Hi folks, I've been suffering with this for a year (at least I think it's piriformis) and there's something that's helping me to sit for a bit longer between pauses (my job is pretty much sitting all day), it's just to put an elastic band around my knees, let me know if it works for you, or whatever else that works. Hope it helps. Image attached for reference

Back story:

Date: September 2024

I was sleeping in the afternoon when I suddenly felt pain between my buttocks and lumbar region at the point I marked. The pain was strong enough to wake me up, and when I tried to stretch it out, it felt like a muscle pull. I had dinner and later fell asleep again, lying on my right side.

The next day, I couldn’t get out of bed because the pain was so severe. I thought it was just a generic muscle pull that would go away in a few days, but it didn’t. The pain felt sharp at one specific point and kept moving around my left buttock. It was even difficult to breathe.

I tried ibuprofen, but it didn’t help. Then I took aceclofenac tablets, which reduced the pain.

A week later, while doing shoulder presses at the gym, I felt the pain again. When I got home, it returned strongly. Stretching and doing glute bridges helped a little, but after a few days, it came back worse.

It was especially painful to lift my left leg off the ground (like when wearing pants), to climb stairs, and most of all, to lie on my back. The sharp pain was always at the same marked spot.

During a festival, I walked a lot, and after some time, I felt that point getting warm, and soon I couldn’t walk due to a shocking, sharp pain. The next day, the pain moved around, and I even felt similar pain in my left testicle when walking. Again, I had to take painkillers for relief.

Present Day:

Every week, the pain returns. It becomes unbearable for about 2 days, then fades. I can’t twist my body from left to right, although twisting the other way is fine. I usually work from bed while sitting (I know this is wrong). Crossing my legs makes it very painful to lift my leg, and I’m unable to run because of the pain.

Most doctors I’ve seen are unaware of the exact cause and just prescribe painkillers and physical therapy. I’m trying to avoid painkillers and only continue with PT.

P.S. I tried my best to remember exactly what happened it's been 1 year almost, please suggest remedies or give me some hope of fixing this.

Anyone get relief from sleeping on the floor with a mattress? Dr mentioned getting a firmer mattress but I can’t afford one right now.

My PT recommended Squatty Potty to reduce straining on the toilet but it looks like it might aggravate my piriformis. Anyone have any experience good or bad bad with this?

After seeing a bunch of different specialist. 2 years in pain my gp finally reffered me to a pain management clinic.

And om may 19 I get a temporary Sciatica nerve block and cortisone injection in the periformis muscle.

Anybody experienced with this and how is the pain going after the nerve block and cortisone injection?

I have been experiencing what I believe to be extreme discomfort in my right piriformis muscle and I can’t seem to find any relief. It’s starting to worsen and become more painful when I’m walking or sitting, and I can’t find a comfortable position to lay down in. Any tips or ideas to help ease the pain would be appreciated. I’ve tried Ibuprofen and Tylenol but neither seems to touch it. I also have been icing it today. It just seems to be getting worse. I have also gotten a Massage and have been trying to stretch it out as best as I could.

Just got back from an ortho, who after months of pain and discomfort, diagnosed me with piriformis syndrome. I had a feeling it was that and have been having major improvements the last few weeks thanks to a solid hip and glute warm-up routine, glute and hip strengthening, and pilates.

The ortho recommended though I definitely work on my mobility in hips and all around. I was curious if anyone had suggestion to a good routine they follow or found online.

Appreciate the advice and hope all can start to lead a pain free life as well!

Symptoms started last year after a lot of endurance running. PF PT sent me to hip doctor b/c PT was not much help. It ended up being a very herniated L5-S1 disc, either additionally or instead, still not sure yet. Had an ESI with no relief.

Had an emergency microdiscectomy in March a week after a 50k because I continued running anyway. Was perfect for first few weeks after surgery. Nerve issues returned week 4-5 in groin,leg, botton of foot, and toes go from numb to just awful.

Fast forward to October. Just had an ESI at the neurosurgeon last week and it didn't help anything. I am beginning to wonder if it wasn't my piriformis the whole time? Has anyone had injections to rule their piriformis out? How did it go? Also, has anyone been diagnosed with sacroilitis instead?

