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Low Back Pain & Sciatica - The Piriformis Muscle Can be the Cause

by: PaulBoxcer
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Although Low Back Pain & Sciatica are two separate conditions, with the former relating to pain felt in and around the Lower Back region and the latter describing pain wihch travels down the leg, they share a lot of similarities with regards to their cause. One of several common causes between them is a tight Piriformis muscle.

The Piriformis muscle is situated deep within the buttock region, where it attached to the outside of your hip and also the outer part of your sacrum. As it travels between these two points, the Sciatic Nerve either passes through this muscle itself, or directly underneath (it varies from person to person).

Nevertheless, if this muscle tightens up it places increased stress upon the Sciatic Nerve and consequently can begin to aggravate it, leading to pain. With regards to Low Back Pain, one of the most important aspects is that this muscle is attached to Sacrum. Consequently, if the Piriformis muscle is tight, it will have an increased 'tugging' effect on this bone.

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.

Moving on to Sciatica, if the 'highest' part of your pain is in the 'buttock' region, it is highly probable that a tight Piriformis muscle is responsible for your pain. You will need to stretch this muscle if this is the case.

There are several ways of stretching the Piriformis muscle, all of which would are best described with the use of a diagram. There is a link at the bottom of this article which will show you some Piriformis stretches.

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.

It is important to be sensible while performing this exercise. This is due to the Sciatic Nerve passing through or underneath the Piriformis muscle. Consequently, if you are too aggressive while performing this stretch, especially if the Sciatic Nerve is quite sensitive, you may make your pain worse.

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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Low Back Pain & Sciatica - The Piriformis Muscle Can be the Cause

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