Piriformis syndrome occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or pinched by the piriformis muscle of the hip. It usually only affects one hip at a given time, though both hips may produce piriformis syndrome at some point in the patient's lifetime, and having had it once greatly increases the chance that it will recur in one hip or the other at some future point unless action is taken to prevent it. Indications include sciatica (radiating pain in the buttock, posterior thigh, and lower leg) and the physical exam finding of tenderness in the area of the sciatic notch. If the piriformis muscle can be located beneath the other gluteal muscles, it will feel noticeably cord-like and will be painful to compress or massage. The pain is exacerbated with any activity that causes flexion of the hip including lifting, prolonged sitting, or walking. The diagnosis is largely clinical and is one of exclusion. During a physical examination, attempts may be made to stretch the irritated piriformis and provoke sciatic nerve compression, such as the Freiberg test, the Pace test, the FABER test (flexion, abduction, external rotation), and the FAIR test (flexion, adduction, internal rotation). Sciatica secondary to conditions to be ruled out include herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), facet arthropathy, spinal stenosis, and lumbar muscle strain. Pathology in the sacroiliac joint region, Sacroiliac joint dysfunction and Sacroiliitis are other conditions that present with pain in the low back and hip regions, which may radiate down along the back of the thigh, rarely going down below knee. Wallet neuritis is an extra-spinal tunnel neuropathy of sciatic nerve, occurring mostly in men. Sitting down on a thick Wallet in the back pocket produces uneven pressure in the hip region that impinges on the Piriformis muscle and / or sciatic nerve. Wallet induced chronic sciatic nerve constriction produces gluteal and ipsilateral lower extremity pain, tingling, and burning sensation. Diagnostic modalities such as ultrasound Imaging, MRI, CT scan, and EMG are mostly useful in excluding other conditions. Increased thickness iTh and increased cross‐sectional area iCSA for piriformis muscle may be demonstrated on ultrasound imaging and MRI. Magnetic resonance neurography is a<unk>  imaging technique that can show the presence of irritation of the sciatic nerve at the level of the sciatic notch where the nerve passes under the piriformis muscle. However, Magnetic resonance neurography is considered "investigational/not<unk> ly necessary" by some insurance companies. Neurography can determine whether or not a patient has a split sciatic nerve or a split piriformis muscle – this may be important in getting a good result from injections or surgery. Image guided injections carried out in an open MRI scanner, or other 3D image guidance can accurately relax the piriformis muscle to test the diagnosis. Other injection methods such as blind injection, fluoroscopic guided injection, ultrasound, or EMG guidance can work but are not as reliable and have other drawbacks.
medical cause of Sciatica
medical cause of Piriformis syndrome
symptom of Sciatica
causes of Sciatica
symptom of Legius syndrome
symptom of Carpal tunnel syndrome
symptom of Ankylosing spondylitis
complications of Patellar dislocation