Getting a Grip on Piriformis Syndrome

[Lurch]

A week or two ago I started getting a burning feeling in my right butt cheek which turns out to be Piriformis Syndrome [PS].
One of the things that can cause it is sitting on your butt too much and not doing enough of certain exercises that strengthen the piriformis muscle.
When it has a problem it can rub on the sciatic nerve which causes pain in the butt and all the way down the leg.

So now that I got a new renewed Dell PC, I need to spend less time at the PC, sitting on my butt. Also less bike rides until I get that muscle stronger and butt feeling better.
And I had all but stopped walking, whereas I walked 10-20 miles a week before I resumed bike riding last February.
So I'm going to get back into walking to exercise the piriformis and other muscles.
The chiropractor told me it should be OK in 5-7 days.

I've been using Cryoderm and Biofreeze gels.

I just have to focus on keeping that sciatic nerve from hurting. It can really cause a lot of pain.
I'm stretching and exercising that piriformis muscle.

[Humboldt]

Best of luck.

Nerve pain sucks.

I'm a big fan of BioFreeze too.

Years ago I had to buy it from local doctors' offices.
It wasn't prescription but no one else stocked it.

Very glad when they made it into CVS drugstores a few years ago. Good stuff.

[YeOldeStonecat]

For a period of time, until you get a handle on it, you need to "cool it down"....and I say that meaning avoid inflaming it more.

Once the harsh discomfort is gone,....look at gentle stretching (such as yoga)...and posture...be it posture when working out, or sitting, daily routine.

I have several really degenerative disks in my lower back...from l2...down to S1. L4/L5 and L5/S1 are really shot...pretty much bone on bone. Had a discectomy on L4/L5 about 10 years ago.

Did lots of physical therapy, also saw chiropractors. Yeah those get expensive...even though technically covered by insurance, at first you have your deductible to knock down, and then still after that..copays.

BEST thing that helped me..my wife got me an inversion table. Under 300 bucks...so it paid for itself within a month or two. Stopped going to the PTs and chiro. Haven't been to any of those in over 5 years.
Inversion tables...stretch your joints...and importantly...your hips and lower back and all the way up to your neck. Stretching out the joints allows your body to fill them with fluids..all those good nutrients come in.
Especially helpful with my compressed disks.

BEST time to do the inversion table is immediately before bed. Make it the very last thing you do before bed, and locate it nearby the bed so you have minimal steps to take from it...to bed. Go do the bathroom routine, brush your teeth...go hang on the inversion table..and then in go directly to bed and get horizontal. When you're done hanging on the inversion table and you go upright again, your joints start to compress. Every step you take...starts to compress things like your disks. So you want to minimize the upright position and walking from inversion table...to getting horizontal in bed. Once in bed your joints..your vertebrae...are getting at least 6 hours (hopefully you sleep at least that long) of stretched out condition so they can fill with fluids.

I also try to have quality bone broth on a daily basis. I just drink it room temp. Good quality bone broth is SOOOOO good for your joints, cartilage, muscles, tendons.

[Easto]

I don't think I could survive without stretching. Twice a day.

[Lurch]

For a period of time, until you get a handle on it, you need to "cool it down"....and I say that meaning avoid inflaming it more.

Once the harsh discomfort is gone,....look at gentle stretching (such as yoga)...and posture...be it posture when working out, or sitting, daily routine.

That's very good advice. I really think I was doing things that irritated it, especially rolling my butt on one of those foam rollers.
I also would lay my rt leg down facing to the left and lean forward. It seemed to feel good but may have been way too early for things like that.
These chiropractors on youtube can post videos nd make good money from them, and possibly hurt many people if they work out as they suggest.

I'm going to get PT starting Monday at a good place. He will know exactly what exercises I should do now and how to proceed.
I'm glad to hook up with this man again, he's a good PT.

I'm taking Prednisone which should do this some good too.
My DO told me to take as prescribed, at four 10mg pills for 3 days, then 3 for 3 days, then 2 for 3 days, then 1 for 3 days to taper it off.
Then the lady chiropractor that suggested prednisone for me told me to only take 3 per day (because she feels best at that dose), and to only take 3 per day for 3 days, and then see how that feels. She has flareups of something similar and uses prednisone sometimes for it.
So I took only 3 on day 1, and then took 4 today because I felt I could handle it. If I did it like my DO prescribed, I'd take 30 pills over 12 days.

I did feel a bit better today, less pain and I got out for a walk and did some yard work.
I've been trying to decide how I should dose it. She seems to think I won't need all 30 tablets to resolve it quite well, and then I'll have the remaining tablets for any future flareups. She says you can take up to 90 tablets per year, spread out to avoid all the side effects of improper dosing prednisone. But if used right, it's a great wellness tool.

