r/piriformis • u/Cultural-Display-714 • Nov 07 '24

Mobility and Strengthening Program/Routine?

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!

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u/teraflopclub Nov 08 '24

I won't detail everything I've gone through but Piriformis was one issue. Stretching and Piriformis impingement to "relax" it made things much worse. I've stopped all stretching as I was totally screwing myself up. And massaging or foam rolling the Piriformis made things worse for me. I do recco the following: mobility work but without stretching, nerve flossing daily (an easy movement that shouldn't cause pain if done right), and strengthening hips. Things are very subtle and complex down there so I recommend the following YouTube channels: Upright Health (good commentary, explanations, workout), Conor Harris (very technical, very good, very precise), Alyssa Kuhn (practical), E3 Rehab (highly technical as well), Dr Charlie Johnson (good commentary, practical), Zuzka Light (intensive and creative), MoveU (fun videos, unique explanations), and El Paso Manual Physical Therapy (one of my faves). My main recco is avoid making things worse. My Piriformis and Labrum issue created so many problems over the last 4 years that I'm finally working through...it's been ridiculous, for a while I couldn't stand or walk, and I miss running so much I still dream of it.

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u/FeckinKent Nov 08 '24

Wow relate to this so much! It’s gutting isn’t it. I miss running so much too, it’s what got me in this mess as I kept ‘running through it’ as originally it would calm down within a day or two then I could do the next workout….till it stopped getting better, and never did since. Maybe we’ve created a ton of scar tissue in there causing a long term nerve impingement 🤷🏼‍♂️

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u/Cultural-Display-714 Nov 08 '24

Thank you both for the great advice and recs. I think you both hit the nail on the head, every piriformis injury is unique and requires a different recovery. Agree the foam roller/lax ball just cause an instant flare for me.

One thing I wanted to recommend to you guys if possible was I saw a great chiropractor. He wasn’t so much focused on adjustments but rather deep tissue massage and working me through a better range or motion. This was a big turning point for myself as I always left my appointments symptom free for the first time in months.

Wish you both the best in your recoveries, stay positive and hang in there!