Symptoms
Piriformis syndrome is a condition characterized by the sciatic nerve that is being disturbed by the piriformis muscle that presses on the nerve which then results in a considerable amount of pain. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body that starts from your lower back and goes right up to your lower limb and passes from below the piriformis muscle. This condition is said to be very similar to sciatica and most of the times people mistake these two conditions to be one and the same but sciatica arises because of a completely different reason. Symptoms of a piriformis syndrome can be seen with a pain that begins from the buttocks that goes down into your thighs and from thereon, into the legs. You may also feel a slight prick, a numb feeling and a burning sensation in the legs and even the buttocks. If you are sitting for a long period of time or if pressure is applied directly on the piriformis muscle, it will worsen your condition even more. The diagnosis for this is difficult as there is no definite way for identifying the same but can be done with the help of a few physical exams and certain other tests.
Treatment
Treatment that is available for piriformis syndrome aim at lowering the pain or improving the blood flow to that particular area and not at curing the actual condition. Thus, it is recommended that you consult a doctor for proper treatment. Applying ice pack by wrapping the ice in a cloth and placing it on the painful area always helps. Similarly, application of heat pack also helps as the heat enables to loosen the muscles enabling them to become flexible. Rest is mandatory in such situations without any compromise on health. You should thus, indulge in a nutritious diet consisting of a lot of vegetables and fruits that provide you with your daily intake of carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, proteins and fats. There are a number of stretching exercises that you can do at home that help in reducing the pain and you can ask your doctor to help you with the same. Massages also help considerably to ease out the pain and even sitting in a right posture helps to provide relief from the pain. You need to make sure that you do not do any rigorous physical activities that will lead to overexertion and further worsen the condition.