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Awareness Center

Purple Dawn

Helpful Tips

Relieving Hip and Leg Pain

** For persistent pain, consult your helathcare professional **

So you say you have hip and/or leg pain. Well, the problem may be in your butt!!

It’s true. Often hip and leg pain is caused by a muscle in the gluteal/pelvic region called the piriformis.

When the piriformis muscle is inflamed, it can entrap the sciatic nerve and other major nerves and blood vessels often causing points of pain called trigger points.

Massaging the trigger/pain points can help relax the muscle, increase the blood flow and relieve the pain.

Self-Help Information.
Tennis Ball Treatment
Stretches
Common Symptoms
Causes and Perpetuation of Trigger Points
Other Helpful Tips
If the pain persists

Common Symptoms

pain primarily in the sacroiliac region (where the sacrum and big pelvic bone join), over the buttock, down the back of the thigh, possibly all the way down the calf to bottom of the foot
numbness of the foot making it hard to walk on
pain worse with sitting and activity
pain in the groin or area in front of the anus
difficulty finding a comfortable sitting position
difficulty crossing one leg over the other knee while seated
when laying face-up, foot rotates out to the side, rather than being in straight alignment

Causes and Perpetuation of Trigger Points

driving for long periods
sitting on your foot
a direct blow to the muscle
sitting with the majority of your weight on your buttocks such as when reading in bed with your knees bent or sitting on the floor with your knees bent up in front of you
catching yourself from falling, or other sudden muscle overload
twisting sideways while bending and lifting something heavy
forceful rotation of your body while your weight is on one leg
twisting repeatedly while throwing something behind you
running
in women, spreading the legs during intercourse
car accidents, particularly when struck from the driver's side (even for passengers)
a longer second toe
foot pronation
one leg shorter than the other or over-correcting a shorter leg with a lift that is too high
chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
infectious sacroiliitis
arthritis of the hip joint or hip replacement surgery
the sacroiliac joint out-of-alignment

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Self-Help Information

So, what is the best way to relax your piriformis muscle? Massage!

But if you are in a lot of pain and can’t get a massage, here are a few techniques for self-treatment:

Tennis Ball Treatments

A surprisingly effective treatment involves a tennis ball! Yes a tennis ball or even a smaller ball like a racket ball or a rubber ball (cat toy, dog toy or child’s toy will work).

Treatment While Seated

Sit on the floor or a hard chair.

Place the ball under your buttock in the painful spot

Gradually ease your body weight onto the ball.

Roll the area slowly, taking note of sensitive or painful spots (trigger points).

Continue for 15 seconds and continue rolling. This mimics a massage (not exactly) and can help break up the trigger points, relaxing the muscle and increasing blood flow to the area.

Repeat in any other painful spots

Rub buttock after treatment

Treatment While Laying Down (pictures at right)

Lay face-up on a firm bed or the floor, with your knees bent.

Place the ball under your buttock in the painful spot

Keeping your knees bent, relax your weight onto the ball

Roll the area slowly, taking note of sensitive or painful spots (trigger points).

Continue for 15 to 30 seconds. This mimics a massage (not exactly) and can help break up the trigger points, relaxing the muscle and increasing blood flow to the area.

On the side with the ball, drop knee to the side while keeping knees bent. Relax

Remain for 15 to 30 seconds

Repeat in any other painful spots

Rub buttock after treatment

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Stretches

Stretching can also be good for keeping the piriformis relaxed.

Side Stretch

Lay face-up, and cross your right foot over the outside of your left knee.

Use your right hand to pull down on the right front of your pelvis.

Use your left hand to pull down on the right knee toward the floor to assist in a stretch.

Inhale and exhale deeply, focusing on relaxing the muscle on the exhale.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Belly Dancer Stretch

While standing, place your hands on your hips

rotate your hips around in as full a circle as is comfortable.

Then rotate in the opposite direction.

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Other Helpful Tips

People often tense their butt muscles when holding onto a lot of anger. This can cause pain/trigger points in the piriformis. Become conscious of tightening the gluteals and consciously relax them repeatedly until you re-train yourself to not tense up. You will need to deal with the underlying factors causing you to hold tension in the buttocks.
Avoid sitting in positions that put most of your weight on your buttocks (reading in bed, sitting on the floor, etc). Sit upright with a lumbar support, so your hamstrings bear some of your weight.
When sleeping, place a pillow between your legs that goes all the way from the knees to the ankles. Don't bring your legs up to a 90-degree angle.
Don't drive for long periods without breaks. Use cruise-control so you can move your legs periodically. Be sure to use a lumbar support, and try to shift more of your weight to your hamstrings instead of your buttocks by adjusting the seat if possible, or by sitting on a pillow.
Avoid running, and playing tennis, soccer and volleyball until trigger points have been inactivated.

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If the Pain Persists

If the pain persists, you may need to consult a doctor such as a chiropractor, osteopathic physician, acupuncturist or other specialist to rule out other causes.

Information in this article is taken from the following sources:

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