Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve (Pic: Instagram/iStock)
Andie MacDowell is battling a painful neuromuscular disorder. "I have piriformis syndrome, so it's a muscle that kind of clamps down on my sciatic nerve, and it was shooting down my leg," MacDowell shared on The Drew Barrymore Show. "I thought I was going to have a hip replacement—thank God, my hips are fine," she remarked.
The 66-year-old Four Weddings And A Funeral star said the condition, which causes numbness in the buttocks and back of the legs has been causing shooting pain in her leg. “So, it’s a muscle that clamps down on my sciatic nerve, and it was shooting down my leg,” MacDowell explained. “It’s not appropriate for my body, and I ended up with bad knees and bad hips. I thought I was literally falling apart,” the actor added.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, piriformis syndrome affects about 200,000 people in the US each year.
What is Piriformis syndrome?
According to experts, piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve and results in inflammation. It leads to pain or numbness in the buttock and down the back of the leg, either on one side of the body or both.
The piriformis is a flat, narrow muscle that runs from your lower spine through your buttocks to the top of your thighs. Your piriformis muscle extends to each side of your body and aids in almost every movement of your lower body.
Doctors say the sciatic nerve most commonly runs underneath the piriformis—travelling from your spinal cord, through your buttocks, down the back of each leg, to your feet. It is the longest, largest nerve in your body.
How is piriformis different from sciatica?
Even though the conditions are mostly related and affect the sciatic nerve, both piriformis and sciatica are different from each other. While a herniated disc or spinal stenosis leads to sciatica, the symptoms tend to affect the lower back and can travel down through the buttocks and leg.
Piriformis syndrome only involves the piriformis muscle pressing on one area of the sciatic nerve in the buttock. It can feel a lot like sciatica but in a more specific area.
Signs and symptoms of piriformis syndrome
A few signs and symptoms feel like:
- Aching
- Burning
- Numbness
- Pain
- Tingling feeling
- Shooting
According to experts, the symptoms may get worse during certain activities, like:
- Sitting for very long periods of time
- Walking or running
- Climbing stairs
What causes piriformis syndrome?
Doctors say anything that makes the piriformis press on the sciatic nerve leads to this syndrome. The most common causes include:
- Swelling and inflammation
- Muscle spasms
- Scarring in the muscle
- All of these issues can result from:
- Injuring the hip, butt, or leg, such as a fall or car accident.
- Having tight muscles from lack of physical activity.
- Lifting something improperly and damaging the piriformis muscle.
- Not warming up before physical activity or stretching properly afterward.
- Overexercising or performing repetitive motions, such as long-distance running.
- Sitting for long periods of time (for example, people who sit a lot on the job).
However, many times, abnormal anatomy also leads to the diagnosis.
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