Thanks so much for watching! Want to pinpoint the source of your back, butt, or sciatica pain without needing expensive images or a specialist? 🔥Grab my FREE “Better Than an MRI DIY Diagnostic Guide” here 👉 www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/diyguide
Yes! I’ve been dealing with disc issues for 24 years where it would come and go. Disc slip or bulge a few times a year, every time it would heal in a week or so. Then back to normal and didn’t stay disciplined with light yoga and good posture. 24 years later (for the past 4 months ) I’ve been dealing with a new excruciating pain mostly in the butt. Little bit in the lower spine, and a little pain just below and left of L5/s1 . And it was getting really bad when I sit, especially driving.I was told it was my sciatic nerve flaring up. I’ve never felt it that bad before. Everyone saying it was because of the slipped discs pressing on the nerve, maybe so. Everything I was trying for the first 2 months was not working (light stretches, ice, a lot of laying down, walking)… then I started feeling so desperate, I watching some pt videos from different people. I began exploring other possibilities of the source of pain. I think I have si dysfunction ! Tried recommended belt, stretches and what not . Nothing helped. More pain. Then I went back to doing less. Pain didn’t subside. 3.5 months into it I decided to go harder on the stretches and exercise… got even worse . Every morning in terrible pain, I get off the toilet and walking like a zombie,haunched over dragging a leg. Message therapist friend said he could help, breaking up the tightness with aggressive painful message . Got worse. So I continued the hours of CZcams research per day for the last week or so and found a vid from bob and brad on diagnostic test. My new haunch was piriformis syndrome ! Started doing the pt for that… no relief! Then I finally found a video from you and one from coach sofia that was really helpful . I think my piriformis is too stretched out! Almost immediate relief from the clamshell exercise ! Thank you so much! I also watched ur video on how to drive/sit with piriformis flare ups that really helped. as well as a video from coach sofia on sitting on a couple pillows making your knees Lower than ur hips. Couldn’t believe how well it worked. I can finally sit. I haven’t been able to sit in months! Before I figured out the root cause, I was so miserable I told my wife that one day , I might end up killing myself if this kind of pain lasted for years … thank you so much Doc Charlie!
Thank you. I wasn't sure if my pain was piriformis. I listened to some of your videos about sticking to a couple of exercises, and to modify them if not working instead of going on to something else. My right side buttock pain of about 10 years has just about disappeared after modifying and 3 days of 2 exercises. The left one was in agony last week with hardly no sleep wishing my leg could be cut off, it was so painful, to about a quarter of the pain today. When it does start to ache I do the exercises, then in no time I'm pain free. I imagined I would have to live with that level of pain forever, it's hard to believe that after the X-rays, ultrasound, blood tests, 2 simple exercises would work. I am so grateful to you and I'm going to learn from your videos how to deal with pain. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I have been stretching and going to a Chiropractor for years because of Piriformis. Every golf season I would stretch even more to no avail. The Chripractor blamed my hips from getting uneven from the golf swing. My pain was from my buttocks around to my groin and then shot down to my knee and foot. My leg would give out sometimes when walking. I finally found your video today with the Musician from Cleveland. Ironically, I am from Cleveland. I tried your 3 sets of Clams against the wall and it felt immediately better when I got up to walk. I try to walk my dog 4-5 miles a day and it's ver painful. I can't wait to walk her tomorrow which is Thanksgiving Day! Thanks Dr. Charlie.
Been struggling with hip pain for 9 months. Have done PT, imaging, injections. Thanks to these videos I have decided to go back to the basics and ONLY do the clam. I am making sure to do it daily and be aware of my form and I am actually noticing a difference. Makes me very happy 😊
My hip pain was intermittent and even the clam didn’t help. Pain would effect my right leg at time it felt like stepping on a nail. I believe I have/ had Piriformus syndrome. Anyway this exercise got rid of the pain, but it took doing this simple exercise about 3 times for 3 days. Sciatica Hip pain Dr. James Baker czcams.com/video/vMP1lYEJAko/video.htmlsi=UFzCv_C41wYzPWJV ///////// Hope it helps.
@@drcharliejohnson I have hit a wall again and not sure why. I am 35 and pretty active. House work and sitting really seem to aggravate it the most and once it gets bad it’s hard to get it to settle down again.
@@alexandraelkins676 hey! Thanks for update-sorry to hear. Seems like you’re missing a couple pieces of the puzzle… would need to do some more detective work to figure out next best recommendation/steps to solve this. No pressure, but would you be open to submitting further details of your case and setting up a time to chat so I can review and confirm if/how I can best help? If you’re interested- just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat and follow instructions to submit your case for review. Sound good? Hang in there Alexandra! Dr Charlie
@@alexandraelkins676 i find it best not to bend over or position myself in a way that stetches the piriformis and flexes my lower back. Better to split squat down or romanian deadlift to pick something up.
I'm from Philippines doc after doing this clampshell exercise I fell relief..can't believe it..I tried so many exercise and doesn't work...and this one is the best yet simple effective for me..thank you doc❤
Thank you so , so , so much Dr. Johnson. You just saved my life. I had this piriformis syndrome about seven or eight years ago, at that time, stretching, cured it. But this time, it’s been more than a month and stretching doesn’t help , then I came across a testimonial video, then, this video, I tried it for a few minutes , then I stand up to walk to test it, I could walk again without pain, I could barely walk before that because it worsen during the night while I slept , I will try new sleeping position tonight because it looks like my lower back pain caused it . I have a firm mattress, I’ve been doing exercise every day since ever, just that my body has always been weaker than other people since I was born. When I was in pain, I couldn’t go to the market, I couldn’t go swimming … Thank you so much again for saving me today, it’s been over a month, I will continue to do only this exercise and see but it’s never been better since the last month and a half. Thank you , thank you !!!!
