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Guner D, Ozcete ZA. Evaluation of the Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Dry Needling Therapy and Exercise in Piriformis Muscle Syndrome. Cureus 2023; 15:e43804. [PMID: 37731410 PMCID: PMC10508642 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Piriformis muscle syndrome (PMS) is characterized by symptoms of buttock pain and numbness radiating to the back of the thigh due to irritation of the sciatic nerve. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dry needling (DN) therapy and exercise programs on pain, neuropathic pain, physical function, and disability in patients with PMS. METHODS Forty-four patients with PMS were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups, those who were treated with DN three times once per week under ultrasound guidance and those who had an exercise program for three weeks. To identify the outcomes of the treatment modalities, pre-treatment and post-treatment first-month and third-month visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), and Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire scores were used. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in baseline scores of VAS (p = 0.548), DN4 (p = 0.446), and LEFS (p = 0.880), but in the DN group, baseline ODI scores were significantly higher than in the exercise group (p = 0.001). The group comparisons showed no statistically significant differences in decreasing pain, reducing disability, and increasing functional status scores among the groups at post-treatment first-month and third-month assessments (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Both treatment modalities are beneficial in reducing pain and disability, and increasing the functional status of the patients with PMS in three months of follow-up. In patients who cannot adapt to exercise programs, DN treatment under ultrasound guidance should be kept in mind as a minimally invasive treatment modality with no adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Guner
- Pain Medicine Department, Izmir Health Sciences University, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, TUR
| | - Zeynep A Ozcete
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Izmir Health Sciences University, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, TUR
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Othman IK, Raj NB, Siew Kuan C, Sidek S, Wong LS, Djearamane S, Loganathan A, Selvaraj S. Association of Piriformis Thickness, Hip Muscle Strength, and Low Back Pain Patients with and without Piriformis Syndrome in Malaysia. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051208. [PMID: 37240853 DOI: 10.3390/life13051208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Low back pain is a serious threat to human health and the illness jeopardizes the human workforce and pressurizes the health system in the community. Low back pain might be related to piriformis syndrome (PS), which is a disorder presented as muscular spasm and hypertrophy that is strongly associated with piriformis thickness. Nevertheless, the relationship between piriformis thickness and morphological and functional changes of the gluteal muscles in PS remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the thickness, strength, and activation of piriformis and gluteus muscles (maximus and medius) among low back pain (LBP) patients with and without PS. This is a case-control study conducted at HSNZ and UiTM from 2019-2020. A total number of 91 participants (LBP + PS (n = 36), LBP - PS (n = 24), and healthy (n = 31)) were recruited in this study. Negative radiography, specific symptoms, and a positive PS test were applied for PS diagnoses. The thickness, strength, and activation of piriformis and gluteus muscles were measured using ultrasonography (USG) and a surface electromyogram, respectively. Resultantly, the one-way ANOVA test demonstrated no significant difference in piriformis thickness between LBP + PS and LBP - PS (p > 0.01). Piriformis thickness was inversely correlated with gluteus maximus strength (r = -0.4, p < 0.05) and positively correlated with gluteus medius activation (r = 0.48, p < 0.01) in LBP + PS. Stepwise linear regression for LBP + PS revealed a significant association between piriformis thickness and gluteus maximus strength (R = -0.34, accounted for 11% of the variance) and gluteus medius activation in prone lying with the hip in an externally rotated, abducted, and extended (ERABEX) position (R = 0.43, accounted for 23% of the variance). With the adjustment of age and gender, piriformis thickness, gluteus maximus strength, and gluteus medius activation in prone lying with hip ERABEX demonstrated a significant association, but no independent effect of age and gender was detected within the range. Meanwhile, a significant association between piriformis thickness and gluteus maximus thickness was observed (R = 0.44, accounted for 19% of the variance) in the LBP - PS group. These findings may assist to elucidate the actions and functions of piriformis and gluteus muscle in LBP with and without PS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Kartini Othman
- Centre of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam 42300, Malaysia
- Physiotherapy Unit, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu 20400, Malaysia
| | - Naresh Bhaskar Raj
- School of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Kuala Nerus 21300, Malaysia
