Piriformis Syndrome

     This particular condition occurs in women, 6 to 1 over men. It can literally be a pain in the butt. I am a sponsor for the Mid-Maryland Triathletes Club, MMTriClub, here in Columbia and that means that I get a lot email about races as well as the physical issues encountered by these runners, swimmers and bikers.
     The piriformis muscle is a smallish adductor connecting the front of the pelvis to the spine, more or less. And when you train at this level, it has a tendency to get overworked and compress the sciatic nerve leading to rear end discomfort or sciatic issues, that's the short version anyway. Massages, stretches, and pain relieving drugs are usual venues.
     In acupuncture parlance, it usually falls into one of three camps: Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis, Liver Depression or Liver-Kidney Yin Vacuity, if you're interesested in the jargon.
     The crayons in order, not so much.

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When there is free flow, there is no pain and when there is no free flow, there is pain. - Alex Tiberi