Dear reader,
Let’s get straight to it.
If you’ve ever experienced a deep ache in your buttock, a radiating sensation down your leg, or a weird feeling like your hip is “off-track”—you might be dealing with Piriformis Syndrome. And you’re not alone. At JANMI in Marylebone, I treat it almost daily, understanding the significant impact it has on many individuals.
In fact, I dare say this little muscle is responsible for more suffering than people realise.
And the shocking part?
Most people don’t even know it exists.
What is Piriformis Syndrome?
Piriformis Syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle—a small muscle located deep in the buttock, behind the gluteus maximus—irritates or compresses the sciatic nerve. The result? Pain, tingling, numbness, and tightness that often mimic sciatica.
And while the muscle itself is small, its consequences are massive—causing symptoms that can ruin your sleep, limit your mobility, and send you down a rabbit hole of GP visits and confusing MRI results that show… absolutely nothing.
Here’s the truth:
👉 You can have excruciating leg pain and no spinal injury whatsoever.
👉 The culprit could be a tight, inflamed piriformis muscle.
But why is this condition suddenly so common?
Evolution Check: What Changed?
Let’s go back—way back.
Our prehistoric ancestors didn’t need chairs. They didn’t sit for 10 hours a day in front of laptops. They squatted, climbed, moved through forests, carried things, and crouched beside rivers. The piriformis was designed to stabilise the femur and sacrum during highly dynamic movement. It was a supporting actor in the great drama of human locomotion.
But then… came the Industrial Revolution. And with it?
Chairs. Shoes. Lifts. Sofas. Sedentary living.
We began outsourcing our movement.
And the piriformis? It got stiff, confused, and angry.
Fast forward to today, where we spend more time seated than sleeping. The hip joint becomes immobilised. Glutes switch off. Hip rotators tighten. The piriformis, once a noble stabiliser, now becomes a compensator, a spasmer, and an accidental villain.
The Modern-Day Triggers
At JANMI Marylebone, I’ve tracked the common modern risk factors that aggravate piriformis syndrome. Here’s what to watch out for:
Sitting for Long Hours
Especially with poor posture or crossing legs. This shortens and compresses the piriformis over time.
Weak Glutes
When the gluteus maximus checks out, the piriformis tries to do its job. It’s not built for it.
Overtraining Without Mobility
Runners, cyclists, gym-goers often forget to stretch the deep hips. Result? A tight posterior chain.
High Heels & Poor Foot Mechanics
Bad footwear alters hip alignment, causing compensation all the way up the chain.
Emotional Stress
Yes—stress lives in the hips. I call it the “butt-clench reflex”. You know exactly what I mean.
What Will Happen in 20 Years?
Brace yourself.
If our sedentary trend continues, Piriformis Syndrome will become one of the leading causes of non-discogenic sciatica worldwide. This is a call to action to address this issue before it becomes even more prevalent.
Work-from-home lifestyles. AI-fuelled inactivity. Even more screen time. Fewer natural movements.
We may evolve into highly efficient thinkers… with atrophied glutes, spasming rotators, and permanent butt pain.
Unless… we change.
The JANMI Solution: Integrated Hands-On Reset
At JANMI Soft Tissue Therapy in Marylebone, I don’t just treat the symptoms—I listen to your whole kinetic chain.
My Integrated Therapy approach combines:
🔘 Trigger Point Therapy to deactivate those nasty hidden piriformis knots that refer pain down the leg.
🔘 Myofascial Release to soften the deep connective tissue web that’s holding the tension in place.
🔘 Sports Massage for recovery, blood flow, and to prep the tissue for deeper work.
🔘 Mobility & Strength Guidance to help you finally stop overusing the piriformis and activate the right muscles.
Each session is bespoke. Each treatment is personal.
I also include digital materials with tailored stretches and strengthening exercises, so you’re never left guessing what to do between sessions.
A Quick Glimpse Into the Treatment Room
Just last week, I worked with a 34-year-old personal trainer—yes, even the fit ones suffer—who came in convinced he had a slipped disc. Sciatic pain shooting down his leg, couldn’t sit longer than 5 minutes.
After testing, it was clearly piriformis-related.
Two trigger point sessions targeted fascia release, and activation drills later… he said:
“It’s like you switched something back on. I feel… rewired.”
That’s the JANMI reset.
Final Thoughts (From the Heart)
My dear reader,
I created JANMI not as a massage clinic… but as a sanctuary of precision healing.
And I say this sincerely: if you’ve been struggling with undiagnosed back or leg pain, if scans have shown nothing, if you're tired of the guesswork—please consider the piriformis. And more importantly, let us help.
Let’s stop numbing symptoms.
Let’s return to function.
Let’s give the piriformis the attention it never asked for—but desperately needs.
Visit JANMI in Marylebone
Your reset starts here.
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