Introduction
Piriformis syndrome is a relatively common syndrome, which sometimes causes severe pain and movement restrictions. Therefore, the question of how long it will take for the symptoms to ease and for the disease to heal, as well as the duration of treatment, is of particular importance to those affected.
Causes
The cause of the piriformis syndrome is a tense or enlarged piriformis muscle, which leads to irritation of the sciatic nerve located in the immediate vicinity. It causes pain in the buttocks, thighs and sometimes also in the lower back. Unfortunately, the piriformis syndrome is often overlooked and a herniated disc is suspected as the cause of the pain.
This can prolong the time until adequate treatment is available. In addition to the correct diagnosis and optimal therapy, the patient’s cooperation is a decisive factor when it comes to the question of duration in Piriformis Syndrome. It is not possible to make a definitive statement on duration, as each case must be considered individually. However, this article can give a rough classification of the duration in Piriformis Syndrome.
Duration of the disease
The duration of the disease in Piriformis syndrome depends on several factors. Above all, the severity of the disease and the therapy derived from it influence it. The same applies to the fact whether the disease is acute or already chronic.
In addition, a lot is in the hands of the patient by following the behavioral patterns and physiotherapeutic exercises in Piriformis Syndrome. However, every body reacts differently to the treatment, so that no universally valid information can be given. In patients diagnosed early and well treated, the duration of the disease is usually no more than 4 weeks.
This information applies to patients without complications who have been treated conservatively with painkillers, massages and possibly muscle relaxants. If the piriformis syndrome remains undetected for a long time, the duration of the disease can be months. In some cases, and especially in the case of protracted courses, an inflammation develops which spreads to the adjacent sciatic nerves.
Then the duration of the disease and the appearance of symptoms can be significantly longer than 4 weeks, because the inflammation of the nerve must be treated as well. In the case of a complicated piriformis syndrome, surgical procedures may be used. Even though a surgical procedure is usually chosen as the last step in the case of piriformis syndrome, the duration of the disease is thus significantly shortened. Thus, light stress can be resumed just 2 weeks after the operation.