MYOFASCIAL RELEASE FOR Piriformis : SCIATICA
PIRIFORMIS
This muscle originates at the anterior portion of the sacrum to the greater trochanter of the femur. The piriformis is a muscle that acts as an external rotator for the hip/femur. In dysfunction caused by hip flexor dominance, the piriformis will be introduced in the dysfunctional cycle of external rotation as a result of deficient gluteus maximus function. In the dysfunctional movement cycle, the gluteus maximus will set the tone for external rotation and the piriformis will act to hardwire the external rotation as a new association. It will act as the direct antagonistic inhibitor to the hip internal rotators and hip adductors, preventing the neutral stance where the feet are straight forward.
This neutral stance is what the body needs for a balanced posture in the lower extremities. A common problem with people who have externally rotated hips will typically be sever dysfunction in transverse plane movement. Since the transverse plane is the most common movement a human will functionally do in reality, it is one plane of motion you do not want to screw up.
By directly releasing the piriformis, we will aid the body in addressing the dysfunction of external hip rotation. To break through the superficial layers of the glutes, you will want a movement oriented form of myofascial release. This region can be very painful for people with extreme hip imbalances, so a foam roller might be a good alternative for regression.
PIRIFORMIS SMR (PVC PIPE)
Place the PVC pipe on the outer portions of the glutes. From there you can go about 4 inches laterally and medially to hit the Piriformis at its exposed spots. Be sure to cross the leg over that you are releasing so that the Piriformis is in an exposed position when applying pressure.