The sciatica-like pain of piriformis syndrome can be severe and affect your quality of life. Coast Spine and Sports Medicine offers effective, tailored treatments to give you relief from your pain. We welcome men and women in Orange County, Los Angeles County and Inland Empire.
What Is Piriformis Syndrome?
Piriformis syndrome is a somewhat common neuromuscular disorder that causes the piriformis muscle in the buttocks to compress the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle connects the lower vertebrae with the upper leg through the sciatic notch, an opening in the pelvic bone.
This painful condition is responsible for about 5% of sciatica, a compression of the sciatic nerve that causes pain to radiate from the lower back to the buttock, leg, and sometimes the foot. Most people with piriformis syndrome complain of sciatica pain that may seem like it’s caused by a herniated disc or hip bursitis. With piriformis syndrome, however, you will have other symptoms such as:
- Muscle spasms of the piriformis muscle of the buttock
- Difficulty putting weight on one side of the buttock
- Sciatica pain when rotating the hip outward or moving the hip
How Much Does Piriformis Syndrome Treatment Cost in Orange County?
The cost of piriformis treatment will depend on the severity of your condition and the cause. To find our how much your treatment will cost, please contact us to schedule your initial appointment to develop a treatment plan. Coast Spine and Sports Medicine accepts many forms of insurance and financing through CareCredit®.
What Causes Piriformis Syndrome?
The cause of piriformis syndrome isn’t always known. There are some known causes of this condition that include:
- Prolonged sitting, especially with a wallet in the back pocket
- Legs of different lengths
- Scoliosis
- Abnormal location or development of the sciatic nerve or piriformis muscle
- Sports-related or exercise-related injury
- Previous hip surgery
How Is Piriformis Syndrome Treated in Orange County?
For many people, piriformis syndrome doesn’t last long and goes away with treatment. For severe pain, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory medication may be used. Physical therapy and stretching exercises tend to produce the best results, especially when combined with hip abductor exercises, changes to gait, and heat therapy.
When these conservative methods don’t offer relief, ultrasound-guided injections may be recommended. Injections of local anesthetic, steroids, and/or Botox® may ease pain and inflammation to help the compression resolve itself.
Surgery is rare and used as a last resort. When necessary, surgery involves removing a small portion of the piriformis muscle or tendon.
If you are dealing with the pain of piriformis syndrome, contact us today to schedule your consultation with Coast Spine and Sports Medicine to learn more about how we can help you find relief. We welcome patients in Los Angeles County and Orange County, including the communities of Rancho Cucamonga, Downey, and Santa Ana, CA.