Wednesday, August 07, 2013

How 'bout that piriformis muscle

Have you even heard of this thing?     I know I haven't.   At least, not until a week ago.

I'd been walking around with what started out to be mimicking sciatica.    It happens from time to time, so I shrugged it off and went on with life.      Then it started to get a little more uncomfortable & to the point where I couldn't sleep at night or even sit down for more than a few minutes at a time.   I couldn't press my foot to the gas pedal in the car.

The pain was awful and it radiated from my right butt cheek to the bottom of my foot.

Finally, I called my primary doctor and raced into the office the minute they said they'd see me right away...    He said it was a case of sciatica and gave me some anti-inflammatory meds, an oral steroid and some pain killers.   I was so hopeful as I skipped into the pharmacy, sure I'd feel normal in a day or two....     Seriously, nothing helped!

So I went a week and called back to say that nothing gave me any relief and he promptly ordered an x-ray which revealed no telling signs of an injury, slipped disk, etc.

By the end of that same week, I'd done a lot of research on the internet and finally decided to go to a chiropractor, whom I was sure could help me.    Well, it's still a work in progress - (with physical therapy every other day) ... but he finally told me what it was.
The piriformis muscle.    I was having such irritation and discomfort because it runs along the sciatic nerve and it is inflamed which is causing the friction.    I kid you not, this is pure hell.. what I'm going through.    There is nothing you can really do to relieve the pain - My chiropractor does the stretches and uses different deep tissue techniques as well as the deep tissue massage.   In fact, he looked at my x-rays and noted that I was badly misaligned.  Which explains why my right side is higher than my left right now.  My hips are badly off balance.   When I walk, you can see it really well.    Sometimes it's worse than others.
 I know everyone says that chiropractors don't hurt, and I believe that they don't, but unfortunately, in my case, because it is a muscle and a nerve, it actually does hurt quite a bit.  It's very tender & very sensitive to the touch.   I try to tough it out because I want the therapy to be effective - I feel some days it is and some days, not so much.   I wish  I could get a really good night's sleep.   : (    It really has been about 2 weeks now, that I haven't been able to sleep good at all.   Many nights, I have to get up and walk the house because the pressure of laying down hurts so bad... as does sitting down.   What a scenario eh?   
It sucks..  Plain and simple.    I want to be back to my regular, active self.   Bending down, picking up laundry, cleaning, driving with no pain.    Wahhhh!   

4 comments:

  1. This happens to me when I am pregnant and once in a while when I'm not.. it hurts like hell. I hope you feel better soon. There's a stretch I found on youtube that does help offer me relief.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLdUHiJhvGM
    (You are supposed to do this stretch every day to prevent the pain, but of course, I'm lazy and only think of it when the pain is already there!!) I really hope it calms down for you soon, I know it hurts so bad with every step!

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  2. I honestly believe I have the beginning pains of this issue. For the past few months, I've felt it and it hurts even more when I run or exercise. The pain in excruciating at times! I can't even sit in a car for too long or down at my desk when I'm writing. I literally have to lift my butt up when I'm walking about my condo and Felix looks at me like I have three eyeballs on my forehead. Keep me posted as to how that muscle gets treated! How the heck did you get your blog to look so fantastic? I'm still trying to figure it all out.

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  3. Oh Gina, I sure hope you don't have it! It sounds like it .. Sitting on your butt or even laying down compresses the nerve and then all hell breaks loose. I can't tell you how miserable I have been for a month PLUS. Try doing some research and getting some stretching in NOW - before it hits you. I don't know what I did but I think it was the squats that I was doing, that did this. It's terrible and you can't do much for it..

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  4. and it is very common in runners!

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