piriformis syndrome

[todi]

How many of you have encountered it, what do you suspect caused it, and what did you have to do in dealing with it?

This is the first time I've encountered it on myself and I think it is the result of being too diligent in the correction of my posture in form work, trying for a deeper ma bo stance in ma bo stance training, trying for lower stances and slower movement in Tai Chi, and not mixing up my training routine enough. I train in Hung Gar by myself (up to 3 hours a day) and my sifu comes in for a few days every couple of months to load me down with forms. I end up practicing a lot of stuff in repetition with just a little variation during the week (been doing this for 2.6 years). I feel fine when I work out but then after I finish and cooled down for a bit, the muscle spasms and I get a deep pain in the butt. If I work out it's fine, if I sit, it's fine, if I squat it's fine, but if I stand in a static position.... that's when it really hurts.

I'm a PT but, unlike the other PT that frequents this forum, I work with people who are severely developmentally disabled in an ICF facility and I don't treat the general population with exercise related injuries. So the information is not fresh with me on a daily basis- I treat myself, I'm my own PT. I'm well versed on core strengthening, stretching and all preventive measures and I practice them but this particular problem has never surfaced in my 25+ years of exercising - even when I use to run 40 miles a week on top of everything. I've had low back pain that I got under control, proximal hamstring tendonitis on the same side as this piriformis problem that I got under control, but never have had a piriformis problems before. It palpates hypertonic and it's attachment at the sacral end is very tender to the touch.

What has been your experience with this in your martial arts training and what did you do to get rid of it? And oh, because I know I'll be asked, no, my iliotibial band is not too tight and I have good hamstring flexibility to that side. Currently, low back feels wonderful.... good for an active 51 year old man.

[FooFighter]

I do not know if would help you. This is a draft of an article I am working on for CST magazine which is posted on their forums:

"One of invisible bars of the cage that can limit your body flow is myofasica density. Myofasica density is a condition that can be caused by a numbers of things such as dehydration, nutritional deficiency, mental stress, excessive strain, trauma, and the lack of movements. This condition is usually manifested in the body as a dense leathery muscular strap or knots in a particular area. This condition restricts proper circulation, the removal of waste and toxicity, and limits mobility, which all contributes to your loss of vitality, strength, and flow. If nothing is done to treat this condition, then it may also create or reinforced other dysfunctional habits such as sensory motor amnesia, residual muscular tension, and fear reactivity. However, there are simple ways we can remove and prevent myofasica density. In CST and Rmax, we have many innovative programs to enhance one’s vitality, strength, and flow. However, I would like to give my opinions on how to resolve myofasica density to those who are not practicing Rmax and CST.

1. Go to an excellent holistic alternative health care provider who can assess your condition and provide the best general and specific treatments to remove any blockages in order to restore your vitality and flow.
2. Go to a licensed nutritionist who specializes in a well balanced diet (not a fad diet or selling multi-level-marketing based supplements) or start eating healthier by using your intuition. In many cases your body will knows what its need and do not need. The question is will you follow your body’s wisdom?
3. Go to a licensed Rolfer or get massage therapy done once every two weeks or more often if you can afford it. I prefer Tui-Na (Chinese method) bodywork.
4. Go learn to let go of stress through meditation, self help methods, prayer, power napping, time management courses, tai chi, and playing hide and seek. Try to be the predator and not the prey in hide and seek. There is less stress in being the predator, but it is more fun when you have a good hiding place.
5. Go seek out a proactive forum member who is also a CST instructor and learn more about flow and optimal performance or seek out a sport conditioning specialist or NASM OPT certified trainer who knows how to remove myofasica density.

One the best low cost manners to rid and prevent myofasica density is the daily practice of Coach Sonnon’s Warrior Wellness™, BodyFlow, Prime Your Energy, and Head Coach Dan’s mobility program. There are numerous positive comments of folks of all different ages, sizes, goals, and backgrounds who have benefited from these programs. If you have these programs and it is collecting dust, then dust it off and get started now. It is sad when people waste their investment in their own health and education. Please get support by making friends on the CST forums then make it happen, Captain. These programs helped me and I know it can help you. I have discovered a way to enhance these programs by developing a myofasica release method using Clubbells®, which worked very effectively on Ryan Murdock, CST and Editor of CST magazine, when I did his assessment at the Eta seminar.

(TO BE CONTINUE...) Sorry folks, I have to meet my girlfriend. I promise you that the Clubbell® myofasica release method will be awesome for your CST."

I hope this helps....