Wow! WOW!.im laying in bed and getting ready to sleep. Piriformis pain for 2 years . Recently worse. Have done tons of physical therapy to no result. Saw this video and just for fun decided to follow instructions and do the exercise along with the gal in the video. What!!! What!!! 3 motions and the pain is gone!!! Even if this is temporary, at least I know I can do this for relief. Amazing. I did 6 months of physical therapy with other exercises. Didn't help this,, in fact, sometimes it got worse. Wow. I'm going to sleep. Can't wait to check this out tmrw!! THANK YOU !!!-
Reps, it only hurts when I sit! Very tired it’s been 12 weeks. So thankful I was told by therapist to stretch ouch! Ice, anti inflammatory, medicated cream & the reps! Hoping this will help and finally get a sound nights sleep!
Hey! Sorry to hear about what you’re dealing with and what you’ve been told to do. No pressure- but if you’re interested in some help- I’d be happy to review details of your case and see if I can help. Would this be something you’d be interested in?
Thank you so much Dr. Charlie. I am from India rural part of south India Coimbatore.I had the annoying pinchy pain for a long and couldn’t go for walk ,tried so many ways but after see your video I tried the exercises and couldn’t believe that I got out the pain and enjoyed my walk. Thank you so much
Hi Dr. Charlie. I tried the clam shell movement and it worked! I felt immediately relief after I performed the movement and sat back down in my office chair. Thank you so much!
Ive had pain for months in my buttocks and have been trying out stretches. No improvement and they made me feel worse. Ive felt so miserable with the pain. Ive just found your video and tried the exercise. I believe i had immediate relief. I even have managed to fall asleep for a few hours after getting little sleep the last few nights. Thankyou and i will keep using this exercise 🎉
I have been dealing with pain in my right side for years, which has been exacerbated by sitting more for work lately. Thank you so much for this simple movement. SO far so good, and I look forward to incorporating it into my daily morning routine!
Update. After doing clamshells, Belt stretching and pillow pressing between the knees for the last couple weeks, I had the most pain free day in 4 months ! I’m not fully healed yet , but I can feel it getting better every day now… had my first good night of sleep in months (4 nights ago) and it all started getting better from there . I’m determined to stay on a pt regimen regardless of pain or not, probably add a couple more strengthening exercises , as well as getting back to a stretching and yoga routine . Thanks a million doc Charlie!
Thanks for watching! Want to pinpoint the source of your back, butt, hip, or leg/sciatica pain without needing expensive images or a specialist? 🔥Grab my FREE “Better Than an MRI DIY Diagnostic Guide” here 👉 www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/diyguide
Dr. Thanks ! Doing the clamshells I am struggling to get my knee up high enough , i get maybe 70% degrees at best. will this get better? Or should i be doing something else?
Thank you so much. I have been trying every stretch that I could find with no success. I felt significant relief after performing this exercise just once. FYI - I have hip dysplasia and this exercise still worked for me.
Thank you so much Dr Charlie I’m at last almost better thanks to you. Shortening exercises every day. Rested up, stopped the Thai massage and the chiropractor. Stopped anything that caused pain, rested up. But with doing your exercises. That terrible pain has gone at last. So thank you so much again. Ps your the splitting image of my son🤪
Dear god in heaven I’m dying. All the “exercise” makes my leg numb. I have over lax joints from ehler danlos……I can be a pretzel so nothing “stretches”……I can FEEL it’s my piraformis. I’ve been in agonizing pain for almost 2mo now and I’ve basically diagnosed myself. Everyone says it’s coming from my back but my back isn’t hurting. My butt cheek hurts. I thought it was a bone but it’s not. It’s a muscle. I feel like I’ve ripped a tendon or a muscle. Ripped it. My leg is shrinking and no one is listening because X-rays day it’s not “broken”.
Omgsh, once I finally had all my parts lined up correctly, I felt the most intense stretch from one side of my extreme lower back to the other. Not sure if that is good, bad, or indifferent, but I do feel less pain, yes!!! I work sitting in a chair for 10.5 hours. I often feel like I could explode from pain and frustration. I'm so happy I watched your video!
Hello Dr. Charlie, I had 2 injections on 6/21/24 for PMS. That is the second course of the injections. The first worked very well and was good for about 2 months. During that time I started doing excersizes to lengthen the piriformis muscle. Didn't work! I felt a little better but excerizes were not the "end all" for my PMS pain. I have watched this video and will start doing this one excersize 2-3 times a day and see how it works out. If the pain returns I'll make another comment on this page. Thank you for you video.
I have this i think, an what i do is first put a heating pad on the hip that hurts for 30 min maybe more to releave some pain. Then, i do clamshell on both sides next a rocket kick on the affected side still laying down, next do a version of inner rotation of the leg with leg bent, next do modified bridge with heels close contracting the glute. If i was tired of all the workouts when get up do glute contractions on standing. Some times i do laying down on good side lift bad leg with hip stacked straight leg raise, then get up an do glute clinch when standing. I do high reps in all these. I kinda wish i knew this stuff when young to make me a better athlete not do to any pain.