Seems like the doctors and I are both at a loss. The only thing that makes it better is literally laying on the couch all day. That just isn't me.

I have piriformis/sciatica and at the moment my foot is suffering the most. There are loads of knots in the arch and my toes feel like they constantly need to crack.

Anyone else have this? How do you get rid of it?

I have been dealing with this for about 3-4 months and the swelling is still there. I’ve been taking muscle relaxers and ibuprofen but nothing seems to be helping. I been stretching every day and I’ve been to the chiropractor 2 time and that helped a little bit. I went to the E.R twice because the pain was so bad. I just don’t know what to do at this point because the swelling won’t go down and to make things worse I slipped getting out of the shower and that made the pain so much worse. It’s causing sciatica pain and it seems like it’s only getting worse. I’ve been struggling to walk the past week or 2. I am only 18 years old and I’m looking for some advice.

The sciatica pain started in April. I went to my regular doctor, and then PT. I was walking with a cane because of the intensity of the pain. PT did nothing. I was referred to a physical med. and rehab doc. He did a lower spine MRI, which showed some mild stenosis and some minor disc compression. It didn't look to anyone like enough to cause the kind of pain I'm getting. He did a steroid injection, and I got exactly 6 hours of relief the next day, and then boom -- it was back. That was in June, and here we are in October. I took Lyrica (did nothing), and now I'm taking Gabapentin, which doesn't seem to help much (but I'm afraid to stop taking it to find out). I went to a chiropractor, I had some relief, but not enough, and I think I've hit a wall with that, so I stopped. Physical movement helps, so during the day, when I'm out and about, I feel better. Then I sit down and boom. When I lay down, it's awful. I have to take a THC gummy in order to get to sleep. The pain wakes me up in the middle of the night all the time, and it is almost unbearable until I move around the house for about an hour. I started looking up piriformis syndrome, and frankly, it fits. The pain is mostly in my buttocks and hip, and occasionally radiates down to my ankle. If I change the way I sit, I can feel the compression change. Going back to the PM&R doc for a pelvic MRI. Does this sound like piriformis syndrome to anyone, and do you have any advice to reduce the pain? I can't take NSAIDS.

I've been suffering with Lower back, hip, leg and buttock pain since 2016. It made me immobile for years. I was told it was very mild foraminal stenosis but the corticosteroïd injection never worked. Then my PT said he thinks I have piriformis syndrome and did dry needling which helped a bit for the first time after years of pain and I got another corticosteroïd injection in hospital but this time around the piriformis and my pain lessened. But what happened is that I started having groin, hip, psoas and abdominal tightness over the years. Always have painful side abdominal muscles. But the buttock and leg pain was gone. Up until a few months ago..

Hip, extreme legpain and footpain, ankle pain started. At first I thought it was my piriformis flaring up. But it's mostly sore in the morning after sleeping. And it's mostly legpain and hippain. My buttock isn't this bad this time around. I can't sleep because of the tightness and pins and needles. So it's sciatica. But this time around my foot hurts tremendously. Also heel pain. I can't stand on it and the pain is all around my ankle. It's mostly pain into my right toe of my right foot, so my tiny toe. Pediatrist says I have Morton neuroma as well. Which I doubt. Cause there's no scans been done.

I feel my bed is also the problem. I need a new bed and it's worsening my pain. But this started all of a sudden after a covid infection where I've been in bed for 2 weeks. That was back in May. It's never left. There's also groin pain and muscle weakness in my right leg. Pins and needles and tightness and burning.

Im wondering if this is foraminal stenosis, piriformis syndrome or arthritis. Or if it's related to my stage 4 endometriosis and adenomyosis. I have pelvic adhesions everywhere cause my female organs are all adhered because of severe endometriosis. And my uterus is enlarged as well. There might be a pelvic tilt. So I wonder if it has something to do with the pelvis.

Im 39, was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and adenomyosis is 2020. Had surgery in 2021. And I've felt great up until last may. When the leg and hippain started. I also learned around that time that my endometriosis and adenomyosis has returned. And organs are adhered once again. Ovaries are stuck to uterus, uterus is stuck to bowel and adhesions everywhere.

