Back in Action » piriformis muscle

Why just stretching won’t cure piriformis syndrome

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:45:00 +0000

I’ve tried it. I’m sure you probably have. So have thousands of other piriformis syndrome pain sufferers.

Stretching. It feels sooo good to get a nice, deep stretch. In fact, a large part of our 10 Minute Sciatica Relief Program is based around stretching.

But the problem is, that’s where most people stop. They stretch, and that’s it. I know, because I use to only do stretches too!

Here is the problem with only doing stretching and not any strength-building exercises…

Stretcing the right muscles will help correct your muscle imbalances. However, the core reason (and definition) of muscle imbalances, is that one muscle group is stronger than the opposing muscle group. You won”t make the weak muscle group stronger by stretching.

For example, let’s take two common opposing muscle groups: your lower abs, and your lower back. Now if you stretch your lower back, great, that is going to help relieve whatever structural disorder your overly strong lower back and relatively weaker abs. However, your lower back is still stronger than your lower abs, so even after stretching, your structural disorer will return.

How do you fix this? By building strength in the relatively weak muscle group, in this case (and in most cases), the lower abs. Stretching will help you get immediate relief, but it’s effects are short-term. For long-term results for piriformis syndrome, you need to build strength in your lower abs (and other muscle groups as our program shows).

So next time you’re on the floor doing some stretches, throw in a couple simple strength building exercises to build up your relatively weak muscles, and correct your muscle imbalances for the long-term.

- Bryan

Founder of the Back in Action Institute and 10-Minute Sciatica Relief Program

How can shoes can worsen piriformis syndrome?

Back in Action Institute — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:24:00 +0000

Several of my friends had some and said good things. So I thought, “why not, I’ll treat myself, it’s time for new shoes anyway.” So later that day, I went searching for my first pair of Nike Shox.

As someone who had an engineering background, I was impressed by the story of Nike Shox. Apparently it took 16 years of development, prototypes, changes, improvements, failures, restarts, and eventually success to launch the first pair of Nike Shox in 2000. The material to use in the “shock” was one of the biggest questions. They had a hard time finding a material that was both light and durable, and also provided the user with a spring-like experience. Nike claims that the Shox actually help propel the user forward.

After going to a couple stores at the mall, and finding a combination of colors that I like, I invested in a (too expensive) pair of Nike Shox. I was also hoping that the extra cushioning in the heel of the Shox would also lessen my piriformis muscle pain.

Now I will say, almost everytime I get a new pair of shoes, my sciatic nerve pain seems to flare up. So I expected a little pain as my body became accustomed to the new shoe.

However, I did not expect the longevity of pain and worsening of my piriformis pain that the Nike Shox caused. After just a few months of light use, I had enough. I put them up on ebay and found a giddy buyer happy to invest in his first pair of Nike Shox.

So why did they make my piriformis syndrome worse? I later learned that wearing heels tends to make you rotate your pelvis downward, sticking your butt out more, and compressing your lower back. If you have Downward Poniting Pelvis, the most common of our structural disorders that cause sciatic nerve pain, then heels are your enemy. They make your disorder worse, tightening up the piriformis muscle even more, which leads to more and more pain.

So since those shoes, I’ve made a point to buy shoes that are as flat as possible, absolutely no heels. I’m considering trying some of those MBT shoes where the heel is actually lower than the toe (not the vertical training shoes for those of you who know what I’m talking about). By having the heel lower than the toe, it causes your pelvis to point upward and use your lower abs more. So I’m curious to hear if anyone of you have experiences with MBT shoes.

- Bryan

Founder of the Back in Action Institute and 10-Minute Sciatica Relief Program

The New Back in Action Blog

Back in Action Institute — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:10:00 +0000

We know, we know. It took us too long to create a blog for Back in Action Institute. But better late than never, right?

So welcome to our new blog. Our goal is not just to brain dump on this blog, but instead we want an interactive forum, where we hear back from people who suffer from sciatic nerve pain or piriformis syndrome. So learn tip treatment strategies to manage your pain, share your tips with others through our blog, or just say hello.

We’re glad to have you as part of our community of people who have lived with and overcome their sciatica pain.

- Bryan

Founder of the Back in Action Institute and 10-Minute Sciatica Relief Program