How to Heal From Piriformis Syndrome As Quickly As Possible | Real Story 

I am so glad I came across your Piriformis Rehab Programme. I've been sitting on my bed playing video games for the past 2 months because of lockdown. I'm not usually the kind of person who sits all day. I'm physically active regularly going to the gym but I strained my upper back so I decided to just rest. 3 weeks ago lower back pain started, I'd usually get it before because of my weak glutes but this was different because I felt tingling, numbness and pain in both glutes. At one point it was excruciating turning inbed and sitting. My pain always flares up when sitting. Using your advice and programme I started instantly strengthening my glutes and stretching. 3 weeks in I'm feeling a bit better but still have a long way to go. I'm sitting less, walking around the house and going to start going for daily walks tomorrow :)

This sums up the last nine months of my life. I’ve had to really learn how muscle groups work and put the pieces together on my own. I’m literally lying down applying heat to worn out muscles and looking up answers at the same time. Glad I found this video!

This is honestly the best insight I've seen on RU-vid on the topic of Piriformis syndrome, and believe me, I've gone through all of them. Very happy to have found this channel. Thanks, Sofia!

So many excellent, wise, informed points. It's been 15 years of chronic back pain for me with recent piriformis pain and sciatica, and I've only recently recognized (despite seeing a variety of medical professionals over the years who have all said different things) that anterior pelvic tilt is at least a pretty big part of the problem. Really appreciated what you said about posture, strengthening, and especially neuroplasticity and chronic pain.

Piriformis is absolutely painful. Haven't been able to work for two weeks! Stretching is helping!! The doctor and physio don't know what is wrong.. I had to RU-vid to find out what is wrong. Thanks for your testimony!!

I'm going through this since the past 3 years.. Glad to hear that there are other young people dealing with this 😢

Glad to hear from someone who has had a similar experience. Mine started around the same year yours did and I think we're about the same age, but you handled it much better than I did. I had to drop out of college, because eventually I got really depressed when I couldn't figure out how to make the pain go away and ultimately I just couldn't keep up with my coursework. After that, I went through a number of doctors and therapies before I figured out, as it seems you did, that I was on my own for the most part. Then finally in the last year or two I guess I finally got fed up with losing the better part of my 20's to this thing and became determined to turn things around or die trying (figuratively speaking for the most part). I'm just now at the point of working on constantly stretching and strengthening all the muscles around my piriformis, and while I still have a ways to go I think I'm finally starting to see the possibility of feeling like myself again in the distance. Getting back to your advice though, I'd be interested in hearing what role you think sleep played in your story? Other than stress which I agree seems to play a substantial part, the other major life factor for me was very consistently getting good nights sleep(7-9hrs), often despite the pain making it difficult to do so.

OMG, i start to have chills and tears, as everything you are describing is what I am going through for the past 5 months.

Thank you for being willing and taking the time to share this video. I’m on this journey right now and it’s helpful to hear others are as well (or have in the past) and they’re finding relief. I’m struggling but I appreciate the light you’re shining on it.

These are exactly the symptoms im having without pain medication i cant even change sleeping positions the pain is excruciating worse pain ive ever felt in my life

Wow.After watching dozens and dozens of videos you came closest to explain how this pain works.I have a severe piriformis muscle pain and herniated disc.This video helped me to better understand how to start healing.Thumbs up !!!

You just said exactly everything I am going through just now. Everything you say makes sense and what I have myself began to realise, thank you so much

So glad you bring up the mind body connection. It's the most important part of healing a chronic problem.

I’m so glad I found this channel, my legs are strong because I work them out so much- which means I’ve for sure over worked my hip muscles without strengthening them. My legs feel like they get stuck, simply because it hurts to rotate my legs. Both of my hips hurt. I’m hoping that her advise can help me out

Thanks for this video :) I'm 20 years old and have had piriformis since I was 17. I would do stretches and foam roll my piriformis and the pain would go away for a while and then keep coming back. I didn't realize until recently that the cause was actually from severe anterior pelvic tilt, flared ribs, and rounded shoulders. I'm working on fixing my posture and hopefully the pain will begin to go away :)

I was going through something similar, I ended up purchasing a Reverse Hyper to rehabilitate my herniated, deteriorated, and bulging disks in my back. I took 3-4 weeks just focusing on front and side planks, and performing beginner workouts on the reverse hyper. This all helped out tremendously. However, listening to your video and confirming a lot of things I noticed as well. Especially about the whole mental thing, with your brain being setup to mimic the pain, when it’s not actually there. Thanks for your video, it was very informative and insightful.