| | - Chua Siew Kuan
- Centre of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam 42300, Malaysia
- Faculty of Applied Science, Lincoln University College, Petaling Jaya 47301, Malaysia
| | - Sabrilhakim Sidek
- Centre of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam 42300, Malaysia
- Department of Radiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, 11 Robin Warren Drive, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Ling Shing Wong
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
| | - Sinouvassane Djearamane
- Biomedical Research Unit and Lab Animal Research Centre, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 602105, India
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, Kampar 31900, Malaysia
| | - Annaletchumy Loganathan
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, Kampar 31900, Malaysia
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Wang Z, Zhu Y, Han D, Huang Q, Maruyama H, Onoda K. Effect of hip external rotator muscle contraction on pelvic floor muscle function and the piriformis. Int Urogynecol J 2021; 33:2833-2839. [PMID: 34842941 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-021-05046-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS There is a lack of in-depth understanding of the muscles surrounding the pelvic floor muscle (PFM). The study aimed to investigate the functional relationship between PFM and hip external rotator muscles by observing the piriformis muscle thickness and displacement of the bladder base under different contraction conditions of the hip external rotator and/or PFM. We hypothesized that PFM function would be the strongest when the hip external rotator and PFM contracted simultaneously and that during PFM contraction, the piriformis muscle would act as an auxiliary muscle and show coactivation. METHODS The participants included 13 healthy adult women (mean age 23.8 ± 2.8 years). The three contraction conditions were PFM contraction, hip external rotator contraction, and simultaneous contraction of the hip external rotator and PFM. During the tasks, the piriformis muscle thickness and bladder base displacement were measured using ultrasonography and compared among the contraction conditions using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS Significant differences were noted in bladder base displacement among the three contraction conditions (P < 0.01), with PFM contraction having the highest value. The piriformis muscle thickness showed the greatest increase in simultaneous contraction. CONCLUSIONS In our study, we showed PFM contraction positively influences piriformis contraction, while PFM function operationalized by bladder base displacement was highest during PFM contraction alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zimin Wang
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yuetong Zhu
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Otawara-shi, Tochigi, 324-8501, Japan.
| | - Dan Han
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Otawara-shi, Tochigi, 324-8501, Japan.,Physical Therapy Department, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuchen Huang
- Physical Therapy Department, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Hitoshi Maruyama
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Otawara-shi, Tochigi, 324-8501, Japan
| | - Ko Onoda
- Graduate School of Health and Welfare Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Otawara-shi, Tochigi, 324-8501, Japan
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Siahaan YMT, Tiffani P, Tanasia A. Ultrasound-Guided Measurement of Piriformis Muscle Thickness to Diagnose Piriformis Syndrome. Front Neurol 2021; 12:721966. [PMID: 34557150 PMCID: PMC8453065 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.721966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a neuromuscular condition caused by the entrapment of the sciatic nerve at the level of the piriformis muscle (PM). Diagnosing PS remains challenging despite recent invasive and non-invasive diagnostic methods. Response to invasive nerve block is still one of the most reliable diagnostic modalities because there is no gold standard test for PS. As early diagnosis may prevent delayed diagnosis that results in chronic somatic dysfunction and muscle weakness, a screening test with high sensitivity could guide clinicians in performing the next appropriate step in diagnosing PS. Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and best cut-off point of ultrasound-guided PM thickness in PS. Method: This case-control study was conducted in a general hospital in Tangerang during a 3-month period. We recruited 58 patients clinically diagnosed with PS and 58 healthy patients (without a history of hip and buttock pain) during their visits to the outpatient clinic. All patients underwent ultrasound assessment to measure bilateral PM thickness. Sex, age, body mass index, history of micro-/macro-trauma, and prolonged sitting duration were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. Result: The PS and control groups predominantly comprised female subjects, with mean ages of 51.79 ± 14.10 and 50.09 ± 13.26 years on PS and healthy subjects, respectively. The mean ultrasound-guided PM thickness was higher in PS subjects compared to healthy subjects with mean thicknesses of 1.16 ± 0.13 and 0.85 ± 0.11 cm, respectively (p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the PM was 0.970 (95% confidence interval 0.943–0.998, p < 0.05). The best cut-off point defined by Youden's J index was 0.9950 cm for all PS subjects. Conclusion: We propose 0.9950 cm as the cut-off point for diagnosing PS by ultrasound, which has the sensitivity and specificity of 94.8 and 87.9%, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusak Mangara Tua Siahaan
