Piriformis syndrome, which is a major cause for low back pain, occurs when the piriformis muscle has spasms or is tight, which puts added pressure on the sciatic nerve. Pain can spread from the low back down through a person's leg and also restrict range of motion in the hip. Piriformis syndrome most commonly occurs when imbalances in the core muscles pull the pelvic bones and hips out of place, which causes the piriformis muscle to contract and shorten, placing added strain on the muscle. Rowers are particularly susceptible to this injury because of the repetitive rowing motion and sitting for long periods of time.
Piriformis Syndrome
The piriformis muscle is one of the small muscles deep in the buttocks that rotates the leg outwards. It runs from the base of the spine and attaches to the upper part of the femur in the thigh. Piriformis syndrome starts by putting pressure on the sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in your body. Irritating the sciatic nerve causes pain or numbness in the buttocks and along the nerve, often down through the leg. The pain may worsen because of sitting for a long period of time or because of repetitive rowing movements .
Causes
In addition to being imbalanced in a sitting position, sometimes pain is caused by overuse of the piriformis muscle, which is the primary cause in rowers. An overused muscle is susceptible to tightening and muscle spasms. Piriformis syndrome can also be caused by over pronation of the foot, which turns the knee inward causing the piriformis muscle to activate to prevent over-rotation of the knee. Bad rowing form may also cause piriformis syndrome and other injuries like muscle pulls or tears.
Treatment
Piriformis syndrome can be reversed. Cease rowing or doing other strenuous repetitive activities like running to give the piriformis muscle a much needed rest. Alternating between heat pads and ice packs may also help relieve the pain. Stretching the piriformis muscle and hip rotators will assist the rehabilitation of the piriformis muscle as it relieves pain. Physical therapy may be required if these initial treatments don't work. A therapist may use deep massages and range of motion exercises of the hips to aid recovery. In more extreme cases a, doctor may inject an anesthetic or a corticosteroid into the piriformis muscle to reduce inflammation and pain.
Return to Rowing
Once symptoms of the disorder have subsided, people may return to rowing but they will need to gradually increase intensity and session time to prevent injuries. Include stretching of the hips and low back to the workout regimen. Exercise the abductors, adductors and core muscles to ensure balance throughout the core and hip region. Balanced strength in these areas will prevent a reoccurring injury to the piriformis and improve the rowing motion.
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