Thanks a lot! Your tips to cure PMS worked very well for me👍I do clampshell, side leg rises and glute and hamstring bridges and now improving slowly, my entire left leg was weak and painful
I’ve been having this issue for close to a year now but it’s not easy for me to “test” because I usually don’t get pain until I run a couple miles. I’m registered for a marathon, so not being able to run a couple miles without pain is a big deal. I’ll try this for a few weeks and edit this to yet y’all know what it does for me
Hey Curt! thanks for watching. No pressure, but I'm sure we could come up with a much quicker way to determine if this motion is the right fit for you. My goal is always to see an immediate change. Even if you don't have symptoms until a couple miles in- I'm sure there's another way to go about testing this without needing to run- or wait weeks. This way you could get back to running faster with a clear plan. If you're interested in speeding up the process- I'd be happy to review your case to see if/how I can help you out. Just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat and then follow instructions to submit your case review. Sound good? Thanks for watching, happy new year, and hang in there! Dr. Charlie
It seems it might actually help me. I will try it when at it's worst. For me it's after prolonged sitting or sleeping I get stiff. The part of the pain is hard to bend over to put on socks or shoes and tie the laces. It becomes tight. If by doing this and it relieves bending over and gives more range to put on shoes. Then well I would imagine it would be working. Some say Piriformis can be bad when walking. For me though however I get bad after sitting and sleeping and stiff and the pain radiates from buttocks down back of thigh down to calf. After actually moving around standing and walking I get relief from the pain. But the bending may or may not be the same in aforementioned. My thinking is that the Piriformis muscle is more contracted when standing and less stretched out. Maybe it's not. But since I am fairly sedentary in sitting and sleeping etc when not working. That is my problem and standing if "contracting" the muscle well that is what I get the "least" happening. I don't know. But if I get relief doing this well then it would be working. Only time will tell.
I remember having a rotator cuff muscle ache and sting almost. I had a hunch it was super weak. Started strengthening it and it feels amazing now. Makes sense the same can happen with the piriformis
Hey Dana! If both buttocks hurt then it’s likely referred pain from the lower back- causing what feels like piriformis syndrome! Have you check out my DIY diagnostic guide? You can grab a free copy of it here. www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/DIYGuide
Am wondering, if the piriformis is pushing on the sciatic nerve, would shortening it reduce that pressure? Regardless I’m trying this… I’ll do most anything, legal, to get my quality of life back. Thank you so much for being you.
Hey Kathy- thanks for watching! Honestly, would need to do some detective work and begin testing to find what will work best for you. Would you be open to me reviewing your case to see even if/how I can help you out? If so, just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat, then follow instructions to submit a formal Case Review. Hang in there! Dr. Charlie PT
I have recliner chairs and at the end of a day I just long to get in one and put my feet up. I sit there like that for maybe 3 hours before bedtime and am convinced that sitting with back straight but legs stretched up and out is making me worse. So I am now unfortunately going to have to experiment with no more reclining for the time being to see if it makes a difference.
Sounds like a good idea. Time to do some detective work! And no pressure- but if you’re interested in some help- let me know. I consult with folks worldwide and would be happy to review your case personally 👍
Hey thanks for watching. Sounds like a plan! Other things to consider would be your nighttime routine, sleeping surface, and position in which you sleep. Let me know if ya get stuck 👍
I have tried this exercise a few times and have not really noticed anything yet. I was not really sure if my toe numbness and occasional upper thigh/butt area (sciatic)burning sensation was due to nerve issue in the lower lumbar or if it was piriformis until I watched one of the piriformis videos where they showed exaclty where the sciatic could be pinched by the piriformis and how deep under the glut muscle it is. I was pushing in the general area It was supposed to be with my thumb and when I hit a certain spot and pushed in quite hard, the toes that tend to be mildly numb all the time then immediately went much more numb with the pressure from my thumb. It's the left buttock where I used to always keep a very thick wallet and I noticed the numbness began after I got back into riding motorcycles and somietimes taking multi-hour trips. If I sit with pressure on the left cheek, the toes go more numb and if I lay to the left putting pressure on that cheek when I sleep, the extra numbness in the left toes wakes me up. I guess I am on the right track with the piriformis? I did have an xray on the lumber that showed ddd of the L5 S1 and some narrowing of the facet joints. Maybe the root of the problem is in the lumbar but exacerbated by the piriformis? Is that possible or likely? I am going for my first PT in a few days and the next day I have a nerve conduction test.
Probability wise- likely the lower back- but hard to be 100% certain without knowing more details. Did you test, treat, retest using this exercise… or did you just starting doing it? Sounds like this exercise probably isn’t the ticket for you. No worries, would need to test and find another approach!
What’s the update? I have the exact same thing going on. I jumped and landed kinda weird a month ago. Then u had some back pain that came and went. Now when I sit my left leg and toes/feel have this tingling feeling.
To me strengthening and making the fibres stronger then stretching to release tension after exercise serms to be more logical. The pain in the butt will disappear. Were our ancestors stretching after escaping the lion? I see more physical therapy folks are using strength exercises. Science is slow to evolve. Yes I agree to try one exercise before ditching it for anorher one. I'm currently doing one exercise recommended by my athletic therapist for the medial rotators for a month then see if my hip pain walking, climbing stairs and hiking has disappeared. Being patient is hard for us humans.