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia.,Neurology Department, Siloam Hospital Lippo Village, Tangerang, Indonesia
| | - Pamela Tiffani
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia.,Neurology Department, Siloam Hospital Lippo Village, Tangerang, Indonesia
| | - Amanda Tanasia
- Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia
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Danazumi MS, Yakasai AM, Ibrahim AA, Shehu UT, Ibrahim SU. Effect of integrated neuromuscular inhibition technique compared with positional release technique in the management of piriformis syndrome. J Osteopath Med 2021; 121:693-703. [PMID: 34049428 DOI: 10.1515/jom-2020-0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Studies have indicated that the muscle energy technique (MET) and the positional release technique (PRT) are effective in the management of piriformis syndrome (PS); however, evidence is scarce regarding the combination of these techniques in the form of an integrated neuromuscular inhibition technique (INIT) in the management of individuals with PS. Although a previous trial investigated the effect of INIT for PS, that study did not integrate Ruddy's reciprocal antagonist facilitation (RRAF) method into the INIT protocol, nor did the authors diagnose PS according to established criteria. OBJECTIVES To examine the effects of INIT with integrated RRAF compared with PRT in the management of patients diagnosed with PS. METHODS This study was designed as a single blind randomized clinical trial in which participants diagnosed with PS were randomly allocated into INIT and PRT groups. Each group attended two treatment sessions per week for 8 weeks. Patients in the INIT group received a protocol in which the patient's tender point or trigger point was palpated in the belly of the piriformis approximately halfway between the inferior lateral angle of the sacrum and the greater trochanter, at which point the therapist applied an intermittent or sustained pressure and maintained the pressure for 20-60 seconds (depending on the participant's response to pain reduction). For INIT patients, that protocol was also followed by RRAF, a method in which a patient introduces a series of tiny/miniature contractions or efforts (20 times per 10 seconds) against a therapist's resistance. Patients in the PRT group were treated by palpating the same trigger point described in the INIT group, followed by application of light pressure at the location of the trigger point, which was maintained the pressure for 2 minutes or until the pain subsided (determined by asking the participant to report a pain score using a visual analog scale at 30 second intervals). For both groups, three repetitions of the INIT or PRT treatment were performed over 10 minutes at each clinical visit. Additionally, each group also received stretching exercises immediately after the INIT or PRT treatment session. Each participant was assessed at baseline, immediately posttreatment, and at 4 months posttreatment for pain, sciatica, functional mobility, quality of life, hip abduction, and internal rotation. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) of within-between group interactions was used to analyze the treatment effect. RESULTS Forty eight participants (age range, 25-47 years; mean age ± standard deviation, 32.81 ± 3.27 years) were randomized into the INIT and PRT groups, with 24 participants in each group. No significant between-group differences (p>0.05) were observed in the baseline demographic and clinical variables of the participants. A repeated-measures ANOVA indicated that there was a significant time effect for all outcomes, with a significant interaction between time and intervention (p<0.001). The Bonferroni post hoc analyses of time and intervention effects indicated that the INIT group improved significantly compared with the PRT group in all outcomes (p<0.05) immediately posttreatment and at the 4 months follow up period. CONCLUSIONS INIT was more effective than PRT in the management of individuals with PS. It should be noted the significant improvement achieved in both the groups may have also been contributed to by the stretching exercises that were used as adjunct therapies by both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa S Danazumi
- Department of Physiotherapy, Federal Medical Center, Nguru, Yobe State, Nigeria.,Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Abdulsalam M Yakasai
- Medical Rehabilitation Therapists (Reg.) Board of Nigeria, North-West Zonal Office, Kano, Nigeria.,Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Aminu A Ibrahim
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.,Department of Physiotherapy, Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, Hospitals Management Board, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria
| | - Usman T Shehu
- Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Salford Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Shehu U Ibrahim
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
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