My desk job and favoring my right glute did it for me! Will definitely be cognizant of posture! Thank you!

Thank you so much for sharing your story!! 32 years of the same pain experience for me. You have given me hope & great info ♥️🙌

Thank you, this was so helpful to hear! I have been struggling with piriformis syndrome and greater trochanter bursitis in my hip for about 7 months now. My doctor tells me to stretch but it hurts really bad when I do. I have also been experiencing many muscle spasm and they are extremely painful especially since I have to sit in hard chairs for 6 hours at school, running a weekly pacer test, and going to Hockey after school. I am getting really frustrated but it was very comforting to be able to relate to your video

Omg been going through this for the last 5 years , therapy, deep tissue massages every week, chiropractor all short term relief. I ♥️ this video very helpful

I found a Gonstead chiropractor near me who found the source of pain. Weak glute+misalignment of t12 and pelvis. After adjustment knees stopped hurting. It's all up to me now to get my ass up every hour and stretch and strengthen. The nerve that runs from the low mid back was causing what seemed to be piriformis syndrome. The pain is usually caused from somewhere else in the body. For people who work in an office, get up every hour and stretch even if you look like a fool. :)

Totally right about the mind/body connection. I experienced that with excruciating back pain. Once I was told it was not my discs, I felt so much better. Less pain. It has a lot to do with what you believe.

This sweet. Lady is so good on information iv seen lots of videos but she is down to earth easy to understand and so helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time out to help us all out hear Thanks again for caring

Thank you for making this video. I’ve been feeling like my injury will never heal and this gives me a bit of hope. I’ve had piriformis for just over 3 months now and I’ve been to a chiropractor for dry needling and massaging. I’ve been told to do certain stretches daily but it’s very painful. I can’t bend, I can’t lift heavy things and it’s very restricting. It’s making me really unhappy because I love working out and it all started from something I love - weightlifting. I’ve been resting and been very sedentary. If I’m too active it gets worse. I started doing ab exercises to strengthen my back. From research I see leg exercises are helpful. I stay away from jerking movements.

😅❤you have been so helpful my daughter is a pilates expert and is helping me with performing, on the machines but the pain after is so bad. Every Wednesday we work on me for an hour

Watching this crying out in pain I feel instant relief. Thanks a lot for this video. I am 2 years into the pain and ready to give up. Everyday I am crying out in pain. EVERYTHING I do, I am in pain. Just like you said no one was giving me answers. I got an MRI done. I have the herniated disc. But I know now because of RU-vid, I have Piriformis Syndrome. That butt muscle 😭. The mind is also a powerful thing. So thanks for the reminder of being stress free. This is soooo important. I know my brain was conditioned for this pain. I am now going to try reverse it. Thanks again. Better days ahead. ❤️

Thank you so much for the info....these are the points doctors and physical therapist won't go over...

Excellent talk and thank you for explaining in detail, it makes a lot of sense.

I really love you and have given me so much confidence in knowing what's going on with my body, I hve watched video after video on fixing my sciatica and boom here you come and bought a smile back on my face.....Thank you Thank you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Thank you for this video. It makes total sense. Correcting bad habits it’s a bit difficult but you’re right, I’ve started fixing my posture about three weeks ago, went to Chiropractor and got aligned, a massage and started strengthening the weak muscles and now this awful pain it’s manageable, it gave me hope, it’s going away, slowly but I’m happy it’s going away. Never knew what nerve pain was until this happened with Sciatic nerve, it’s a nightmare. Thanks, It took a ton of mental/stress off me and gave me hope. Retraining the brain on the pain issue can be difficult but not impossible. I shall work on that as I go, one day at a time.

I have piriformis syndrome. This is caused by sitting on a hard wooden chair most of the day at home. The worst severe pain is in the left butt cheek followed by a severe pain in the back of the left thigh. Saw a chiropractor today and she suggested to see her 3 times a week for 2 weeks. I have been to chiropractors before and they never told me to see them any length of time. They have a small sign on their front desk that says, 4 visits in one month for $69 but, you "have to" take a 2 month package for $69 a month. Also, when she had me on my stomach popping my back, the first time she pushed down, I heard my right ribs crunch and felt a strong pain but, after a few minutes, the pain went away and so far, nothing wrong with my ribs. What the heck caused this? This "never" happened before. I have already joined your Face Book page. You are not only pretty but, very intelligent. GOD bless you and never stop helping people.

Impressive insight and research into your pain! You should consider a career in physical or occupational therapy! You already have a leg up on your understanding in the workings of pain.

