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Although Low Back Pain & Sciatica are two separate conditions, with the former relating to pain felt in and around the Lower Back region and the latter describing pain wihch travels down the leg, they share a lot of similarities with regards to their cause. One of several common causes between them is a tight Piriformis muscle.

Passing from the Sacrum to the outside of your hip, the Piriformis muscle is situated deep within your buttock. The Sciatic Nerve is also present in this region and it actually passes either through or just underneath the Piriformis muscle.

A tight Piriformis muscle will place increased stress upon the Sciatic Nerve as it passes through or underneath it, potentially aggravating the Sciatic Nerve and causing pain. On the other hand, as far as Low Back Pain is concerened, it is the constant ‘tugging’ upon the Sacrum, caused by the tight Piriformis muscle, which is the problem.

The Sacrum forms half of the Sacro-Iliac joint (Sacro referring to the Sacrum and Iliac referring to a specific part of the pelvis) and if the sacrum is being pulled on too much, there will be increased stresses placed across the Sacro-Iliac joint, which itself can ultimately lead to pain.

If you find that your Low Back Pain begins not in the lower back itself, but rather a little further down (but above the buttock region), there is a reasonable chance it is Sacro-Iliac pain your are suffering with. Some people often say to me it feels as if the pain is coming from an area below their back where there are a ‘couple of dimples’. This is in the area of the Sacro-Iliac joint and if you feel the same, it maybe this joint which is the source of your pain.

If you find that your Sciatica begins in the buttock area and not the lower back, there is a reasonable chance it is the Piriformis muscle which is contributing to your pain. If this is a result of the Piriformis muscle being tight, it needs to be stretched.

Towards the bottom of this page, you will find an active link which will show you a couple of nice gentle stretches for the Piriformis muscle.

Massage is an excellent way of loosening up this muscle, and by using a small ball (maybe a tennis ball or something similar) this is something you can try yourself:

First of all you need to lay yourself on the floor, with your knees slightly bent. From here, place the ball underneath the appropriate buttock and gently massage your buttock against the ball, by moving your pelvis from side to side nad around in circles.

Due to the close proximity of the Sciatic Nerve to the Piriformis muscle, it is important you take care while performing this exercise. If you are too aggressive, you may simpy end up aggravating the Sciatic Nerve and therefore making your pain worse.

Do not worry yourself at all if you do happen to stir your pain up. I can assure you it will settle back down again. Nevertheless, this is your body’s way of informing you that you are taking things forward a bit too fast. Stop performing that particular exercise until things settle down a little. When they have, feel free to start this exercise again, only this time make sure you are not quite as aggressive!

Making a tight Piriformis muscle more supple is essential if you are to relieve the stress being placed upon the Sciatica Nerve or Sacro-Iliac Joint. The self massage exercise given above, along with the stretches given in the link below, will help loosen this muscle and therefore lead you on the road to recovery.

Tags: Health

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