Thank you Dr Johnson, and thank you for your information. I have watched many of your videos and I've determined my pain is not from my back, but from the piriformis. I woke up from left total knee surgery with left buttock pain, and it has worsened since then (I'm five weeks post-op.) Left knee flexion causes excrutiating pain in my buttock, so my knee flexion is stuck at 90 degrees. 😔 PT did stretches and massage but I still can't push my knee any farther. I'm going to try the clamshell exercises, but I can't do the figure-4 bc of the knee surgery. I sure hope this helps. I'm getting discouraged.
Hey Cheryl! Sorry to hear! If you're limited in knee bend- clamshell may not work for you. No worries, need to find other motions. Are you open to help? Would love to see if/how I can help...
@@cherylatkins9323- I’d ask that you apply and schedule a time to work together. As part of the process, you will be asked to submit a case review. I will review the case prior to our call and we can review everything during the call. Sound good? To schedule a time to chat- visit: www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply
so bad every step with my left heel ...now the heel gone... l.. sorta triggers heel... never goes away. learning what the hell is wrong with me I think I got this from driving left foot rest on side while drive. sleeping also .i did get hurt at work once like 6 years ago .foot went numb. then that went away a week . but its funny becuz I didn't feel this pitri forms thing until 4 years after that hurt work thing. so I started it feeling it ....... this happened I was driving everyday 3 years straight hours a day..... all of sudden I quit no more driiving ... within 3 weeks this pain developed. hmmm cud just be relating them .....but its a painful and my doc just says pt and stretch looks at me like im crazy . yet im in pain everyday .havent had a mri. nothing broken. sucks 35 m
Hey Stardust- I do not. That's not my speciality. That being said- sometimes plantar fasciitis is caused by a problem upstream... even in the back. Appreciate you watching!
What if it's a combination of stretching and contracting. Seems like that's the two functions muscles have and maybe they need to be balanced. Something where neither gets done enough especially if you sit a lot at a desk job. Just a thought.
Thank you Dr. Charlie! This exercise has done wonders for me so thank you for sharing your expertise with us. I've been dealing with piriformus pain down the leg for several weeks and tried foam rolling which only made it worse. Got onto your videos and followed your DIY guide and this exercise and I'm feeling much better. But I'd like to know when I can go back to doing my lower body weighted workouts? I generally work my lower body at least 2-3 times a week which probably caused this in the first place. How long do you suggest doing the clamshell before easing back into my lower body workouts? And are there any lower body moves I should avoid? Thanks so much!
Hey Tracey! Sure thing- glad I could help! So, timeline is dependent upon many things... as symptoms calm down, most people start to get the "itch" to get back to life. When this happens, need to make sure you are systematic about getting back to exercise slowly... so that you don't set yourself back. Also, there is usually some form of fear/anxiety around getting back to things... in which case you will ideally want to learn how you can neutralize these feeling. Basically, I teach people a framework for getting back to life- so that they know what is OKAY to feel/experience and/or when they should back off/stop. Big picture, if getting back to lifting feels safe- give it a go. But start small and do not push past mild symptoms. Does this help? Let me know if you're interested in more support- here to help. Dr. Charlie!
@@drcharliejohnson 😊 Thank you so much! I didn't expect a response so quickly -- thank you! I'll go slowly for sure--I definitely have the "fear/anxiety" that you describe because I definitely don't want to go backwards in my progress. It's such a relief to feel more "normal" than I've felt in several weeks/months so thank you from the bottom of my heart! I'll let you know how it goes!
@@traceywalters4120 Cool! Yup- very common. Let me know if ya bump up against any issues and need more help. I consult with folks worldwide (this is my area of speciality). No pressure, but if ya get stuck- you can set up a time to chat with me @ www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply and we talk about a plan. Good luck Tracey! Thanks for watching!
Hey! Thanks for watching my content. If you're open to working virtually- I can absolutely coach you along your healing journey. I consult with folks worldwide. No pressure, and not even sure if I can help- but if you're interested- I'd invite you to set up a time to chat with us and submit details of your case for review. To do that- just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply Sound good? Dr. Charlie
I can only do this for a few seconds before the muscle gives out. It's much weaker than the other side. And it also doesn't seem to get any stronger, even with this exercise :(
First and foremost the goal is to experience an immediate reduction in symptoms/improved ability to move. Sounds like it's not the right exercise for you. Time to test others!
You said this exercise shouldn't be painful, but if your glute already hurts before beginning (like a painful pinch deep in the center of your glute), should you try it and then see if the pinch eventually starts subsiding?
You said don't do this exercise if it hurts, but if your glute hurts before you begin the exercise (big deep pinching pain in the center of the glute) should you try it and then see if the pain eventually starts subsiding?
My pain is near the bottom outside where the muscle connects to the bone. It can become pretty irritated when it contracts while im doing some sort of squat movement. My groin also skips around a lot especially when I flex the glute muscle. Not sure what to do about that. It's from an injury to my back from deadlift in my SI joint. My hamstring also burns and stings when it's being contracted in a curl motion but it's fine when I work it in the stretched position if my SI joint pain allows that type of work. I do also have some anterior pelvic tilt on the injured side.
I went to sit down last night in a booth at a restaurant and my hip area, then a little into the groin area felt like a big rip! Wow did it hurt and then again when I went to get in my SUV trying to lift that left leg up. I think it's stretched not tight. I will try clam shell. Thank you for what you do!
Hey Robyn! First things first- appreciate you watching. Now, sorry to hear...hope you still enjoyed dinner! I'd let things calm down over next 24-48 hours... then give this exercise (watch video above) a try! Remember, it should not be painful! If that doesn't work- shoot me an update/reply back- would love to chat with you to see if/how I can help!
