Does anyone have any experience of Piriformis syndrome or that type of injury?
What were your symptoms etc do you have any exercises that help with it, did you stop running .? any help gratefully accepted
It isn't a definite that it is what I have but it pretty much seems like it from what i have read and how it feels .
Aw our lovely Rob ! What a flippin' mare ! I seem to remember Steve_L posting something about this on Garmin Connect .
He doesn't come on here much now I think he is on Facebook more . He might be able to advise, but saying that he might not be the same as what youre suffering , so always best to get a definite diagnosis xxx
I really hope you get this sorted, Good Luck xxx
A right mare poppy 😕 will email my physio next week if no improvement xx
Sorry to hear that Rob... what a bummer in more ways than one!!! 
A few weeks ago, people on here replied to my post about a niggling hip pain and I think some of the exercises people recommended were for piriformis. I found the following particularly helpful:
Lie on your back with knees up and feet on the floor. Then put one leg over the other leg, still bent. Then lift up using the leg that's underneath. Repeat, alternating legs to stretch out the other hip. I found this really got in and stretched the part that was sore.
Another good one, although similar:
Sit upright e.g. on a chair with feet on the floor. Lift up one leg and lay it across to make a figure 4 kind of shape. Then lean your body forwards. Repeat with the other leg. This seems to stretch a larger general hip area, also effective.
I hope that's clear and/or helpful, also rest a bit, I took 3 weeks out in the end, but carried on walking and cycling...
Aw Rob that sucks. A doctor diagnosed me with Piriformis Syndrome years ago before I ran but I don't know if that's really what it was. My symptons were a constant dull ache around my right hip (at the bone and surrounding area) that I think was caused by sitting too much (I was driving a lot then). I did find that stretching really loosened everything up. Ruth's exercises are spot on but the doctor specifically gave me no 18 exercise to do at the time and this helped.
spine-health.com/wellness/e...
As I say I'm not sure I had Piriformis because THE one thing that really eased my ache was sitting on a tennis ball! I screamed with relief and I think I probably had very tight muscles around the glute area.
I still get the ache but I still run with it. In fact, the running seems to have helped. I do Pilates and stretch every day and use the foam roller on it and all that has kept it at bay.
I've heard that Piriformis is hard to diagnose because it sits so close to the sciatic nerve but I didn't get pains along my leg so I knew it wasn't sciatica.
I hope the stretching gives you some relief but I would suggest you, gently and slowly, sit on a tennis ball and see what happens! If you do the "figure of four" stretch while sitting on the ball then this gives you a much deeper stretch.
I hope it gets better soon. Take care xxx
Great - that looks like something I'm going to be adding to my routine too!
Hi Rob, I agree with Ruth's suggestions and am doing exercises to help my hips and piriformus at the moment as I keep getting a niggly hip pain on one side. I ran for the first time in nearly two weeks yesterday. Rolling on a tennis ball is also quite useful I find, as you can really feel the tightness in the muscle. I am also trying to work on strengthening my glutes! Hope yours settles down soon.🙂
Can't help but hope it settles quickly
Yes - after foolishly doing a cartwheel two years ago I damaged my sacroiliac region and it resulted in piriformis problems. They are easing now although I spent months without beig able to run. I can feel it now, just sitting - most of the time I ignore and run anyway. Some of the things that make it worse are walking in the wrong shoes i.e. very flat shoes for me, such as my Rocketdogs or Converse, without using my insoles.
The exercises Ruth mentions above are what my chiropractor recommended, also lying flat on your back, pulling one knee up towards your chest but then pulling (literally) it over towards the opposing shoulder. You should feel the stretch in the piriformis. Similar to the one Ruth describes, flat on your back, legs bent. Cross one leg over so your ankle is resting on the other knee (your top knee should be out at an angle so your hip joint is open). Lift your supporting leg towards your chest with your joined hands so your hands join under your thigh. Did that make sense? You should again feel the pull in the piriformis.
Walking thoroughly to warm up before starting to run was the key thing recommended by my chiropractor. She's a runner so understood the angst of being on the IC.
Just remembered - I spend a lot of time at the computer so I also got a wedge for my chair. That helps too.
Hope it improves for you.
Hi Rob,
Ouch! I recently had what I thought was Piriformis but I'm now fairly certain it was some sort of glute strain right at the base of my pelvis. In my case it only lasted 3 weeks.
But I've spoken to a few people who have on-going Piriformis, some of whom have it mild (comes on if running too fast or too often), another who had it bad for over a year in his younger days (caused by running) and another who runs 4000 miles a year (!) but says he just lives with it.
The "number 4" stretch (numerous varieties) and the tennis ball seems to be the common treatment.
I'd certainly consider seeing a sports physio for a proper diagnosis though.
Good luck and hope it you can get it sorted properly and soon
John
Oh poor you- you have my sympathy. I have also been getting hip pain, exacerbated by running/walking uphill and upstairs. Saw the physio yesterday and was given some very gentle stretches. I realise now that I go at my stretches far too vigorously. I am told to do them to the point of pain but no further. Thats a new concept for me - I think the harder I do them the quicker I'll recover. Not the case apparently 
I have been told I am using my very strong quads to do alot of the work my weaker glutes shoud be doing, so will be working on those now - and no running for the next 10 days
I have heard the tennis ball is excellent, but getting a sports physio assessment of your injury is probably the best option for a speedy recovery, Good luck and hope it gets resolved soon. Its horrible not being able to run.
I feel your pain - literally 🙁, I saw a Physio/osteo yesterday and have been advised to not run 🏃🏽for a while 😪. They gave me all the above stretches to do as well as sit/wiggle on a hard ball (like a cricket ball, was told tennis ball too soft). Additionally I am tucking a well wrapped ice pack down my trousers for 20mins at a time - this appears to be helping loads as I can now walk almost normally albeit very slowly.
I am going seriously stir crazy, so as I was leaving asked if I could try riding my bike 🚲(not to fix the problem-just to get out) and was told yes but gently and not far.
Let's hope for a quick mend 🙏🏼
Thank you all LadyHelen jojo57 John_W Anniemurph Hidden Sandraj39 Irishprincess , haven't run since last Thursday, started doing some exercises but yet to get a tennis or cricket ball ..
My day job is sitting for pretty much 8 hours which doesn't help at all ... fingers crossed this is just a small break ... not sure I have got it in me for another long break .
Will keep you all posted
Oh no Rob. Sorry I'm not much help for that one but hope you get rid of it and fit soon 😊
Thanks aliboo70
Only had something very like that when i was pregnant!!! giving birth helped...
Seriously, horrid nagging pain...
runnersconnect.net/running-...
Don't know if there is anything here which might help ... big, gentle hug x
Thanks Oldfloss Think pregnancy is a tad beyond my powers 😁
Exercises seem to be help in but it comes and goes and today it is a killer !!
Hidden ...just remembered the other bit of advice the Physio gave me....re footwear, wear your running trainers as much as possible, as they have support and more importantly shock absorbing soles,when doing normal walking around
Hope it's getting better 🙂
Thanks LadyHelen I do normally wear my previous or of running shoe when I can at weekend's alas can't wear for work , smart casual requirements there
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