Piriformis Muscle Injection

WHAT IS IT? 

The piriformis is a muscle in the buttock area that goes from the side of the tailbone to the side of the thighbone. The muscle can become inflamed or spasm, causing pain in the buttock and thigh. To help with pain, the muscle can be injected with a solution of local anesthetic and steroid. The local anesthetic causes the muscle fibers to relax and provides immediate pain relief and the steroid helps relieve inflammation to provide longer lasting pain relief.  

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

There is some risk of bleeding, infection, allergic reactions, nerve or blood vessel damage, side effects from the medicine and failure of pain relief.