Have you been diagnosed with piriformis syndrome and it won’t go away? You have been doing therapy consisting of soft tissue work and stretching but your pain continues? Maybe it’s even getting worse?
Let’s see if I can help!
A lot of people do not realize that there are 2 types of piriformis syndrome: Short Piriformis Syndrome and Long Piriformis Syndrome.
In short piriformis syndrome, the piriformis muscle is tight and in a shortened state. In this type of a piriformis syndrome, stretching and soft tissue therapy is often very effective.
HOWEVER, in long piriformis syndrome, the piriformis muscle is actually just weak. It’s in an elongated state. Therefore, the last thing we would want to do is stretch and roll it. This often actually aggravates the condition. In long piriformis syndrome, we want to strengthen the piriformis muscle!
In today’s video, I demonstrate how to evaluate if you are suffering from long piriformis syndrome. I then demonstrate 3 exercises that you can perform to help strengthen your piriformis muscle.
Perform these exercises every other day over the next 2-4 weeks and you should notice a big improvement in your piriformis syndrome.
Give these long piriformis syndrome exercises a try. After you do, let me know your thoughts. Leave me a comment in the comment section down below. I’d love to hear from you!
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43 Comments
Wah terima kasih banyak dok,, selama ini saya baru tau ada dua macam sindrom piriformis dan sepertinya saya adalah penderita sindrom piriformis panjang
Hi! When you do the clam shells, does it matter which side has contact with the floor?
Dr. Joe , ice or hot compress is good for long piriformis syndrome?
Ok, this is by far the best advice I’ve researched so far! I definitely have an elongated piriformis, according to these tests. Thank you!!
Thank for this. With the airplane on i have my pain side cracking a lot. is this good sign or bad sign ?
For the first 2 exercises do I lay/stand on the effected side or the opposite side?
Finally! This makes perfect sense and matches my experience 100%. I’m hopeful now! There’s only so much time a person can spend in pain, inactive on the couch …. Up and onwards to exercises!
Great advice.
Thank you for sharing this video. 🇳🇱
What gives with you having a lack of mobility in bringing each of your feet up onto the opposite knee? Im not trying to dog you! It's what I deal with. I've been trying to improve all kinds of muscle strength and mobility to fix it
And here you are so physically fit and I see you have this limitation as well
Do you know why?
What if both are the same
Glute bridges make it worse for me so its a under stretched periformis?
@OcraMedHealth is there any substitutions for the last one? I don't feel like I'm doing them right.
What if the painful side is less flexible, more stiff? Is that short piraformus?
OMG 4 weeks of being woken up in the middle of the night, walking around town at 3AM to floss the nerve to get some sort of relief all sorts of strengthening exercises that barely helped and not being able to sit down for more than 2 minutes without feeling discomfort in the hip. 4 weeks of throbbing pain fixed in 3 sets of 3 exercises. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
This info is GOLD🎉 I do have the long one, and nothing seems to improve it, except when I do yoga, which have some of the poses/exercises shown here. Thank you❤🎉😊
This makes sense. I definitely have short periformas. I won't have to waste time doing exercises.
Thank you for making this video! I’ve been dealing with piriformis and sciatic pain coming up on 12 months now. I threw my back out for a week May 2025 and as soon as that recovered, the pain went immediately to the piriformis since then. I went from reaching well beyond my toes in a pike (or standing) to experiencing severe pain in the piriformis when reaching at a 90 degree angle in the hips (standing and sitting). Have been through muscle relaxers, chiropractor, acupuncture, massage therapy, 4 months of PT, every little gadget to target the piriformis, etc.
Finally got a Dr. with more experience in the neuromusculoskeletal department and we’re slowly finding the issues (SI joint and iliopsoas are on the radar now).
To make a long story short, I will be adding these exercises to my new PT routine! I’m still looking to get scans to ensure there’s no other underlying issues playing into my condition, but seeing someone diving into the nuances of piriformis syndrome is refreshing – of all the content I’ve seen you are the first to even mention long vs short piriformis syndrome! THANK YOU 🙌🏼
Thank you for explaining this
I thought I had long term piriformis because my right leg is more flexible. But when I do a tennis ball on my right side it is quite painful in the bottom of the butt and on the side of my upper buttocks. The tennis ball gave me relief.
Both my leg makes like 90 degree when i put them on each other. The problem is when i put my painful leg up on to of the other knee, the doesnt allow me to sit it keeps pushing me back which i had to take support from both my hands. So, do i have long or short piriformis?
Thank you. Decent of you to share this information.
Excellent 👌🏽
sir i have the opposite priformis syndrome, my pain is in the left side and when i put my left foot over my right, its very stiff, what do you recomend
thank you
This is amazing. I been massaging the area, figure 4 stretches etc. got no relief! I will try this strengthening regime
The docs did a Piriformis test and said I have a spine problem. PT for my spine makes things worse. I have had a miscrodisectomy which made no difference and perhaps made the situation a bit worse. I have been dealing with the problem for years. I am afraid to do your exercises because they look too intense for me. I will try them and see. There is no difference between sides with your test in the video. I am at the point where I am thinking I must accept I will never sit comfortably again.
You are amazing😢 thanks you but pleas how can we know if we herniated sic instead OR both pridormis and hernia ❤ thanks
For the first exercise, is it that painful leg should on top?
Que hacer cuando el músculo piriforme esta acortado??
Gracias
Omg ty so much been in pain for a month this video was a god send
Anything that can help me! My pair of Farm syndrome has been going on again off again for two years! I feel like I used to be an active person… Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
I am dealing w this 7 weeks post total
Hip posterior approach -rt side. Great procedure but my sciatica is irritated a bit. Any advice ?
So we only do the exercises on one side?
i'm going too try td like too ask sir are there any minerals and vitamins we can take too heal this as well thank you .
Ok this makes sense!! I am very flexible on left side! Going to work on these exercises. Thank you so much.’
Can you share a beginner version for mature and out of shape adults? I want to share this video but I know they will have challenges. Thanks
Thank you sir for your sharing, very usefull!
Well, then i have a short piriformis syndrome, my right side (the hurting one), is MEGA stiff
I have had this for 2 wks now. I believe I overworked it. I was stressed and went on a crazy workout. 3 days later, I was in pain. I thought it was sciatica, but my sciatica is on the left side, and I didn't have any pain until I did the crazy workout.
I have short, the painful side will not stretch down, it hurts. Should I do the same exercises?
Very nicely explained.
How do I address a short , or if there is a tight pyRiformis and the internal rotation at hip is less on painful side when relaxing when lying down. I'm unable to fold it at the knee without pain
Thank you ❤
Thanks a lot. I will be indebted to you forever. I have this pain for 25 years and these 3 exercises work a miracles.
First time I've heard of the distinction between long and short. I definitely have LONG. Nothing else is working and its been TWO YEARS. I am so exhausted with this and it HURTS. Not sore. HURTS. Hurts to walk, stand, do housework, stairs. However, I did these exercises and can tell it's building strength around the area of pain. And while firing those muscles, definitely felt some relief. Going to give this a chance and work on it. Thank you for giving us the difference. No one else mentions it, and I can see there definitely is one.