In this video, I'll show you a couple of simple techniques you can use to achieve a piriformis stretch. This will help you get relief from piriformis syndrome symptoms and sciatica.
Piriformis Syndrome Stretch for Pain Relief
Piriformis syndrome can manifest itself in a number of ways, from buttock pain that many runners mistake for gluteal tightnes, to sciatica type symptoms. It's important to make sure that while you can use exercises like the stretches in this video to relieve acute symptoms, you're also working on the root causes of the problem...
Ensure that you don't make one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when performing this exercise - forgetting to breathe!
Try to maintain a relaxed, regular breathing pattern as you perform this piriformis stretch, and try to gently exhale as you push deeper into the stretch.
Another option in terms of treating the symptoms of piriformis syndrome is self myo-fascial release. I shared a video on this approach in a previous blog post here:
Piriformis Trigger Point Release for Hip Pain and Butt Pain
You must of course remember that there is always a reason why a muscle becomes tight in the first place. Achieving a stretch will often provide short term relief from the symptoms, but you must also see-out the underlying cause of the tightness and ultimately pain.
As ever, do let me know how you get on with this one, and feel free to ask any question in the comments below :D