Hey! thanks for watching. Awesome, let me know if ya get stuck or need help- I'd be happy to review your case and see if/how I could help. Hang in there and thanks for checking out the channel!
@@drcharliejohnson so I started that clam shell exercise yesterday and it seems to be working. It has already started to feel better than it did. I am amazed that something so small could help. I have to admit, I was really skeptical but I am going to keep on doing this exercise and hope that it goes away
Thank you for the video. Mine is most painful in the morning. I have full range of motion. It hurts most when i sleep. I just did the exercises, and it still hurts, laying down on my back. Should i change the mattress? If so, firm or softer mattress, which kind is better? Can you comment on that? Thank you. Also, i do yoga on a regular basis, so i should avoid doing the yoga? You wouldn't recommend it?. It hurts to do the yoga when i do stretching motions. Thank you.
I tried this exercise last night and the pain in my butt felt pretty good afterwards but I could barely get up and walk around the morning after. Did more clamshells and went for a casual walk to loosen things up and am feeling fairly okay. Is feeling worse in the morning a sign that I should stop now or give the exercise more time? It FEELS like it's hitting something that needs to be hit...
Hey! May have overcooked it. Or May have been the way you slept. Feeling worse in the morning is common (especially with disc issues)). If motion is yummy/doesn’t hurt- then should be fine to continue but perhaps at a lower dose? Let me know if you get stuck (I work with folks worldwide 👍)
I'm currently suffering piriformis syndrome. Honestly I'm in so much pain I have been given cocodemol and naproxen and they do nothin. Doing all the normal streches results in agony as does walking and almost everything else. I'm trying this, hopefully it will give me the break I need.
@@drcharliejohnson I would gladly accept all the help I can get. Short term, I have noticed with this exercise I can walk about for a few mins before the pain returns. I was able to get out of bed without being in agony. Progress. Also if I got pain whilst sleeping it helped, which is how this all started.
@@dorianeley9653 hey! Okay, got it... for sure, sounds like you're a bit stuck- but good to hear that getting out of bed is a bit better. No pressure man, but best first step to see if I can help is to set up a time to chat. Hard to give specific recommendations blindly without knowing all the details and being able to work through things. Hope that's fair. If you're interested in my help- you can visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply and schedule a time to chat with us. Sound good?
Is swimming good for piriformis syndrome, and is ice or heat better? Severe pain in the way down my leg into my foot. Not traditional sciatica. I’ve had that before. This is definitely coming from the Glute
So long as swimming feels safe- I don't see an issue with it. Let's call it neutral? May be great for you, but make someone else worse... would need some more info here...
I can't get my form right. I understand that when i lay down my hip/pelvis should be at a 90 degree angle from the floor but its hurts so badly. I end up either leaning my hips forward or backward. The part that hurts is the side of my leg, right at the top of the leg bone. Ive added more cushion but it doesn't seem to help. How do i fix this?
Hey- try putting pillows above (under your side) and below your hip to offer pressure relief (like sitting on a donut idea)... or consider that doing it ONLY on your good side may offer some benefit alone. May not be necessary at all to do it on your painful side.
@@wishkohaku you’re welcome! No pressure, but if you get stuck and are interested in some help- I’d be happy to review your case personally. Just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat, then follow instructions to submit details of your case if you’d like 👍 Sound good? Dr Charlie PT
Do you recommend a massage gun along with the exercise? Thanks! I've just started doing these exercises - my acupuncturist agrees it is Piriformis and she suggested a massage gun...
Dr Johnson, Could you PLEASE ADDRESS my question? I am experiencing SEVERE MUSCLE CRAMPS IN MY MUSCLES OF MY LEG AND BUTTOCKS from doing any specific exercise. I am a Nutritional Therapist and I have tried utterly EVERY possible combination of professional supplements and food to obtain correct amounts of electrolytes and any other need for muscles! I am trying to come back from 2 separate slip and falls on ice, last January and February. The muscle spasms were SO INTENSE it felt like the muscles were being TORN OFF THE BONE! (ALWAYS at night!) It was first affecting the lateral side (IT Band) and up into Piriformis and Glutes, then it went into SEVERE SPASMS into the medial/inner side of my thigh, which made it almost impossible to lift my leg up (walk upstairs, get into a car, etc.,). Has ANYONE else out there experienced anything like this? I cannot do any specific exercises without going into complete muscle spasms that are the Tetany Form! They will not release for many minutes of mind blowing, EXCRUCIATING PAIN!!! I use only Nutritional Supplementation for pain, but it is driving me crazy! My Physical Therapists have never seen anything like this! I am thinking of seeing a Neurologist! The only thing that helps, is ME showing them where to do Graston Therapy and just last week, Dry Needling worked extremely well at calming the medial muscle tension, but not high enough into my groin. We are trying it again this week! I have looked at your other videos, but I have NEVER seen you address this kind of Tetany Muscle Spasms when trying to address the Piriformis, which is ALSO a MAJOR issue with my identified problem! MUCH THANKS! I CHALENGLE YOU, SIR!
I did the clamshells and had immediate relief after a week of stretching, which ultimately made my pain worse. Would you recommend using heat on the piriformis to increase blood flow to the muscle?
Hey Anna! Awesome! So, you could apply heat- but remember- piriformis is a deep muscle… so heat on the skin surface wont reach it! Best way to “warm it up” would be to work it and bring blood flow to the area! Make sense?