Yours in CST,
Bao

[todi]

Thank you for the response, FooFighter.
Structural work would probably be a good way to tackle it... I was a practicing massage therapist before I went to PT school at the ripe old age of 42 and I'm trying to reconnect to that side of my life as it did have value. I could use someone that knows their way around the postural muscles and do some myofascial release. Also, when it can take it, a good elbow in the piriformis.
One thing you hit on that I feel is definitely a factor - dehydration. I work out out doors in the afternoon and it's been extremely hot, with heat indexes of 105 to 110 (today). I try to get up early in the morning but I can only fit about an hour work out before work and I do the heavy stuff in the afternoon when it still hasn't cooled enough. Muscles don't work as well, or fatigue quickly, in this heat. Slow twitch fatigues and the fast twitch try to take over the responsibilty of stability.
I've never had this problem before but it is close to being as debilitating as low back pain. What I kind of feel is that upon getting on top of one problem causes a related one to appear that was hidden before. I need someone to deconstruct my left side from thoracic on down and start motor re-learning to move as it was meant to: from initiating muscle sequences from the stabilizers on out to the movers.
What I understand about this (and some doctors I understand don't consider it real) is that PS is a RSI that is hard to control. I do know that my butt hurts right over the location of the priformis with some swelling..... I'm sure the other external rotators are involved as is the hamstrings, glutes and whatever. Stretch and then Strengthen (should have that tattooed somewhere).
I wish I could work on myself as I could start the deconstruction process and get it healed but the most I can do is roll a tennis ball under my butt and that isn't quite the same.
I have found a man that teaches Chen Style Tai Chi in the park at 7 a.m. on Sunday mornings. I met him last week: I introduce myself and explain that I'm a student of Hung Gar. He looks at me and asks, You study Hung Gar?" Can I ask how old you are?" I tell him I'm 51 and he lets out the loudest belly laughs I have ever heard. He's suppose to be an acupuncturist so, when I meet him in the park for a lesson, I'll see what he can offer. I will try to find a good body worker as I think that will be important for me to carry on as a over the hill Hung Gar student.

[FooFighter]

todi,

It was my pleasure sharing what I know. Please call me Bao (its my real name). "FooFighter" is just a cyber screen name. Thank you for reading my article and seeing some value in it. Perhaps structure or somatic work might be the answer. I wished you lived or work around my area (NYC) then perhaps we can work together to help recover your problem.

If you want to do recover from your condition and increase your martial art performance, then I highly recommend Coach Sonnon's Warrior Wellness http://www.rmax.tv/warrior.html, Be Breathe http://www.rmax.tv/bebreathed.html, and lastly (opitional) Bodyflow http://www.rmax.tv/kinetic.html. I truly believe these Rmax programs can help you because I have seen the results.

Since you were a practicing massage therapist before a PT, then maybe you will have to revist that area and have an excellent massage therapist work on you, brother. When I am finishing my "myofasica release clubbell method" article I will make sure to send it you so that you can get around the postural muscles and do some myofascial release on yourself.

I wish you best in your process of healing and self discovery with the Chen style Tai CHi and Hung Gar. By the way, you are never too old to study anything. However, you can greatly benefit from softwork because of your wealth of experience in hardwork (Hung Gar). If I can do anything to help you, please feel free to PM me.

Yours in CST (circular strength training),
Bao
BaoTran@CSTCOACH.com

[Vajramusti]

Sounds like some good advice from Bao and Chris.

Competent tui na is much better IMO than standard massage treatments
and standing relaxed in positions where there there is no pain is a good supplement IMO again.

Todi- I have lived in many places including Tallahassee. Count your blessings in summertime- the heat and heat related deaths ---much worse in Phoenix than in Tallahasse.

joy chaudhuri

[todi]

Thank you all for the valuable and extremely intelligent responses. The PT profession is in need of more practicioners such as Chris. Believe me, there is so much "Shake and Bake" PT in this town.

Chris,
I recieved your last pm and I agree with entirely - your right about the assumptions on posture and such. I use to get sick of hearing about asymetrical shoulders in massage school as a need to work on the psoas. Counterstrain - it hit me last night as I went to bed frustrated because of the pain and the paresthesia in my left leg. I thought, "you idiot" and put the muscle in a lax position and went to town with eschemic compression on the trigger points. It always amazes me to feel a muscle finally let loose and lengthen back out. I've taken a couple of days from training until the muscle heals and that makes me anxious but it needs to be done.

Vajramusti,
Your comment on standing in relaxed positions makes more sense to me now after my 2nd lesson with the Chen stylist teacher in the park at 7 a.m. this Sunday. I finally started to get a glimpse of what "sinking down" means, something that my Hung Gar teacher has been stressing for awhile. He had me stand in a posture that is counter to what I always thought was "correct" posture. He wasn't pushing "bad" posture on me, he was showing me "relaxed" posture. After standing there for over an hour working on the concepts he gave me, I felt my muscles truly loose tension for the first time. I am indeed a baby in martial arts but finding something that will keep me entertained the rest of my life because I'll never master it is very gratifying.
Believe me, people in Tallahassee want to feel that they are singled out for having the worse heat. We like to complain about the heat and humidity as if no one else experiences it. I have certainly read about the heat related deaths in Phoenix and I know our heat pales here in relation to that.
Oh, by the way, you know my Hung Gar Sifu, Tony Brown, as I read some posts by you on him in the past. Thank you for the support you expressed for him during his tsunami relief efforts in these forums. I see him about once every couple of months and he will be visiting me again in October after he returns from Norway. He is truly a remarkable person and I am grateful for the fact that he has again agreed to teach me after so many years. He knows I'm hopless but he still gives me the same dedication and concern he shows all his students. There is a lot to be learned from him.