Piriformis Syndrome…A Better Fix

The piriformis, that small muscle in your butt area, gets lots of attention on the internet with all sorts of stretches and massages to calm it down. But why is it irritated in the first place? You don’t see too much written about this. This happens to be the key to solving it.

In my experience, it’s due to the laziness of its much bigger cousin—the gluteus maximus. I mean with a name that includes “maximus” it must be important—it is. The piriformis is supposed to play a supporting role to its bigger cousin. But when that cousin decides to take a break, the piriformis is left holding the bag. It starts to complain as a result.

So, the key is to get the gluteus maximus to wake up and do its job. Here’s one exercise we use in the clinic to do this. Essentially pump that leg up and down about an inch, with the knee about level with the hip. Try 2 sets of 30 reps and see if your piriformis feels better afterwards.

Of course, there’s more to it. If this helps, then I recommend you try my Hip Pain program for the complete solution.