That never occurred to me, thanks! And thank you for this video. I've been doing this twice a day for only 3 days and I'm virtually pain free now! I wasted 5 weeks of my life going to a chiropractor because my doctor told me I had si joint dysfunction, all the while, my piriformis pain was getting worse. The chiropractor was stretching my piriformis which I believe was only making me worse. I stopped going, did these exercises, and took off my si belt and I feel great! However, the si belt was making my opposite side si joint feel stuck so I'm trying to sort that out now.
Hey Dan! Thanks for watching. May be helpful- but first make sure that no weight works and is tolerable 👍. Only add as much weight (if any) as necessary to achieve relief.
@@DanR-hn2dn for sure man. Let me know if you get stuck or need help. No pressure, but if you're interested- I'd be happy to review your case and see if I can help ya out and get you back to normal. Hang in there!
@@drcharliejohnson Its been a month since my pain began and I am now so much better thanks to your input. What helped me a great deal is not stretching and working on the clam exercises with some other useful glute building workouts. I used a Rogue Fitness Sling shot hip band for resistance and it is great for those exercises and for recovery. Thanks a million.
So this exercise is the only thing that I have found that feels like it is doing something to my issue (a certain point on my butt hurts when I sit down). I wouldn't say it was painful to perform, but I did make the area of pain tired. I could really tell this exercise affects the problem area. So, should I continue with this? Should I add another one? I have been in pain for well over a year. Thank you Dr. Johnson
Hey Clint! Thanks for watching. Honestly hard to say if you should keep going or not or if this is the exercise for you- may not be and my guess is you have several other things that would need to be addressed first. Would need to do some more detective work here. No pressure- but are you open to potentially working together so I can help you solve this?
@@clintgroom8213 awesome man So- best first step would be to submit details of your specific case and set up a time to chat by visiting www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply and following instructions. If I review case and feel I can’t help- I’ll just letcha know 👊🏼 Then we can go from there 👍
Dr. Charlie, at 2:09 in the video his right knee doesn't want to go down. Is a shortened piriformis the usually culprit, or can other muscles like the gemullus muscles or even the adductors cause this?
Mines is more in my hamstrings and gets worse when I sit or any pressure is put on it. I have anterior pelvic tilt. It started from trying to do side leg raises with internal rotation. Then I went massaging it and it flared up and hasn't stopped since 😔 would it be ok to do this with exercises that target glutes and hip flexor to help with the anterior pelvic tilt?
good question- but impossible to answer without knowing more- hope that's understandable. So many things to consider- what the source of pain is, where it hurts, how bad it hurts when you sit, how long you can sit for, what motions make your pain better, worse, how long you've been in pain, the way you sit, the surface you sit on, what you're doing while you sit, etc... Would you be open to chatting to see if/how I can help? If so, best first step would be to set up a time to chat... www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply
Hey! Okay got it. So, make sure first that they are NOT painful while doing them. If so, stop em. If painfree- great- now to solve the getting up issue. Question becomes is... is the pain you experience when you get up due to "getting up"... like simply getting up is painful. Or is it caused by the clam? Something to consider is to do it on a high surface- like a firm mattress, so you can simply roll on over, sit up and see if that changes things. Make sense?
HI. Very nice videos. I have sore and tender piriformis muscles, especially when im sitting or lying down. Is it best to stop doing exercises or continue?
![Your Piriformis Isn't Tight, it's WEAK! [4 Exercises to Get it Strong]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yBRSQB0Xyb0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks so much for watching! Want to pinpoint the source of your back, butt, or sciatica pain without needing expensive images or a specialist? 🔥Grab my FREE “Better Than an MRI DIY Diagnostic Guide” here 👉 www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/diyguide
Am I the only one that can’t stop looking to the stairs that go directly to the ceiling?
They are fascinating.
I've been looking for this comment in all of his videos hahaha 😆
No you re not
No
I was about to say "If I went up those stairs, I'm pretty sure my head would also start hurting"...
Yes! I’ve been dealing with disc issues for 24 years where it would come and go. Disc slip or bulge a few times a year, every time it would heal in a week or so. Then back to normal and didn’t stay disciplined with light yoga and good posture. 24 years later (for the past 4 months ) I’ve been dealing with a new excruciating pain mostly in the butt. Little bit in the lower spine, and a little pain just below and left of L5/s1 . And it was getting really bad when I sit, especially driving.I was told it was my sciatic nerve flaring up. I’ve never felt it that bad before. Everyone saying it was because of the slipped discs pressing on the nerve, maybe so. Everything I was trying for the first 2 months was not working (light stretches, ice, a lot of laying down, walking)… then I started feeling so desperate, I watching some pt videos from different people. I began exploring other possibilities of the source of pain. I think I have si dysfunction ! Tried recommended belt, stretches and what not . Nothing helped. More pain. Then I went back to doing less. Pain didn’t subside. 3.5 months into it I decided to go harder on the stretches and exercise… got even worse . Every morning in terrible pain, I get off the toilet and walking like a zombie,haunched over dragging a leg. Message therapist friend said he could help, breaking up the tightness with aggressive painful message . Got worse. So I continued the hours of CZcams research per day for the last week or so and found a vid from bob and brad on diagnostic test. My new haunch was piriformis syndrome ! Started doing the pt for that… no relief! Then I finally found a video from you and one from coach sofia that was really helpful . I think my piriformis is too stretched out! Almost immediate relief from the clamshell exercise ! Thank you so much! I also watched ur video on how to drive/sit with piriformis flare ups that really helped. as well as a video from coach sofia on sitting on a couple pillows making your knees Lower than ur hips. Couldn’t believe how well it worked. I can finally sit. I haven’t been able to sit in months! Before I figured out the root cause, I was so miserable I told my wife that one day , I might end up killing myself if this kind of pain lasted for years … thank you so much Doc Charlie!