I recently went through Piriformis syndrome and did so many of the things that are commonly suggested without getting any relief and even making it worse. What has worked for me was just walking and sleep position. To get relief I would just walk and I didn't have to walk far, maybe 2 football fields in length to relax the muscles. Sleeping on my left side for years even with support pillows over time caused problems with my back leading to Piriformis syndrome and sciatica. I now sleep on my back with a memory foam wedge pillow under my calf's and that helped tremendously. I am pain free and sleeping on my back was surprisingly not an easy thing to do but very necessary. Doing all the stretches was agony and it didn't really help but walking was easy and that did help a great deal as well.

going trough the same thing sinds 2004 and being and feeling alone in this search and struggle for answers and finding them on like youtube,i know what it's take to persevere.for this i salute you because it takes s warriors spirit to do so,and not run for surgery for a "quick" fix that will give you a big chanse to be a patient the rest of your life.i will share a few of my youtube helpes. THE MOTIVATIONAL DOC.ATHLEAN X.

Thanks for giving me hope Coach Sofia :)

Thanks for your video I am sure it will be very helpful for me. I am suffering with this pain for 2 months now and I am definitely going to try your advice out.

Been having piriformis syndrome for almost 10 weeks now. All I do is research, stretch, go for a walk... even hade a really rough massage the other day. I'm really desperate since I can't live a normal life, stuck in bed, not being able to even socialize. I can't drive and I can't sit down for more than 5-10 minutes (which means I've lost almost 7kg of weight since I can't sit down to have a simple meal), haven't slept for a full night (3-4h/night) and use heavy pain medication. I've tried -EVERYTHING- and I'm not getting any better. I've had these problems for 10 weeks, but I had my diagnosis like 4 weeks ago or so. The pain is unbearable. I'm going to try and really work on my posture, and maybe most important my mindset. I think my biggest problem is my right foot, been building up my problems my whole life, and when I begun my hard work-outs again it triggered these shitty problems. Thank you so much for this video, you seem to be AMAZING! ❤

I can relate to your experience and glad I'm not alone. You've gained a subscriber. Hopefully I can implement some of your tips to eliminate this pain and discomfort.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. You covered all the areas i want help with. 👍🏼✌🏼💜

Dude this is me at work just constantly doing pain management

Yes, it is good to know exactly what it is,,,down side. Doc said no more soccer for awhile. She said you will know when your ready to play again

Very good video...your points on resting, movement and posture are key to recovery I agree with....piroformis syndrome depending on the severity can be soul destroying and complicated. I find eating clean vegan diet and reducing sugar really helps in reducing inflamation. Time heals wounds, god bless you

Great information! I’ve been dealing with hip pain the past 6+ months. Used to being active so very frustrating! Doing PT and chiropractor which helps but pain comes back. The main thing I haven’t been doing is the mind part of it, even though I know it is necessary, so will start on that today! Thank you so much!

Great real life advice and effective ways to try and help yourself, it’s like you are saying everything that’s wrong with me to. Thanks a lot

Greetings from New Zealand. I was wondering when you had Piriformis Syndrome was it uncomfortable sitting down? Did you experience painful burning sensations and tingling down the legs and bottom of feet? It sounds like you had alot of spasming which I also experience unfortunately.. I have had two surgeries (Lumbar Disectomy) L5S1 as my MRI showed a slight disc bulge/herniated disc. I have had chronic consistent pain for 2 years, and feel the same pain still even after the surgeries. I'm starting to think perhaps it could be Piriformis Syndrome? Unsure. Thank you for your video.

WWWOOOOOWWWW!!!!! such amazing information and such a well explained video. Happy I came across it! Thank you!!!!!!!!

Try rest and avoid everything that make pain For a week ( recommend bed rest) And than follow up your physiotherapist gently stretches and strengthening exercise Don’t push otherwise u will tear it again. Just go gently and increase slowly and around 2 months I hope your pain will be resolved and than do exercise to strengthens the flutes and hamstring muscle.

Great video. Thank you

This sounds like what's going on with me. I'm a dental assistant and the position I'm in everyday. My right lower back, butt cheek, hip and left leg is constantly painful

Thank you for the info. I can't believe you actually described some of the same symptoms I experienced like having trouble getting up and having pain rolling over in bed. I think this is exactly what I have or a strained hip flexor.

You nailed it right on for me . A simple x-ray revealed my left hip ball joint to not be in good shape being that I was a truck driver for ten years , and natrualy that will cause inflammation of the surrounding muscles in the area such as the Piriformis muscle . I need to look into my hip.

