The piriformis syndrome (also called the “piriformis syndrome band”) is a group of the shoulder, upper back and hip problems. The piriformis is a muscle, meaning that it wraps around and supports the humerus, the bone on the front of the upper arm. The piriformis syndrome is a muscle that can cause pain, tightness, and even inflammation in the shoulder area. Many people experience some degree of piriformis syndrome pain and dysfunction on a fairly regular basis. To get the best piriformis syndrome exercises and stretches, it’s important to work with strengthening exercises that strengthen the entire piriformis and surrounding muscles.

Common Exercises

One of the most common piriformis syndrome exercises involves standing on an exercise ball or stability step. This exercise allows for increased stabilization in the shoulder and provides resistance for stretching and strengthening of the muscles of the back. You can do this by using an exercise ball from the floor up towards a wall or from a chair. Make sure to balance yourself properly so that you don’t put too much pressure on your back and cause more damage. You’ll be doing piriformis syndrome exercises that target the piriformis but also stretching and strengthening of the other muscles in the upper back and shoulders.

Another of the piriformis syndrome exercises can be done sitting on a hard surface with your feet crossed. Make sure to fully contract your quadriceps at the peak of the movement, squeeze the glutes, and hold for three seconds. Repeat this several times for each side. These piriformis syndrome exercises and stretches to target the hip flexors, hamstrings, and abductors, and help restore balance to your pelvis and hip flexors.

Another piriformis syndrome exercise is to inhale and exhale deeply while bending your knees and raising your buttocks. Bend your knees to a point that is slightly higher than your hips. Keep your arms hanging by your sides. Next, inhale, and contract your glutes as you extend your legs. Repeat this several times for each side.

Stretches

Piriformis syndrome stretches are very important for preventing injury of the piriformis syndrome muscle group. These stretches should not be used if you already have an injury or condition of the piriformis syndrome. To start piriformis syndrome exercises and stretches, it’s important to stretch and strengthen the hamstring, adductor, and hip flexor muscles first. Many times people will start a workout routine with these muscles included; however, they are rarely worked out as part of a full-body routine. A well-balanced workout program that includes these three muscles should include piriformis syndrome exercises at least twice a week.

The best piriformis syndrome stretches are those that target the piriformis, as well as the surrounding hips and knees. Targeting the piriformis only minimizes the chances of injury, but it doesn’t ensure that you will get optimal results. For best results, it’s best to target the piriformis along with the other muscles in the workout routine. Exercises that focus solely on the piriformis can force your body to compensate, so that your piriformis muscles may become overactive and cause you pain.

Other Exercises

Some of the most common piriformis syndrome exercises include lying leg raises and cat pose, which strengthens the piriformis and gluteus muscles. Incline sit-ups and mountain climber pose to strengthen the piriformis and gluteus muscles. Standing raise is the best way to work on the piriformis, as it targets the entire piriformis muscle. Another good exercise for the piriformis syndrome is standing parallel to a wall and raising one leg until it’s out of the water. Repeat this exercise twenty times.

Now it’s time to move on to exercise the arms. To stretch the arms, it’s recommended to do overhead triceps extension. To do this exercise, inhale and bend your elbows, while slowly pressing your triceps towards the ceiling. exhale and then bring your arms back to normal position, and hold for four seconds. Repeat for as many times as you can, using each arm for maximum effect.