My son was playing in his soccer game the other day, and we arrived a little bit early for his Team Mexico vs. Team Spain huge matchup (they’re 6 years old, and the league has decided to do World Cup teams this year, which is kinda neat!).
Well, I started getting the other kids a little bit warmed up ahead of time since we were still waiting on the coaches. I had asked another dad to help me get them ready and straighten out the goal. But he mentioned that it was difficult to even get out of the chair he was in because he had some issues with his hip where he felt some numbness going down the leg towards his toes.
Of course, being who I am, I pried a little bit and asked a few more questions…
Turns out, his issues seem to get more severe when he sits for long periods of time. Especially when he sits in those fold up type chairs that parents bring to sporting events. And, shockingly, guess what type of chair he was sitting in at the moment!
Oh geez. Come on. I realize sometimes things arent super convenient or easy, but PLEASE- if you don’t listen to anything I’m telling you- PLEASE stop doing something you KNOW is causing you pain. There are other types of chairs you could at least try if you know one type is bothering you.
This reminds me of people wearing flip flops when they have plantar fasciitis. But we’ll save that topic for another day…
So I ended up talking with him for a little bit and finding out that he most likely has Piriformis Syndrome. What’s that?
Well, the piriformis is a muscle that is located in the back of your hip. It attaches onto the front part of your tailbone and then onto the top of your thigh at your hip. It’s primarily responsible for rotating the hip.
Probably the most important part about the piriformis is that it is a small, short muscle, and when it gets tight (which is very often), it can pinch the Sciatic Nerve- this nerve is a group of nerves that runs from the lower spine and forms a bundle, travels DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH the piriformis muscle, and then travels down the leg all the way to the toes.
When the piriformis gets tight, it can pinch this sciatic nerve and send symptoms down the leg. Numbness, tingling, weakness, etc…
So if you’ve got:
- Pain in the buttock
- Numbness or tingling down the leg
- Increased pain after prolonged sitting
- Reduced range of motion in the hip joint
Then try doing these 3 simple steps to reduce the strain on the piriformis and improve your hip mobility to take stress off the sciatic nerve:
1) Hip extensions- your gluteus maximus is the big muscle that gets lengthened when you sit. When this happens, it causes the piriformis to become shortened and tightened. Strengthen that glute by doing hip extension exercises: Lie on your stomach, raise your affected leg up to the ceiling while keeping your knee straight, hold for a count of 3 and squeeze your butt while you do this. Then relax and let it back down. Do 10 repetitions.
2) Stretch the piriformis- the best stretch I recommend to accomplish this is to lie face up, bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor. Whichever hip or leg is affected- cross it over the other so your ankle is resting on the opposite knee. Then reach and grab the other thigh or shin and pull it towards your chest. Hold for 45 seconds.
3) Lastly (and sometimes for some reason, this is the most difficult thing to do), but if you’re using one of those fold up chairs at the park- you’ve GOT to ditch it! Seriously. Stop. There are others that I prefer like the Tommy Bahama chairs that are closer to the ground. But the higher up ones where your butt sinks into them- they just cause all sorts of problems and strain on your low back. Throw them out now!
Try these things out if you think you may have Piriformis Syndrome, and you’ll soon feel that hip loosen up and the issues decrease. Stay healthy!
