2 Tips to Stop Piriformis Pain Today
I am constantly dealing with people with Piriformis Syndrome (PS).
The two things that they are constantly telling me that they are told to do by their chiropractors, physios, PTs, massage therapists and doctors are these:
1. Stretch the piriformis muscle to calm it down and loosen it up and
2. Roll on a foam roller, tennis, lacrosse or massage ball to loosen it up and calm down the spasms.
When I ask how long they have been doing this, the answer varies from days to weeks to months to years.
I have actually work with, and helped a lady in Massachusetts, who had been dealing with PS for 20 years in this manner, along with medications and 3-4 injections a year!!
SO, let me ask you….
IF you have been dealing with PS for any length of time and have been rolling on a roller or ball AND stretching out the painful muscle, how has it been working for YOU?
IF you are like 99% of my clients, you will say one of three things:
1. It gives a little relief, but pain comes back fairly soon after, or
2. It is excruciating, but I push through and do it anyway or
3. I quit that a long time ago because it hurt to much!.
Do any of these sound familiar to you?
As a PT, I was trained the same manner, and for the first 15 years or so, I would treat PS the same way, and actually had a little success on occasion. I realized it was only the people who had suffered for a very short time that responded well to that torture, or at least reported that it helped.
Most of the clients, who suffered more than a few months gained little relief overall, but rarely recovered with these two treatments as the foundation of care.
So you must be wondering, IF these two things are not helpful, what exactly is, right?
Well, first of all, the answer to that is very very simple and let me explain. IF you saw me putting kindling or paper into a fire and telling you I am trying to stop the fire, but it keeps on burning no matter how often or seldom I put the kindling and paper in, what would you tell me?
STOP adding to the fire and it will eventually burn out and calm down, once you stop feeding it!
So, my advice to you is this, STOP stretching the painful piriformis muscle and stop rolling or massaging the painful side.
Make sense?
IF you continue to aggravate an aggravated muscle, guess what happens? It stays aggravated right?
Or, do you think the pain and aggravation you are causing, will eventually calm down the underlying pain and aggravation that is already there?
SO…….There you have it, my two tips to calm your PS down today.
1. Stop stretching it and
2. Stop rolling on it!
I hope this makes sense.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions to me at info@SciaticaReliefNow.net.