The piriformis stretch is designed to be completed as directed by your Chiropractor. It targets the piriformis, a small muscle deep in the buttock that runs from the base of the spine to the top of the thigh bone, and it helps maintain motion in the low back and hip joints between your adjustments.

You may also hear this one called the seated figure-four stretch, because of the shape your legs make when you cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Same stretch, two names.

These stretches are like brushing your teeth. They need to be done regularly to keep you healthy between adjustments. A stretch done once after your appointment and then forgotten will not hold the improvement. A stretch done daily will.

Performing the Piriformis Stretch

The video below shows the stretch from start to finish. Watch it through once before you try it, so you know what the position should look like.

All you need is a chair. No mat, no equipment, and it takes under two minutes for both sides.

 

Step By Step

  1. Sit at the front of the chair. Come forward off the backrest so you have room to move, with both feet flat on the floor.
  2. Cross one leg across the top of the other. Rest your ankle just above the opposite knee so your legs form a figure four.
  3. Place one hand on your foot and the other on your knee. These give you something to steady the leg with as you move.
  4. Go as tall as you can. Chest out, shoulders back, head up. Set this position before you lean anywhere.
  5. Lead forward from the hip. Keep your chest and head up as you tip forward. The movement comes from the hip, not from rounding your back.
  6. Hold for seven deep breaths. You should feel the stretch in your bottom, through the glute. Breathe in and out slowly and let the muscle settle rather than forcing it further.
  7. Swap legs and repeat. Cross the other ankle over, sit tall, tip forward, and hold for another seven deep breaths in and out.

A few things worth watching. The stretch should feel like a firm pull deep in the buttock, never a sharp or shooting pain. Keep both sitting bones on the chair rather than letting one hip lift as you lean. And resist the urge to hunch, because rounding through the back takes the stretch off the piriformis and puts it through your lower spine instead.

If you are unsure whether you have the position right, bring it up at your next appointment and we will check your form. Small corrections make a large difference to how much you get out of it.

 

Benefits of the Piriformis Stretch

The piriformis sits directly over the sciatic nerve, and it tightens easily in anyone who spends long hours sitting, drives a lot, or trains regularly without stretching afterwards. Keeping it mobile does a few useful things.

  • Maintains motion in the low back and hips. This is the main reason we prescribe it. A tight piriformis restricts hip rotation, and the lower back ends up compensating for movement the hip should be providing.
  • Relieves tightness deep in the buttock. That dull ache through the glute after a long drive or a day at a desk usually responds well to this stretch.
  • Eases pressure around the sciatic nerve. Because the nerve passes beneath (and in some people, through) the piriformis, a tight muscle can contribute to the ache or tingling that travels down the back of the leg.
  • Supports your adjustments between visits. Restoring movement in clinic works better when the surrounding muscles are not pulling the joint straight back into restriction.
  • Helps with sitting tolerance. People who sit for a living tend to notice the difference within a couple of weeks of doing this daily.

Consistency matters more than intensity here. Two minutes a day will do more for you than one long session a week.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions about your form, or the stretch does not feel like it is doing what it should, ask your chiropractor at your next visit. We would rather correct it early than have you practising it incorrectly for months.

If you are dealing with ongoing back pain or tightness through the hips that stretching alone is not shifting, it is worth having the area properly assessed.

Book a consultation with Lamp Chiropractic, or call us on 9361 9300 and we will find a time that suits you.