[Lurch]

BEST thing that helped me..my wife got me an inversion table. Under 300 bucks...so it paid for itself within a month or two. Stopped going to the PTs and chiro. Haven't been to any of those in over 5 years.
Inversion tables...stretch your joints...and importantly...your hips and lower back and all the way up to your neck. Stretching out the joints allows your body to fill them with fluids..all those good nutrients come in.
Especially helpful with my compressed disks.

I'm so glad to hear this, and guess what? I have a nice inversion table, and I'm going to use it more.
I've been using it for a few minutes most mornings. I'll use it much more, starting right now.

I had an old Scania inv table for years that I bought used for $75, and sold it after quite a few years of using it sometimes.
Then a year or two later one of my neighbors had a real nice Motion Gravity Table in great condition for sale at her yard sale for only $15 and I couldn't pass that up. This Motion inv table is built much better than that flimsy Scania table I had. I think this one would hold someone up to 300 pounds or more. I'm about 160 pounds.

The lady chiro did say I very well could also have disc issues going on that might cause the nerve pains too.
Thank you for sharing your info. It's much appreciated.

[Lurch]

BEST time to do the inversion table is immediately before bed. Make it the very last thing you do before bed, and locate it nearby the bed so you have minimal steps to take from it...to bed. Go do the bathroom routine, brush your teeth...go hang on the inversion table..and then in go directly to bed and get horizontal. When you're done hanging on the inversion table and you go upright again, your joints start to compress. Every step you take...starts to compress things like your disks. So you want to minimize the upright position and walking from inversion table...to getting horizontal in bed. Once in bed your joints..your vertebrae...are getting at least 6 hours (hopefully you sleep at least that long) of stretched out condition so they can fill with fluids.

I also try to have quality bone broth on a daily basis. I just drink it room temp. Good quality bone broth is SOOOOO good for your joints, cartilage, muscles, tendons.

Very interesting. I have lots of chicken bones frozen, ready to make new bone broth. I'll make some more soon.
Is taking gelatin also a good thing? I drink a lot of beef and chicken soup.

So how long do you invert for, and at what angle?

I used to hang completely upside down, and even did partial sit-ups at full inversion, and my chiro told me I shouldn't fully invert, but IIRR, I don't think it ever messed up my back alignment. Since I got to doing a one minute plank every morning and a few other back exercises, my back now feels a lot more stable and I haven't felt like I needed a back alignment since last October or so.

I'm glad I remembered to come here today, not that my legs doesn't feel like someone is holding a blow torch on it any more.
I'm sure you can relate to that.

I'm going to research more into inversion therapy and see what I can harvest for health benefits from more inverting.
I had a feeling that table might come in handy one day.

[Lurch]

I bought one of those donut cushions.
I think it will feel much better to sit on one of these at the PC, and maybe also in the car.
About $30 on amazon.
I'm not a real big guy (about 160 pounds) so I think it will fit my small butt fairly well, I hope.

[Lurch]

I got on prednisone which really helps, but 200 mg of ibuprofen seemed to help too.

Then I over did it and it flared up, and I hurt quite a bot last night and earlier today until the pred kicked in again.

This is why my chiro and YeOldeStoneCat here told me to take it easy.
I find it hard to take it easy, but I realize I now need to, for a while until I've given the OK to do more.
I was doing yard work, and worked for about 2 hours the day before yesterday, and an hour yesterday, but the flareup was the pits.

I start PT on Monday am.
Thanks again for checking in here.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Very interesting. I have lots of chicken bones frozen, ready to make new bone broth. I'll make some more soon.
Is taking gelatin also a good thing? I drink a lot of beef and chicken soup.

So how long do you invert for, and at what angle?

Yeah, good quality natural bone broth is great for you. Beef, chicken, ox, whatever.
Heck I've mixed bones and made a bone broth. Doing home made bone broth is at least a full day process.
Lots of brands of good pre made can be had at the stores or online.

As for hanging on the inversion table, typically ~15 minutes, and full inversion (almost...my table does not go perfectly vertical...but "almost".

On a personal note, I try to avoid "medications" as much as possible. Seeking natural alternatives instead.

[Lurch]

Yeah, good quality natural bone broth is great for you. Beef, chicken, ox, whatever.
Heck I've mixed bones and made a bone broth. Doing home made bone broth is at least a full day process.
Lots of brands of good pre made can be had at the stores or online.

As for hanging on the inversion table, typically ~15 minutes, and full inversion (almost...my table does not go perfectly vertical...but "almost".

On a personal note, I try to avoid "medications" as much as possible. Seeking natural alternatives instead.

I went to the orthopedic clinic the other day and a DO told me I don't have pirifomis syndrome at all, but spinal stenosis.

Two days later (actually the next day) the Serrapeptase and Boswellia Extract seemed to kick in, and my pain is much less.
Systemic enzymes, take on an empty stomach are supposed to be a great way to remove non functional junk from the arteries, blood and GI tract.
I get PT this week, but TBHWY, I think I'd do fine without it.
I rode my bicycles yesterday and it felt good, and I intend to keep riding 3-4x a week like I was doing.