This really gives me hope. I’ve had pereformis for about 5 months now. It’s so disheartening. Hopefully I can heal my body and get healthy.

Hello Sofia, I must stay a big thank you for sharing your learning journey with the battle of Piriformis pain. I live in the UK, At the age of 33, for years i have always suffered every now and then with tightness forming in my lower back region, and has lead to sciatic type pain. I have always worked very physically all my life, and have been a gym user since 18. I have always tried to balance my gym training, trying to develop and condition all area's of my body, and at the same time, working as a builder, I have always felt like my body always gets too tight, and certain muscle groups cannot perform their jobs in a balanced manner. Around 3 months ago, I began to feel something out of the ordinary for me, where I was sitting down after a hard days work, I would get a deep, radiating achy feeling in the side and front of hip. Sadly, I spent the last 3 months trying to work through it. Finally i got my Christmas holiday, during resting up at Christmas i noticed sharper pains forming in the lower back and hip region, till finally it resulted in a sharp sciatic type pain, which left me in a very serious level of pain. I rested up for two days, then I decided to have a walk, as I knew from the past Chiropractioners told me never to keep lying around, as the muscle groups can become too stiff. So, I went for a walk around my park with my wife and two son's, I felt better so I picked up a few small sticks and made a den, just as I began to walk away, the pain was back!!! It was very hard to walk. So, after feeling really frustrated, I have rest up again, and have made the decision to try and find out why? What is causing this type of pain? Is this what has caused me all the pain I have had over the past 15 years on and off? When I began to look further into what I was feeling, both Piriformis Syndrome and compressed disk have come up as possible reasons. So, I decided to see what the Doc's might say, as I wanted to ask for a CT\ X- Ray to try and rule out possible reasons. After chatting to him, he seems to think that because I'm not feeling any nerve sensations in my legs(which I have done in the past), and all of the pain seems to be coming from my right hip, radiating in the lower back, he seems to share the thought of it being the piriformis. I told him, I need to begin to understand how i can work out what exactly is going on, as my physicality is my way of making a living as a builder. Considering i'm very close to building my own home in 2020! I need my body to be good now and for as long as possible. So, i 'm waiting for a C T scan appointment, and I remain hopeful Sofia, that i will be on a similar journey to you, and hopefully the muscle experts will be able to see what is going on with my body? I can't wait to get my body back in ballance, as I'm prepared to work on any exercises to do so. I want to thank you personally Sofia, it means a lot to hear your storey, and how you explain it. I shall update you with what I find out. Best wishes. Shane Lee

Wow that’s me! Every single step of the way.

Do you have anything about how stand properly and keep proper posture?

My left side of hip was a little squeezed and this started after I ran 3km a day and developed piriformis syndrome.

Thanks for the reply, I went to the Doc...I have a high hamstring tear, not piriformis

Omg, this describes my last 20 days!

Great video, very helpful, also tai chi is fantastic for healing

I’m 20 from Nevada athletic mma fighter and I can’t stand up straight anymore I can’t get up in the morning I’m a mind over matter pain never matters type of person but sciatic and entire leg all the way to my toe is in constant chronic agonizing pain my doctor Dosent car to help me with anything and I don’t know what to do I’m so desperate to not be in pain and be off of this medication this video helped a lot I think I have an idea of where to start but this pain is just relentless I’m glad to know that you can get better but I just wish my doctor would listen to me I got an mri and it came back negative I’m going back for another one I notice my leg lower then my right & I just pray now that I can compete and fight again.

Hi Sofia, your video was very informative. I am currently suffering from Piriformis Syndrome. It's really debilitating. I've tried everything except seeing a chiropractor. I'm hoping maby that will give me some relief. Fingers crossed.

Loved this. Thank you

I am going through this same these days, killing me and painful

Similar story i had, along with forward head posture too

Great video! Thank you

hello how are you girl I'm glad you're better ... I have those same pains but even in the MRI I do not go out with anything and more therapies and I have not resolved the pain, I would like to know how was your procedure? please be of great help to me🙏

Thank you for uploading and sharing.

This was great .Thank you .

Thanks and really helpful

I'm still trying to figure out if I have it or not. My upper hamstring keeps clicking over causing tingling numbness down my leg for a few seconds. Without stretching I constantly feel a tight/tingly feeling all the way down my outer calf. Hopefully this will help! Thank you😃

Very helpful. Thank you ♡

Ask Questions! This is a very good suggestion! and one we are not used to do.

Thank you! Movement and the mind!🙏

Thank you so much. So I'm not crazy complaining about this awful pain I have... Thank you!!!!

