Piriformis Muscle

The Piriformis Muscle is a small, pear-shaped muscle in the back of the hip area and is our deep sitting muscle.  This muscle creates a powerful compressive force that prevents the femoral neck from fracturing.  It reinforces the femoral neck and prevents it from bending while we walk and run.  Certain exercises increase activity in the piriformis muscle allowing it to compress the sciatic nerve with so much force that the nerve becomes damaged.

This muscle sits directly on top of the sciatic nerve, so it can be responsible for sciatic nerve pain.  To treat piriformis syndrome one should incorporate stretching with massaging of the piriformis to soften the muscle and reduce tension on the sciatic nerve.  This muscle is thickest at the sacrum area so its important to massage and loosen this specific area before stretching.

The most effective method to lengthen the piriformis is with the dynamic stretch technique.

There is a difference between piriformis syndrome and sciatic syndrome, let your massage therapist help you figure out what you suffering from.

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Muscle Fibers!

Muscle knots, which are muscle fibers that stick to each other and become adhered, are common in most people but it’s not normal to have them and they can lead to further damage.  If too much stress is placed on our muscles, tearing of the tissue can eventually leave scar tissue.  If this issue is left untreated the muscle will continue to lose elasticity and eventually cause postural stress that will cause further difficulties in the body.

Knots in the muscles can be caused by the posture we find ourselves in every day with work, like sitting a lot or working on a computer for hours and daily chores, or if we injure ourselves or become dehydrated.  Our muscles should be strong, pliable and challenged but this can be lost if we lose the mobility and flexibility in them.

We need to remember that our muscle fibers run in different directions in the body and a lot of our muscles are layered on top of each other and this is the reason why we can challenge our bodies the way we do with, sports, posture positions etc.

Massage can keep our muscles oxygenated, healthy and pliable relieving muscle pain and breaking up any adhesions.

So choose a lifestyle that will allow you take care of yourself - find time to relax and unwind.

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