You're welcome! Glad we crossed paths!
Thank you. I wasn't sure if my pain was piriformis. I listened to some of your videos about sticking to a couple of exercises, and to modify them if not working instead of going on to something else. My right side buttock pain of about 10 years has just about disappeared after modifying and 3 days of 2 exercises.
The left one was in agony last week with hardly no sleep wishing my leg could be cut off, it was so painful, to about a quarter of the pain today.
When it does start to ache I do the exercises, then in no time I'm pain free.
I imagined I would have to live with that level of pain forever, it's hard to believe that after the X-rays, ultrasound, blood tests, 2 simple exercises would work.
I am so grateful to you and I'm going to learn from your videos how to deal with pain. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
PS. I had to do strengthing, not stretching. I had been doing the wrong exercises.
Small nugget of wisdom that tightness doesnt necessarily mean a mobility issue..could be an overworked muscle. Nailed it brah.
Thanks brother
I have been stretching and going to a Chiropractor for years because of Piriformis. Every golf season I would stretch even more to no avail. The Chripractor blamed my hips from getting uneven from the golf swing. My pain was from my buttocks around to my groin and then shot down to my knee and foot. My leg would give out sometimes when walking. I finally found your video today with the Musician from Cleveland. Ironically, I am from Cleveland. I tried your 3 sets of Clams against the wall and it felt immediately better when I got up to walk. I try to walk my dog 4-5 miles a day and it's ver painful. I can't wait to walk her tomorrow which is Thanksgiving Day! Thanks Dr. Charlie.
Been struggling with hip pain for 9 months. Have done PT, imaging, injections. Thanks to these videos I have decided to go back to the basics and ONLY do the clam. I am making sure to do it daily and be aware of my form and I am actually noticing a difference. Makes me very happy 😊
Hey Alexandra! Thanks for watching 👍. Let me know how things progress and if ya get stuck.
My hip pain was intermittent and even the clam didn’t help.
Pain would effect my right leg at time it felt like stepping on a nail.
I believe I have/ had Piriformus syndrome. Anyway this exercise got rid of the pain, but it took doing this simple exercise about 3 times for 3 days.
Sciatica Hip pain
Dr. James Baker
czcams.com/video/vMP1lYEJAko/video.htmlsi=UFzCv_C41wYzPWJV
/////////
Hope it helps.
@@drcharliejohnson I have hit a wall again and not sure why. I am 35 and pretty active. House work and sitting really seem to aggravate it the most and once it gets bad it’s hard to get it to settle down again.
@@alexandraelkins676 hey! Thanks for update-sorry to hear. Seems like you’re missing a couple pieces of the puzzle… would need to do some more detective work to figure out next best recommendation/steps to solve this.
No pressure, but would you be open to submitting further details of your case and setting up a time to chat so I can review and confirm if/how I can best help?
If you’re interested- just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat and follow instructions to submit your case for review.
Sound good?
Hang in there Alexandra!
Dr Charlie
@@alexandraelkins676 i find it best not to bend over or position myself in a way that stetches the piriformis and flexes my lower back. Better to split squat down or romanian deadlift to pick something up.
I'm from Philippines doc after doing this clampshell exercise I fell relief..can't believe it..I tried so many exercise and doesn't work...and this one is the best yet simple effective for me..thank you doc❤
Great job! Keep at it!
I love it when your assistant is just out and out giggling! Thanks, Dr. Charlie!
Hey Gail! Yeah- she cracks herself up! 😂
You're welcome!
Thank you so , so , so much Dr. Johnson. You just saved my life. I had this piriformis syndrome about seven or eight years ago, at that time, stretching, cured it. But this time, it’s been more than a month and stretching doesn’t help , then I came across a testimonial video, then, this video, I tried it for a few minutes , then I stand up to walk to test it, I could walk again without pain, I could barely walk before that because it worsen during the night while I slept , I will try new sleeping position tonight because it looks like my lower back pain caused it . I have a firm mattress, I’ve been doing exercise every day since ever, just that my body has always been weaker than other people since I was born. When I was in pain, I couldn’t go to the market, I couldn’t go swimming … Thank you so much again for saving me today, it’s been over a month, I will continue to do only this exercise and see but it’s never been better since the last month and a half. Thank you , thank you !!!!
I appreciate your scientific approach -- and humor. The stretched and shrinking butterfly is a great visual.
Wow! WOW!.im laying in bed and getting ready to sleep. Piriformis pain for 2 years . Recently worse. Have done tons of physical therapy to no result. Saw this video and just for fun decided to follow instructions and do the exercise along with the gal in the video. What!!! What!!! 3 motions and the pain is gone!!! Even if this is temporary, at least I know I can do this for relief. Amazing. I did 6 months of physical therapy with other exercises. Didn't help this,, in fact, sometimes it got worse. Wow. I'm going to sleep. Can't wait to check this out tmrw!! THANK YOU !!!-
Hey Kathy! Thanks for watching and glad I could help.
Reps, it only hurts when I sit! Very tired it’s been 12 weeks. So thankful I was told by therapist to stretch ouch!
Ice, anti inflammatory, medicated cream & the reps! Hoping this will help and finally get a sound nights sleep!