I have pretty much the same issues ❤️ Thank you for this

Interesting. The Anatomical route of the Sciatic Nerve can travel through the Piriformis Muscle in some cases. This can be a more problematic scenario than the Sciatic Nerve being irritated by contraction or stretching of the Piriformis or, indeed, other buttock muscles.

Your description about your pain is exactly the same as mine. Yes I have a desk job and a poor posture. And yes I have a herniated disc. 😞

It was really helpful. Thank you

I confident I got my pain from doing Bikram Yoga. However, pain does seem to come from the piriformis/sciatic nerve area but also other pain close feels like it's another injury so you are exactly right by saying you mustn't second guess but find out what I'd actually injured so you can work towards healing. A great video, great detail and good advice from real life experience.

Great advice

My doctor recently said I have piriformis syndrome. No amount of pills work and I am in constant pain. Is there anything I can do to relieve the pain? I am literally at breaking point. Please tell me there's a light at the end of the tunnel

Thnks! Gave me hope and peace of mind🙏

Are hikes safe while having piriformis syndrome?

Reading some of the comments really discouraging to me. I get an MRI this friday so I'll get a better idea of whats going on. But for the past 2 weeks I've had some pretty debilitating pain throughout my right leg. At its peak, it was a sudden extremely sharp pain around my upper right hip (front and side - not back). Then along with that shooting pain down the side of my leg down to my calf and top of my foot. My back never hurt. A visit to the neurologist because I thought it had to be nerve related pain getting me to an MRI but he said it's not neurological and possibly a hip injury - but he did say an ortho would be the one to go to. Anyway, I 'self diagnosed' until I do get a real diagnosis from MRI and I'm thinking either herniated disc L5/S1 or piriformis. But no back pain so I'm just not sure. Thank you for this video because I will try it -- I want to be able to run again : especially now when can't go to a fitness center!!! I can bike though but it's chilly out. 20 mile ride and my fingers FREEZE.!

Im 28, in my hip i have a torn labrum, trochanteric bursitis, cam impingement. In my back, mild pars defects, l5 slipped forward on s1 and, narrowed bilateral foramen as a result. Im a fucking mess from years of sports and activity and cant sit, stand or sleep without discomfort. I should have started addressing my shit sooner but i didnt, im gonna have to work hard to fix this shit.

I love your posts.

OMG thank you so much for sharing your story it's really helpfull ^^

You are great! Thank you!

Your right.

Thank you so much for honestly answered... Going trough this pain recently lets see how i can workout on it. hope everything will b fine..

So will we do these abduction/open hips excercise? Do they help or actually do bad to our back pain?

I got rid of it with Nkt therapy, saved my life.

So I’ve tried an osteopath and like you said just massaging the muscle isn’t fixing the problem .. i manual dig for a living and used to compete in Muay Thai I’m. Guessing these activities over the years have caused the injury.. I have a lot of pain on the side of my right calf towards the lower end of my leg .. would you say acupuncture chiropractic treatment osteopath or abit of all of them

Can you please link the imagery meditation

Thank you very much for all the suggestions and advices. I want to ask a question : do you believe the body shape ( the thing we wear to hide all fats in stomach and buttocks) can harm and slow the healing of the piriformis syndrome ?

You mentioned also that in one of the MRI scans you saw a herniated disk. You didnt mention anything about it.. would like to know how you healed it..

I think I have piriformis syndrome and it’s so stressful. It started at work, one day I came in and had shooting pain from my low back down my calf with walking - and I have a 8 hour a day power walking and heavy lifting job. Once I got put on light duty (about a month ago) the shooting pain stopped but I started experiencing more issues with my butt and hips on the injured side. Sometimes I have days where all I experience is tightness and mild pain, others I cannot walk with a sharp pain in the butt lol. I’m doing chiro, physio, and massage for it currently but it just seems to be stuck in place. And the diagnosis was sciatica and low back pain so they are very focused on my low back. It’s so frustrating and depressing being like this. I am a very active person normally, maybe not a runner or big exerciser but I keep moving all day normally. At work and outside of work. I do stretches aimed at my glutes and piriformis muscles on both sides and they help sometimes. I do my physio prescribed stretches at home. But it’s maddening. I hope I get better. I want to go to school to be a physical therapy assistant and I need to be in good health for that.

I'm at that point where I can barely function ...appreciate your video.

So after all you've learned on your journey, do you believe glute and core strengthening helped you beat piriformis syndrome? Im in p.t. right now and thats pretty much what they are giving me.

How do you know it wasn't a disk issue?