Stretches for Piriformis Syndrome
Stretching the piriformis and surrounding musculature relieves pressure on the sciatic nerve and helps the muscle gain blood flow and relax. Be cautious with this! Sometimes, if your piriformis and sciatic nerve are REALLY irritated, stretching can make it worse. Try these stretches, but if you immediately have increased leg pain, numbness or tingling, stretching is not for you (yet). Also, give each of these stretches a try and see what works for you. Some positions may be difficult to get into, and others easier, so go with what is comfortable. There is no benefit to forcing things. If you get a chance heat up this tissue for 10 minutes prior to stretching with a hot pack. You can put the hot pack on your butt or hamstring.
Figure Four- Begin lying on your back with both legs bent up, feet flat on the ground. Lift one leg and place that ankle on your opposite knee. Grab behind your knee of the bent leg on the ground and pull it towards you. Focus on keeping the leg you are stretching with the knee rotated outwardly... You should feel a stretch in your buttocks. Hold here for 10-30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times. Make sure to keep your low back flat on the floor during the stretch.
Seated Piriformis- Begin in a seated position on a chair. Bend your left knee to a 90 degree angle, placing that ankle on your right knee. Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at your hips, drawing your chest toward your left knee. Hold for 10 seconds. Switch to other side. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.
Pigeon Pose- Begin on all fours. Bring your left knee up near your arms and rest the outside of that leg on the ground. Move your ankle in front of your right hip, with your right leg straight behind you. Next, fold your trunk forward with your arms straight on the ground. When you feel a stretch, hold the position for 30 seconds. Switch to other leg and repeat. You can change the angle of your front ankle to make the stretch more specific to you. If this stretch is tight for you, pull your foot in closer to you, but if it is easy for you and you need more of a stretch, move your foot farther away from your body. Also, you can modify what direction you fold forward with your trunk. You can try bending directly over your front shin, more toward your knee, or more toward your foot.