Question
Hello.
I am 58 year sof age.
Sport - golf, & tend to bash hundreds of balls at ranges.
Recently developed pain in right thigh under buttocks so that I had to take my right leg off the ground when swinging through.
2 weeks ago, having struggled through a painful round of golf, I developed a numb right foot (OUtside heel to toe). Chiropractor suspected disc problem but cannot trace any positive signs of this.
Doctor has prescribed anti inflammatories.
Foot still very numb, pain occurs in buttock area and down to back of knee joint when straight-leg stretching.
All other bodily functions are normal. I do not smoke, 5ft 9 in height and 11 stone weight.

Could this be piriformus syndrome?
If so how best to treat?

Thank you.

Martin Black

Answer
Martin:

Thanks for writing.

This could very easily be piriformis syndrome. It is very difficult to diagnose a sciatica (pain down the back of the leg) as coming from a disc, a misplacement of the bones in the back or a piriformis muscle. The only way to know is to try it and see if it works.(usually)

Correction of the piriformis can be done by the patient. Simply stand or lay on your back, move the affected leg with the knee straight, out away from your body. In other words, move the right foot to the right as far as you can. Then turn the toes out so they point away from the body.

If this makes the pain worse, rest the leg back in the middle of the body, and wait two minutes. Try it again. If the pain is now gone, it was a piriformis syndrome and you have corrected it. If it makes the pain very much worse, you could wait and try it again, but it very likely is a ruptured disc. Or it could be a bone out of place in your back, but I would think the chiro would have corrected that. To be sure, go to another chiro for a second opinion before you agree to surgery. You could do this procedure many time, if needed, unless it makes the pain worse each time. Then you should not do it any more.

Vit. E or wheat germ oil will support and nourish the piriformis.

Dr. Rozeboom