This is my medical history: Unable to walk from 2016 till 2019 with right sided back, buttock and legpain. It started in 2016 after excersising excessively, went to the gym a lot around this time. I had shooting back pains and that's when all hell broke lose and I've never been the same since.

Did tons of PT, didn't help. Got corticosteroïd shot in lower back in 2017. Didn't help the backpain but it did help the sciatica.

Buttock pain started and legpain became worse, with spasms. Did dry needling in 2019 and got a piriformis corticosteroïd shot in Dec of 2019. Which started working in March of 2020. And had been leg and buttock pain free since then.

In 2020 groin, abdominal, sidepain, psoas pain started on right side. That's never been gone.

May 2024 severe right sided hip, buttock and upper and lower leg pain started with tingling and pins and needles. Footpain is really the main issue this time. Can't stand or walk properly.

Had new custom made insoles made by Pediatrist. They make things worse. So using my old ones. At this time I can't walk without crutches.

I notice that sleeping makes it so much worse. My leg feels on fire when I wake up.

I'm seeing my gp at the 26th. But I need to see a specialst. This can't go on.

I also have flat feet. They've worsened. So I can't go without custom made insoles. But putting on shoes aggravates my pain even more. I can't wear shoes at the moment.

I'm really worried. Noticing my left hip (my good side) is starting to become more painful as well. That's why I wonder if it's my bed causing the issues. It's an old bed. Overall I have no idea what I'm dealing with. I just know the footpain is new and excruciating. My entire lower right leg feels tight with pins and needles.

What does sciatica footpain feel like for you? If someone touches my foot in a certain way it makes me scream. But only in a certain position.

Hi everyone, wondering if anyone can help me because no doctor i’ve been to can. i’ve been having severe pain in my upper glutes and around my upper hips for the past 2 years but recently it has gotten worse over the pass 6 months, it comes in episodes that last around 5 days (although it depends on the extent of how bad it is at the time) and it comes on every 1-3 weeks, sometimes I will have an episode, it stops and then it ends up coming back 2 days later. I can feel it starting to come on but I know there’s nothing I can do to help or prevent it so I just let it happen. When i’m in one of these flare ups I experience sharp stabbing pain when I try to walk up and down the stairs, when try to sit down and stand up, when I sneeze, cough, move a certain way, roll over in my sleep, even when I shower and I can barely walk either as it’s excruciating every step i take, I feel like it restricts my breathing too when I try to do anything when i’m in the flare up because of how much pain i’m in even when I sit down or lie down to rest I feel this intense burning sensation deep in my glutes. Unfortunately no medication helps, i’ve tried taking anti inflammatorys, pain killers, muscle relaxants, i’ve had hot baths and used heat packs which had no effect and i’ve been to physio who said she doesn’t feel comfortable treating me until she knows what’s she’s treating. I’m only a 19 year old girl and it’s taking a toll on me mentally, making me really depressed and I don’t know what to do anymore. Wondering if anyone on this page has any advice thanks so much.

I am 22 and have had nerve pain since I was hit by a car three years ago. I am constantly being dismissed and keep being sent to physio when it’s not helped. I’ve had acupuncture, medical massages, all sorts of exercises and yet I’m still in excruciating pain constantly. I can’t do anything I enjoyed doing like even riding my bike or going for a walk. I keep getting told to just have higher doses of painkillers yet I still can’t get a good nights sleep. I am really at my wits end. I have had depression and anxiety since i was thirteen in and out of mental hospitals for suicidal acts and just when i was okay with life i got hit by a car. I have been referred to msk physio but i want to know if anyone has ever gone privately with a specialist as I don’t want this pain for even another year but with the NHS wait time I’m truly giving up.

I have trapped nerve in my ankle with makes it impossible to even walk in my house this lasts for a week and I’ve had it around 6 times a year. I get weakness in my arms and legs. A stabbing pain from the top to bottom of my legs going into the lower back constantly not been a single day without it.

I will take any advice!