I had inflammation that seems to be responding well to these natural supplements.
I urge you all to research these fine things and improve your health with them, if you need it and want to.
Do it before disease shows up. Do it for prevention, like an oil and filter change.
Take charge of your inflammation.

https://www.liverdoctor.com/5-ways-serrapeptase-can-improve-your-health/#:~:text=Serrapeptase%20is%20a%20protease%20enzyme,swellings%2C%20plaque%20and%20scar%20tissue.

[Philip]

Good to hear you have it diagnosed correctly and under control, hopefully it is a mild form that will not cause much issues. I would do the PT, stretching and exercising those back muscles can help reduce strain on your joints/bones, maybe even spinal discs.

[Easto]

Lurch, glad to hear you've at least got the correct diagnosis. I'd say if you're able to still ride as often as you do that you're moving in the right direction. Keep moving!

[Lurch]

Thank you. Actually, I think it was the med that worked quickly to make me feel better, not the supplements. I think the supps might take longer, plus some diet changes I recently made may help.
I quit drinking milk 3 weeks ago.
2 days ago I quit eating fruit. Did lots of research, and fruit feeds into uric acid and inflammation, metabolic syndrome, it's addictive and causes fatty liver, and more.

Had my first appt with a new PT physical therapist this morning, and I feel more encouraged about my situation. He tested many of my joints and various parts of my body. At one point when I was laying on my left side, he had me hold up my right leg, and press against pressure he put on it. At first it seemed weak and it hurt when I did this, but after he made some adjustments we tried it again and it was much stronger and didn't hurt at all. He said my pubic bones were out of alignment or something like that. He seemed to think I might not even have spinal stenosis, but maybe some other thing needing to be adjusted or worked on.
I have another appt with him next week. He seemed to think I'll be able to go off meds and be pain free with certain exercises and or adjustments. I still have a fair amount of pain and I think I'd do better if I just take 2 extra strength acetaminophen once every few days to cut back the pain.

My goal is to get pain free and not have to take any pain meds. He seems to think riding a bike should be OK.
He seems to be quite good at what he does, but I'll be glad when I can hopefully put this behind me and take control of it so I won't have to take pain meds.

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The pubic bone (Latin: os pubis), also known as the pubis, is a paired bone that forms the anterior part of the hip bone. It also participates in the formation of the anterior and inferior boundary of the obturator foramen. The left and right pubic bones join at the pubic symphysis.

[Lurch]

The PT isn't convinced I have spinal stenosis but if I do, I think he can help me so I won't need surgery and won't have to take pain meds.
I sure hope so. I've been depressed about this lately. It's still disturbing that I have not yet got on some exercises to help turn this around.
But that's the way he works. He may want to see if this fix will change the way I feel over the next day or two, and go from there.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Wife and I went to a "carnivore way of eating" a bit over a years ago.
Literally....just what comes from animals...meat/fat/dairy/eggs.

[MadDoctor]

You and your wife are on my best people ever list. Smooch.

[Lurch]

I saw the new PT Thursday, that made the adjustments and thought it might turn me around. Guess what? He was right!

Friday afternoon my mood seemed to improve, and when I got up Saturday, I could tell right off that I was finally a little bit better, and I didn't need to take pain meds.. So I rode my bike that day and slowly felt better. Today, Sunday, the sharp pains and burning legs feelings are fading away. I can sit at the PC without feeling like I'm sitting on broken glass. I rode my bike again this morning, and my legs loved it. It felt good.
T

I'm glad, it looks like I have a good physical therapist.
It just needed a few days for the nerves to settle down after the inflammation around that injury lessened.

[Lurch]

I eat a lot of beans for soluble fiber. Eggs most every day.
Grass fed beef, wild salmon, and chicken.
Lots of vegetables, but not many potatoes.
Little to no grains. No more fruit.
A few nuts sometimes. No dairy.

[Lurch]

I'm now healed for the most part, from taking thiamin, vitamin B1.

My hip and right leg are about 90-95% back to normal.
It all got better just hours after taking Thiamin / Vitamin B1.

B1 deficiency can appear as many different symptoms, and doctors will make incorrect diagnosis' over and over again, trying to label what can be reversed simply by taking Vitamin B1. They're labeling the symptoms, not what caused the symptoms.

Now I can walk normal again and my hip doesn't feel all tensed up any more. And my right leg doesn't hurt like hell if I'm on my feet a few hours.
It's not fully back to normal yet, but it's sure much better. It doesn't feel like I'm sitting on red hot broken glass at my desk chair any more.
B1 deficiency is quite common, so they say.
Easy fix.
I wish I'd just taken B1 when this started.

[Easto]

Great News!

[Lurch]

Great News!

Thank you.

The supplement I take is actually called Benfotiamine, it's a fat soluble form of Vitamin B1.
I learned of it from the Nerve Doctors on youtube.
It nourishes and comforts the nerves, which can be a huge help to people dealing with neuropathy.