Any Forum members struggling with injuries feel free to give me Dave Jackson a ring on above numbre and i will help with advice

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Organic Exercise & sports injury massage gel

Hi Dave, what are your experiences of Piriformis syndrome? Can it be overcome simply by stretching and resting?

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I've suffered with this - I found massage therapy (particularly the elbow in the backside) helpful. Do you know any good piriformis stretches? In the end I found that orthotics and changing shoes is what really got rid of it.

When do you experience the discomfort during runs or is it worse sitting down?

Thanks Dan for asking re piriformis for me...

I'm not sure if Ive got piriformis or not but went to see a muscoloskeletal specialist recently who believes that it might be but said he didnt have much experience with it.

Basically, I started getting pain in my right buttock during a training run in september that soon crescendoed to a level that made me stop. Since then every time Ive tried to run again, after about 10-20 mins I get the same pain but also pain in posterior thigh area -never below the knee. The pain subsides quite quickly but most of the time I can usually palpate a tender spot deep in my buttock, it feels sausage shaped and over gluteus medius area. It seems to become more pronounced after running.

If I don't run I have no pain. The only other time Im bothered by pain is when I have to sit in the car for long periods of time, but otherwise Im pain free. Im getting v frustrated! Ive tried weekly physio, been doing various piriformis stretches and core stability exercises. Ive tried not doing any exercise at all for 1 week and then started just x-training eg cycling, swimming but not getting anywhere. A friend recently advised doing nothing, not even stretches for about 4 weeks and then starting physio and x-training again...but Im worried re losing ALL muscle and ALL fitness (though I think most of my muscle and cardiovascular fitness has declined anyhow...any advice anybody? Oh. Ive also got orthotics and apparantly have a hypermobile forefoot!! But no difference really...

Dear Admin give me a ring at the clinic we are treating 4 cases of piriformis syndrome this week. i will be sending two of them to se a podiatrist for a biomecanical assessment. The other is a marginal case however the two have an inch leg lenghth diferrence. give me a ring on 01229 480422

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Organic Exercise & sports injury massage gel

Mine never affected me running but used to drive me mad when sitting down or even lying down. Have you had your back checked out as sometimes problems in the lower back can contribute to tightening of the piriformis. Sometimes using a ball (tennis, hockey, golf) for self massage can ease the tension.

Are you doing any exercises to strengthen your glutes - I found doing clamshells really helped. It can be quite a difficult one to shift mine went on for months and its still one of my weak spots - I've been suffering with some tightness/soreness in my hanstrings up near my backside. I've been told that I'm going to be prone to these conditions because I'm knock kneed.

The stretch I found most useful is a yoga pose called the pigeon pose. You crouch down and cross your leg in front of you as though going to sit in a cross legged position, lower down your torso and extend the other leg behind you and try and stay there as long as possible (a min of 30 secs but sometimes I stay there for a minute).

Good luck hope you find some relief soon.

Thanks for the advice. Ive been trying that pigeon pose. And I was wondering about my lower back, the physio Ive been to see has been doing a bit of work on my back as well. I think you're right. The info on it seems scant but what from what Ive read the outcome is supposedly favourable! But when??!! Im now into my 4th month! How long did yours take to clear? And did you carry on running or take a break. The pain in your hamstrings near your backside sounds similar - I was wondering re some hamstring insertion tendonitis type thing? I've got knocked knees too and was told the same thing as you!

I took 3 weeks off running because I also had ITBS then returned to running and ended up taking another 3 weeks off and then I got some orthotics. I would say its more sort of diminished rather than completely gone away. I don't feel the tight spot anymore but if I've been sat down for a while my bum goes numb and I sometimes get pins and needles but it never affected me during a run.

You could maybe get a second opinion from a chiropractor - I had a problem in my lower back where the last two vertebrae had become locked up and if wasn't helping so I had weekly chiropractic sessions to free it up I'm now down to 6 weeks. I'm actually due to see him next week and I've also got my monthly sports massage next week as well.

I also changed my shoe from a Brooks Adrenaline to Brooks Addiction and I noticed that some of the tension eased considerably but I suspect I'll end up moving up to the Ariel.

One of my work colleagues, who also runs suffers with the same thing as well I thinks its more of a condition that gets managed rather than completely goes. He has sessions with his physio from time to time.

Interesting last statement there Edwina, because I also suffer from this, and have tended to manage it through stretching, but wasn't sure if that was the correct thing to be doing or should I have been seeking help to have it 'cured' so to speak. I suppose it is like ITBS, which I have also had trouble with in the past, if I don't stretch properly after a training run/session for a couple of days on the trot the pain in the backside and hammstring come back....has never stopped me running though.
***Boab touches some wood***

ITBS is frequently linked to biomechanics as I suppose can piriformis syndrome - sometimes it can be worthwhile getting your gait analysed particularly with the view to identifiying any weaknesses in your running style.

Had my gait analysed a few times, also had biomechanical assessment done by sports podiatrists. I have a slight leg length discrepancy, but not significant enough to cause problems and I am biomechanically sound (although a little on the short arse side ). Running causes the muscles to shorten and they need to be lengthened again. I have recently started to include many central and lower back stretches into my routine and these seem to help more than just the leg stretches.

Its the old argument isnt it. Does the problem start from the feet and work its way up or start from the back and work its way down. Ive been to another physio today! Says my pelvis is malaligned due to muscle tightness on my right. SAys he can put me right in 3 weeks- will let you know if he does! All I can say is Ive never heard my back crack like it! But no pain! Boab, do you tend to do the same training runs? I spent some time doing a similar route each day with a pavement on a slight cadence. And Im sure some of my problems started then...incidentally, this website seems ok though perhaps a bit medical -www.drpribut.com/sports

Geordiebezza, my training is on varied surfaces, from your own Town Moor, and rising sun, to Edinburghs canals and the Pentland Hills. Having said that I can feel little niggles happening if I have been running on the same camber for a while. The niggles are usually around the knees and always on the canal tow paths on long runs (15 miles+). The niggles always disappear when I get up off the canal and onto the road home though.

I tend to alternate running on opposite sides of the road so that my left leg isn't continually taking a pounding.

Off to Yoga hoping to increase the flexibility of the hamstring in my left leg.

Know what you mean about backcracking Geordie - I think I screamed in shock rather than with pain first time I had mione manipulated.

Hi. I'm new to this Forum. I'm a (mediocre) fell runner and live in the Lake District. I found this site whilst searching for help on a (probable) priformis problem. It started after I fell heavily on my rear end whilst walking in the Alps last September (07). It comes and goes, and has so far resisted countless sessions of physio (from a sports physio specialist who has helped successfully with numerous other injurues) and sports massage. Oh, and 3 sessions of acupuncture, including electric pulse treatment. My symptoms are similar to those descibed by others on this site (esp geordiebezza): pain deep in the bum (right, accelerator pedal, side) that stretches down the back of the hams, sometimes as far as the tendon that goes to the back of the right knee (inside). I can jog up hill OK and cruise down hill without too much bother (being a fell runner, that's a reilef!), and can keep going (slowly) for a couple of hours. But I can no longer do speed sessions or maintain high speeds on flattish runs (esp on roads). Driving is also a problem. Anything over an hour and it becomes very painful. Sitting at a desk isn't great either - depending on the seat design/position. Although I am still able to train and even race, I am becoming increasing frustrated and depressed about this. So I'd welcome any thoughts on possible treatments other than those I've already had. (My physio does not think the problem stems from a trapped sciatic nerve in my spine.) Thanks. Quentin