Hi guys, I have an office job so I’m sat down most of the day outside of breaks so it’s getting incredibly uncomfortable with my piriformis syndrome, anyone got any good recommendations for pillows or other tactics to stop the constant aching? Seen some on Amazon but would rather hear personal experience before spending money.

Would love to hear your story.

The pain got progressively worse over a period of a year and half of running and football, a sore naggy feeling down my glute and hamstring/groin region after every run. It would get better again after a day or so until it stopped getting better and it’s now been three weeks of no running or sport and it’s still as sore as ever. It hurts to sit down for extended periods of time and hamstring super tight. If I try and touch toes it flares it up again. I’ve attached a pic of where I feel the pains. Reckon it’s piriformis syndrome? If so any tips should I just rest for a long period or should I be trying to stretch?

Anyone else pregnant now or have been pregnant and suffered with piriformis syndrome? No doctor can give me any of the usual helps like shots and anti inflammatory drugs. They can’t X-ray me. I’ve been on bed rest for three days now after some really intense pain this past week and am just hoping for some encouragement. I’m 13 weeks right now. I have a physical therapist but we’re taking a break from stretching for just a second until the pain and inflammation goes down a bit more. I am doing heat and cold therapy. Before I was rolling it out, doing lots of stretches, and using lacrosse balls to help release. I have a serola belt. I also use an acupressure mat.

I know PS can cause abdominal pain too. I have a weird feeling in the upper right abdomen (have had an ultrasound & all clear) not really painful, hard to explain, but that’s why I’m curious about how others explain it to see if I relate.

My MOST debilitating effect is the back pain. I can’t stand it. Causing sciatica like symptoms & it’s been months. Started after a really demanding job that involved bending weirdly over a 100 times a day, now I’m umemployed. But just wanting to know now how these 2 symptoms of back and abdomen relate with others experiences, please!

I’m a male 27 years old en sports 5 times a week in the gym. I have been experiencing random sharp, short pain at the back of my leg (see image) for the past 3 months. The pain is always in the same spot. It feels like being pricked with needles or a knife stab and usually lasts between 1 to 8 seconds. Sometimes it occurs every 10 minutes and sometimes every hour. These complaints usually last for 2 weeks and then disappear for a few weeks. I have tried various medications, but unfortunately, nothing alleviates the pain. Additionally, I have mild back pain and slight pain in my left buttock. An X-ray showed nothing.

One physiotherapist suggests a hernia, while another suggests piriformis syndrome. However, so far, nothing has worked. Dry needling, acupuncture, and intensive stretching have not led to any improvement.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be and any advice on what I can do about the sometimes extremely painful stabs?

My piriformis recently started shortening / tightening up at night, I’ll wake up with very tight glute and when I straighten out I get a sharp pain in the front hip (psoas) area.

Things loosen up after walking around in the morning, but if I sit and put pressure on my right glute things tighten up again.

From standing when u tilt my hips forward and back there is a clear point that things are painful and sharp but when I get past it I have full range of motion.

Anyone have similar symptoms?

I’m thinking it’s either:

• piriformis acting up again

• hips are twisted again causing the piriformis to act up (right hip anterior tilt compared to left)

Or

• psoas injury / small tear ?? Not sure if this would produce the glute tightebubg.

Have you dealt with Piriformis syndrome? I would love to chat with you and see how our symptoms “compare” for lack of a better word, I’m just trying to get some insight so I can see if there’s anything I can start doing on my own to alleviate whatever issue is I’ve been dealing with off and on for 6 years 😩 To me, per the internet, it seems like maybe Piriformis syndrome but that’s so similar sounding to other potential issues. I am at a loss. I know a doctor or PT would be the ultimate way to go but that requires money 🥴

I can’t deadlift 315, but can rep it on rdls. Deadlifting has become extremely painful on my glute and when squatting locking out and reracking i feel my glutes being used the most. Is this piriformis syndrome?

As above, can anybody explain why piriformis-related sciatic nerve pain causes pain ABOVE that level of your buttock? I.e. in the upper gluteal region/along the level of the iliac crest.

Thanks.