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Piriformis SyndromePiriformis Syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle causing pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending down the lower thigh and into the leg. Diagnosis is often difficult due to few validated and standardized diagnostic tests, but one of the most important criteria is to exclude sciatica resulting from compression/irriation of spinal nerve roots, which may result from anatomical variations in the muscle-nerve relationship, or from overuse or strain. Uncontrolled studies have suggested theories about the disorder, however a large scale formal prospective outcome trial using Class A study, designed as outlined by the American College of Physicians, found that the weight of the evidence-based medicine is that piriformis syndrome should be considered as a possible diagnosis when sciatica occurs without a clear spinal cause. The need for controlled studies is supported by studies of spinal disk disease that show a high frequency of abnormal disks in asymptomatic patients. |
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Dr. Stephen Arsenault |