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Piriformis Muscle Stretch:Īfter thorough release, it can be therapeutic to stretch and lengthen the Piriformis muscle. QL Claw is great for Piriformis trigger point release because its massaging end was designed to mimic the elbow of a massage therapist. Piriformis Muscle Massage:ĭeep tissue release of the Piriformis muscle can be done by the hands of a trained physical or massage therapist, or at home with a targeted massage tool. Piriformis muscle pain can be mitigated at home through effective deep tissue massage, stretching, and strengthening. Piriformis Muscle Pain Pattern (left) Combatting Piriformis Muscle Pain This pain is typically cause by a high impact event, but can be made worse by long periods of sitting or inactivity. The left image below illustrates this with the bright red pattern. Piriformis pain can be felt near the tailbone, outer glute, or even the upper hamstring.
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Even the comedian Sinbad talks about the pains of the Piriformis in one of his bits. Unfortunately, the Piriformis muscle is most often known due to the pains it can cause. It is during these cuts and explosive movements that the Piriformis muscle is subject to overuse, strain, and trigger points when one is untrained. Sports like tennis, football, and basketball require effort from the Piriformis muscle in order to make cuts and explosive movements. Piriformis is very active during high impact sports, particularly in sports with lateral movements. To contract the Piriformis muscle, rotate the leg outward so that the knee is pointing toward the side of the body.
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The Piriformis muscle predominantly functions as an external hip rotator. Piriformis Muscle Piriformis Muscle Function Piriformis connects from the sacrum (tailbone) to the greater trochanter (top of the femur) and runs underneath the large Gluteus Maximus muscle. The Piriformis muscle is known as the largest of the hip rotator muscles. The Piriformis muscle connects from the sacrum (tailbone) to the top of the femur, and has the capacity to cause a ton of pain in the body. The Piriformis muscle is a deep glute muscle and a powerful external hip rotator.
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