Remedial Massage and Myotherapy Treatment for Piriformis Pain in Melbourne CBD
If you've got a deep ache through your glute that travels down the back of your leg, you'll know how much it can shape your day. You may feel it more on the drive home, after a long stretch at your desk or toward the end of a run.
The piriformis can be part of the picture. It's a small muscle deep in the gluteal region, running from the sacrum out to the top of the thigh bone, and when it becomes tight or irritated it can refer pain down the leg.
Book Your TreatmentUnderstanding piriformis pain
The piriformis sits beneath gluteus maximus and helps to stabilise and rotate the hip. The sciatic nerve usually passes just below it, and in some people part or all of the nerve passes through the muscle. That close relationship helps explain how tension or irritation here can produce nerve-like symptoms, including tingling, a line of pain down the back of the thigh or discomfort into the calf. It also explains why pain in one area of the body may be caused by tension in another part of the body.
You'll often see this presentation called piriformis syndrome. Pain through this region can come from a few different places, including the lower back, the hip joint, the sacroiliac joint and the nerve itself. More than one of these can be involved at the same time.
What tends to bring it on
A few factors are commonly associated with piriformis pain, including:
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Long hours seated, particularly on a hard chair or with a wallet in the back pocket
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Driving and commuting, where the hip is held in one position for a long stretch
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A sudden lift in running or cycling volume
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Reduced glute activity, which can leave the piriformis taking on more of the load
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Long-standing restriction through the lower back or pelvis, which can change the way the hip is loaded
Many of the clients we see in the CBD spend long hours at a desk. If sitting seems to aggravate your symptoms, we'll take that into account in your treatment and in any movement suggestions we offer between sessions.
How remedial massage and myotherapy may help
We enjoy piecing together what may be contributing to your symptoms and shaping treatment around it. Where the piriformis and the surrounding gluteal muscles are holding tension, treatment may include:
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Soft tissue work through the glutes and the deep hip rotators
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Dry needling for trigger points through the piriformis and gluteal muscles
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Mobilisation through the hip and the sacroiliac joint
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Work through the lower back and hamstrings, which are often involved
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Movement suggestions to support you between sessions, including building glute strength and activity
We adjust our approach as we go, paying attention to how your body responds and to what you tell us along the way. Treatment may help ease tension through the area, settle irritation and support more comfortable movement.
What to expect in a session
You can expect a conversation first, then an assessment to see how things are moving and feeling for you, followed by hands-on treatment tailored to you. We'll talk you through what we're finding as we work.
The piriformis is often tender to work on. We check in on pressure throughout and adjust to your comfort, and there's plenty we can do with a gentler approach when that suits you better.
Book an appointment
You can book an appointment online, or get in touch first if you'd like to talk anything through.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
Is piriformis pain the same as sciatica?
They're closely related. Sciatica describes pain travelling along the path of the sciatic nerve, and that nerve can be irritated at a few different points, including the lower back. Because the nerve usually passes just below the piriformis, and through it in some people, tension or irritation in the muscle is one possible source.
Where exactly is the piriformis?
It sits deep in the gluteal region, underneath gluteus maximus, running from the sacrum out to the top of the thigh bone. It's one of a group of deep hip rotators that help to stabilise and rotate the hip, so it's involved in everyday movements such as walking and climbing stairs.
Can massage help piriformis pain?
Where the muscle and the surrounding tissue are contributing to your symptoms, remedial massage and myotherapy may help ease tension and support more comfortable movement. Where helpful, we may also suggest movements to support you between sessions.
Does dry needling work for piriformis pain?
Dry needling can be useful for trigger points through the piriformis and gluteal muscles. It's one of the techniques we may include within a remedial massage or myotherapy session, and we'll always explain what it involves and only proceed once you are comfortable.