Piriformis pain..hip groin area

NoExcusesFromNowOn
NoExcusesFromNowOn Posts: 76 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone have this problem? I've read it's common for runners? Mine hurts walking or doing incline walking. It's a deep pain in the buttock area. Yikes it hurts. What do you do for it???

Replies

  • NoExcusesFromNowOn
    NoExcusesFromNowOn Posts: 76 Member
    Ps. I've been doing a lot of rowing since that doesn't hurt.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Are you certain you don't have back issues? The reason I ask is that the sciatic nerve runs near the piriformis muscle and can be impinged by it when that muscle is inflamed. Also impingement of the sciatic nerve in the lower back can also cause pain that will travel down the buttocks and into the leg (once it gets worse). You may want to simply consult a doctor to rule out a damaged, bulging, or herniated disc. If you're certain it's just the piriformis muscle then rest, stretch, ice, heat, repeat. The last time I had a herniated disc I thought it was simply my piriformis, but as time went on the pain traveled and went down my leg which was bad. Real bad.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Try this stretch a few times a day for 30+ seconds, and post an update:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=2qZ517Rw7ME

    If you're on a treadmill, video yourself from behind and the side to look for form issues.

    Are you saying you have groin pain in addition to the butt area?
  • NoExcusesFromNowOn
    NoExcusesFromNowOn Posts: 76 Member
    edited February 2017
    Thank you both. I'm going to the dr next week. Haven't thought of back problems. The pain is in an odd spot, with out being gross, it feels like it's in the bone near my a n u S. Sometimes it's a dull pain but while I'm sitting it feels like a knife stabbing pain. Not a constant pain. I will definitely try the stretch and watch my form.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    Yes I have had this, along with overall spasms in the hips and buttocks. The overall part went away with magnesium supplements. The piriformis pain took longer but it finally went away, its tough to massage there too. Mainly learning to love other forms of exercise so that no part gets an overuse problem is what works best.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Oh yes. I've had spasms as well, and have felt like the sciatic nerve has been pinched by it. For awhile I had a hard time getting up and down out of a chair. Horrible.

    I got a "sports massage" (not a real one but had a good massage therapist) who got in there and started breaking it up, then I was on the foam roller and lacrosse ball for a few days. Working out both the piriformis and the hip flexors. I eventually got it sorted out within a week. Now whenever I feel it coming on I just go take care of it with the lacrosse ball.
  • kaizaku
    kaizaku Posts: 1,039 Member
    I was suffering, still am from sciatica nerve and piriformis muscle was one of the issues. I was bedridden but thx to exercise I was able to be moble again. I did exercises with weights to get rid of the pain. Stretching is also good. Taking a break from the gym for a while is advisable.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    A good quality foam roller can really help. Also, have you tried yoga? There are several yoga poses that open the hip flexor and stretches the muscles. Yoga has helped me immensely. I have too many back issues to go into but manage the pain by seeing a chiropractor and doing yoga. Walking up steep hills really causes my pain to flare. I have to stick to riding a stationary bike, doing weights, yoga and some times the elliptical. But I stretch every day!
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    I have had a grab bag of pains in the ummm.... you know. I stretch the hip flexors 2-3 times a day and avoid too much sitting, I lie down on the floor with a pillow under my head, and bend my knees so that my feet are flat on the floor and just lie there for about 15 minutes. This smooths out most on my hip, back, butt pains. Also I do some stretches while in the same position, bringing one knee at a time up to my chest and holding for 15-20 seconds, then straighten the leg away from the chest and rest it on the floor while bringing the opposite knee to my chest for the same time, alternate 4-6 times. These are my go-to when I have any pain in that whole area.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    edited February 2017
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Try this stretch a few times a day for 30+ seconds, and post an update:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=2qZ517Rw7ME

    If you're on a treadmill, video yourself from behind and the side to look for form issues.

    Are you saying you have groin pain in addition to the butt area?

    THIS! I forgot this! It is a GREAT one for the hips and whole general area. It really helps a massive amount.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    This helped me quite a bit.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=Lo3cWlQu7eM&t=455s
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I agree to see your doctor. I had this and it ended my running even after months of physical therapy. I just did too much damage to my piriformis muscle.

    Anyway, I used a tennis ball to massage my hip flexors and help stretch the area. I also used it up and down on the wall to deal with the back spasms I got from compensating when I walked.
  • thereshegoesagain
    thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
    I have this pain on occasion, usually during long car rides. I have found that placing a tennis ball or other hard, round object in the center of the butt cheek where it starts from really helps. I'll sit on it and kind of roll around and it does a great job of relieving the pain. I've even sat on an apple when I had nothing else!
    But you should check with your Dr. to make sure it isn't something serious.

Categories