What is a Piriformis Syndrome and why is an injection helpful?
This is a condition characterized by pain in the hip and buttock that can radiate up into the lower back and down the leg especially into the back of the thigh. It is caused by entrapment of the sciatic nerve as it passes through the piriformis muscle in the buttock. The pain is made worse by rotating the femur (big bone of the upper leg) inward, which causes pressing of the sciatic nerve against the origin of the piriformis muscle. Treatment of this condition includes therapy and medication to relieve pressure and reduce muscle spasm and inflammation. An injection into the muscle using a local anesthetic and cortisone medication may be helpful in reducing inflammation and pain which may make it easier to participate in therapy to further reduce pressure, spasm, and inflammation. What happens during the procedure? The injection is performed utilizing Fluoroscopy (Xray) to visualize and guide the injection needle into the muscle. The patient is asked to lie on their abdomen on the x-ray
