciatica and can be over come with simple stretches, the image above is the stretch I apply when any client comes to me complaining of these symptoms associated with piriformis syndrome. Although painful at the time it is a necessary stretch to soften and loosen the piriformis muscle and relieve the pain.
This stretch is usually performed during my deep tissue/sports treatments.
