Piriformis Syndrome: A Real Pain in the Butt!
A comical look at a common pain in the butt, piriformis syndrome in marathon runners, with diagnosis and treatement options as well as tips for avoiding this common injury.
It could not have been a worse day to run a marathon, Anne thought. It was a cold, wet day, and by mile 18, she had a “cramp” in her hamstring and into her butt. It continued to get worse and worse as it got colder and colder. First she described that her fourth toe went numb, then the entire bottom of her foot. By the time she got to mile 24, she relates being freezing, wet, miserable, and could not feel her left foot or calf! Quit? Never! It’s not even in her vocabulary….Although her running friends that were doing their best to drag her to the finish kept encouraging her, Anne was convinced she had somehow severed her sciatic nerve with the muscle spasm in her butt! What was going on? Piriformis syndrome!