I'm nearing the end of my marathon cycle and have been battling piriformis for about a month. Up until the last 3 weeks I was running around 70 mile weeks, with my peak week at 80 miles. This is my first time with this and have been stretching, icing and taking Advil, all of which help. I have a message scheduled for Tuesday. Unfortunately this has kept me from running much in the last 3 weeks and am starting to feel the marathon slip away. Just hoping for any recommendations of what I could do beyond what I have done already to at least salvage the marathon. Does anyone know of a great stretch or exercise to improve the irritation quickly.
Posted in order of effectiveness, using the the third one only when my ass is on fiyah!
Mmmmm...beer
The middle stretch that LRB posted is what worked for me, but slightly modified. Scoot to the edge of the chair and then put your right arm (assuming the same position as the picture) between your legs and your left arm on the outside of your left leg, that will allow you to stretch further down.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
I had a most horrible case of piriformis back in 2005 (which I made the stupid mistake of ignoring
and continuing to run until I was in so much pain I couldn't sit on that cheek) that kept me from
running for 3 months.
That was the only time in my 14 years of running that an injury has kept me from running. I learned
a lot from that experience.
I have been able to manage it over the years by not running too many miles, paying close attention
to how it feels especially at the end of a marathon cycle, cycling several times a week plus an almost
fanatically strict stretching regime.
I do all of those stretches daily. Another good one is to modify the bottom one to a position where you
are lying on the floor with your legs in the same position and lowering yourself down as far as the leg will
allow.
Best thing ever though is a massage my phyio did during therapy which I now have my hubby do. If you
have someone who is willing to massage the sore spot with their elbow get them to do it. It is much more
effective than the tennis ball technique.
Best of luck to you!
delicate flower
I was dealing with it from late 2011 through all of 2012. It hurt but it never stopped me from running. It was just a seriously nagging pain. Taking the first half of 2013 off due to knee surgery helped, but it came back as soon as I started ramping the mileage back up. I've made a real effort lately to take care of it. The first stretch that LRB posted has helped me the most. I try to get a deep stretch and really push that hip out. When the muscle hurts like heck, I know I'm stretching it right. I also bought a lacrosse ball and use it to really get a deep massage right on the pain...sit on the ball and roll it out (frikkin ouch). I also make sure to stretch my hamstrings. I do these stretches every day.
Over the past six weeks, the pain has all but disappeared. What a relief. I'm not taking any chances though and continue to do my stretching.
<3
rather be sprinting
Long-term, strengthening is more important than stretching. Glute maximus most specifically ( but also hip flexors, abductors, adductors) if weak, will cause the piriformis to fire instead in compensation. Many, many runners lack glute strength, even those who are very fast and strong.
PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56
Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb
kween
I am just getting over it. It's a recurring problem and I am not sure what it's related to. Maybe increased mileage, maybe increased speed. I don't know but it always seems to happen to me when I train very hard.
I iced, stretched, rolled, taped, got a massage, took anti-inflammatories, but the only time I experienced marked improvement was when I stopped running for almost two week.
It still acts up a little, with a tightness in the glutes and hammies, but at least I can sit comfortably now.
Nolite te bastardes carborundum.
I was dealing with it from late 2011 through all of 2012. It hurt but it never stopped me from running. It was just a seriously nagging pain. Taking the first half of 2013 off due to knee surgery helped, but it came back as soon as I started ramping the mileage back up. I've made a real effort lately to take care of it. The first stretch that LRB posted has helped me the most. I try to get a deep stretch and really push that hip out. When the muscle hurts like heck, I know I'm stretching it right. I also bought a lacrosse ball and use it to really get a deep massage right on the pain...sit on the ball and roll it out (frikkin ouch). I also make sure to stretch my hamstrings. I do these stretches every day. Over the past six weeks, the pain has all but disappeared. What a relief. I'm not taking any chances though and continue to do my stretching.
You mean a pain in the ass, no?
I do the ones LRB recommended and also, if you have the foam roller, do the first stretch atop the roller and also roll the piriformis until you scream so loud the neighbors panic.
Damaris
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Thanks everyone. Hopefully it will help. Sounds like shutting it down a couple of weeks ago was the right choice and I'm glad I did. I would never had thought this could be that serious, since it really is just a nagging dull ache most of the time. Scap-I agree with you about strengthening those muscles.
DR-Yes, absolutely a pain in my ass, lol
LRB-I have been doing the 3rd one only on the ground about 6x a day, which has helped. I hadn't thought of the others and will try them pronto. Thanks
Baboon-That lacrosse ball thing doesn't sounds fun, but will try it asap.
This is a great explanation. I'm not good about stretching so the weight machines help strengthen.
When I do get piriformis ART helps a lot.
Also in agreement with the strength aspect. Mine has been much better since I started cycling a lot more over the last 5 years. I cycle a lot of hills. Despite running more and starting full marathons after having the original injury it is better because al my muscles are stromger.
The piriformis might not be the source of the problem. When mine acts up, it's usually in response to something else. Right now, my left calf keeps tightening up. I hurt from my hindquarter all the way to my foot. I've been working on that calf, and magically everything else disappears.
I also had a case of it one time that was my quads. I was rolling the piriformis, with little relief. One day I flopped over and rolled my quads, and *poof*, the piriformis quit hurting.
Women are usually more pliable than men but over emphasis on strengthening is what cost me my goal marathon this year. The ratio is different for everyone but for me and my body composition, I probably need to be around 70/30 stretching to strengthening for a while. A long while!
I am not sure I will ever be able to go beyond a 50/50 split.
I'm dealing a glute problem right now, which I sometimes think is piriformis, but also might be related to an injury from when I was a kid (the glute muscle is actually still split with a groove through that "cheek"). The stretches shown do help, along with rolling. You could also google these yoga poses: pigeon pose and cow-face legs. They both get into the glute/hip really well.
20,000 miles behind me, the world still to see.
Mine acted up and the middle stretch helped me too.
I also sat on a tennis ball and rolled around. Watch out when you find THE sore spot with the tennis ball it hurts like a MOFO! Brought tears. Ha.
Good lucK
~~~~~~~
Traci