Originally Posted by
jimmuller
Got hit with a seriously painful muscle cramp last week, accompanied by some numbness on the side of the butt. It was diagnosed as most likely piriformis muscle tightness and irritation of the piriformis nerve. So I was just wondering, is this more a problem for us 50+ folks or a youngster's problem too? I'm 62.
I had a quite painful case of piriformis a few months ago. It was on the right side, starting from the buttock and extending down the side of the leg. I always stretch before I ride, and was somewhat surprised when this pain occurred, and it being severe enough to prevent me from cycling.
I did some research online and after identifying it as piriformis, I found that a number of other sufferers had used a foam roller to great benefit. I acquired a foam roller at amazon.com, and sitting on the roller on the floor, and rolling myself over the right buttock area, I was amazed to find that I had a knotted muscle deep on the right side. The pain relief was fast and within a few days I was pain free. Another week later I was back on the bike, and have been fine since.
A few months after this event I was telling my physician about the piriformis, the roller, and the recovery. He didn't seem surprised, and was glad that I was better.
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