Treatment
If a piriformis syndrome is diagnosed, it is first important that the affected person stops activities and movements that require activity of the piriformis muscle, otherwise the muscle will continue to irritate the sciatic nerve. The treatment of piriformis syndrome focuses on conservative methods such as special stretching exercises, physiotherapy, and pain and inflammation reducing drugs (NSAIDs). Stretching exercises performed by the patient himself at home or with the support of a physiotherapist can often help to alleviate the symptoms of piriformis syndrome relatively quickly.
However, the prerequisite for this is that physiotherapy for Piriformis Syndrome is performed regularly, conscientiously and over a long period of time. Especially in older patients, whose shortened holding muscles are responsible for nerve irritation, good results can be achieved with these stretching exercises. Drugs such as diclofenac or ibuprofen, which have an anti-inflammatory and painkilling effect, are also frequently used.
On the one hand, they alleviate the sometimes severe pain of those affected and, on the other hand, promote the regression of the inflammatory nerve irritation of the sciatic nerve. However, these over-the-counter medications can cause severe stomach problems when taken over a longer period of time, which is why it is essential to discuss their use with your doctor. The local injection of local anesthetics or cortisone provides rapid relief, but should only be used if the piriformis muscle is easily accessible and the doctor has sufficient experience, otherwise damage to adjacent nerves and vessels may occur.
The chances of cure for piriformis syndrome are good, but depend significantly on the patient’s cooperation. First of all, it is important that the piriformis syndrome is detected early, so that the patient does not delay going to the doctor for weeks. In this way the initial phase of the disease can be used, which in many cases can have a positive influence on the course of the disease.In addition, the special stretching exercises should, if possible, be carried out conscientiously by the patient himself at home according to instructions and regularly.
This can often shorten the course of the disease. Furthermore it is important that these exercises continue to be carried out independently even after a cure in the sense of freedom from pain and discomfort, as the affected persons have a not small risk of developing a renewed Piriformis syndrome.