Hey! Sorry to hear about what you’re dealing with and what you’ve been told to do.
No pressure- but if you’re interested in some help- I’d be happy to review details of your case and see if I can help.
Would this be something you’d be interested in?
What needed up helping you ? I’m in the same boat. It’s feels better when I walk but only hurts when I sit
I really wish more practitioners were like you!
Thanks Terri! Hope you are well! Appreciate you watching. Let me know if ya have any questions.
Dr. Charlie
Omg i just did this excercise and got immediate relief.... thank you!😊
Awesome! Glad I could help- appreciate you checking out my content!
Thank you so much Dr. Charlie. I am from India rural part of south India Coimbatore.I had the annoying pinchy pain for a long and couldn’t go for walk ,tried so many ways but after see your video I tried the exercises and couldn’t believe that I got out the pain and enjoyed my walk. Thank you so much
awesome!
நல்லா கேக்குதா அண்ணே
Hi Dr. Charlie. I tried the clam shell movement and it worked! I felt immediately relief after I performed the movement and sat back down in my office chair. Thank you so much!
Cool! thanks for sharing- let me know if ya get stuck or have other questions.
I NOTICED PAIN WAS A LITTLE BETTER~~~ WOW!! THANKS DOC!
Cool!
Actually this exercise is doing great changes for me, I fell a bit better every time I do this exercise. Thanks a lot Doc!!!!!
Thanks for sharing this. I have managed to cure my butt pain with figure-4 stretches in the morning and evening. I will try this exercize too.
Ive had pain for months in my buttocks and have been trying out stretches. No improvement and they made me feel worse. Ive felt so miserable with the pain. Ive just found your video and tried the exercise. I believe i had immediate relief. I even have managed to fall asleep for a few hours after getting little sleep the last few nights.
Thankyou and i will keep using this exercise 🎉
Nice Tina! Awesome- Let me know if you need more help or get stuck.
I have been dealing with pain in my right side for years, which has been exacerbated by sitting more for work lately. Thank you so much for this simple movement. SO far so good, and I look forward to incorporating it into my daily morning routine!
Update. After doing clamshells, Belt stretching and pillow pressing between the knees for the last couple weeks, I had the most pain free day in 4 months ! I’m not fully healed yet , but I can feel it getting better every day now… had my first good night of sleep in months (4 nights ago) and it all started getting better from there . I’m determined to stay on a pt regimen regardless of pain or not, probably add a couple more strengthening exercises , as well as getting back to a stretching and yoga routine . Thanks a million doc Charlie!
Thanks for watching! Want to pinpoint the source of your back, butt, hip, or leg/sciatica pain without needing expensive images or a specialist? 🔥Grab my FREE “Better Than an MRI DIY Diagnostic Guide” here 👉 www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/diyguide
Dr. Thanks ! Doing the clamshells I am struggling to get my knee up high enough , i get maybe 70% degrees at best. will this get better? Or should i be doing something else?
Thank you so much. I have been trying every stretch that I could find with no success. I felt significant relief after performing this exercise just once. FYI - I have hip dysplasia and this exercise still worked for me.
Awesome Lynn! Thanks for watching 👊🏼. Let me know if ya get stuck
Thank you so much Dr Charlie
I’m at last almost better thanks to you.
Shortening exercises every day.
Rested up, stopped the Thai massage and the chiropractor.
Stopped anything that caused pain, rested up. But with doing your exercises.
That terrible pain has gone at last.
So thank you so much again.
Ps your the splitting image of my son🤪
Glad I could help you Hilary!
Dear god in heaven I’m dying.
All the “exercise” makes my leg numb.
I have over lax joints from ehler danlos……I can be a pretzel so nothing “stretches”……I can FEEL it’s my piraformis. I’ve been in agonizing pain for almost 2mo now and I’ve basically diagnosed myself. Everyone says it’s coming from my back but my back isn’t hurting. My butt cheek hurts. I thought it was a bone but it’s not. It’s a muscle.
I feel like I’ve ripped a tendon or a muscle. Ripped it. My leg is shrinking and no one is listening because X-rays day it’s not “broken”.
Omgsh, once I finally had all my parts lined up correctly, I felt the most intense stretch from one side of my extreme lower back to the other. Not sure if that is good, bad, or indifferent, but I do feel less pain, yes!!! I work sitting in a chair for 10.5 hours. I often feel like I could explode from pain and frustration. I'm so happy I watched your video!
Awesome Kim! thanks for watching. Let me know if ya get stuck- would love to help you get to 100%
Don't sit for 10 hours... get up at least 10 minutes at various times an hour
Dr Charlie thanks you helped me sooooo much. I could literally not walk. Thank you
You're welcome Alma! Glad we corssed paths!
Hello Dr. Charlie, I had 2 injections on 6/21/24 for PMS. That is the second course of the injections. The first worked very well and was good for about 2 months. During that time I started doing excersizes to lengthen the piriformis muscle. Didn't work! I felt a little better but excerizes were not the "end all" for my PMS pain. I have watched this video and will start doing this one excersize 2-3 times a day and see how it works out. If the pain returns I'll make another comment on this page. Thank you for you video.
I hope that’s your wife considering all the giggling, butterfly touching and fabric grabbing. Lol!!!!!
Great video - helped me on the first try!
I have this i think, an what i do is first put a heating pad on the hip that hurts for 30 min maybe more to releave some pain. Then, i do clamshell on both sides next a rocket kick on the affected side still laying down, next do a version of inner rotation of the leg with leg bent, next do modified bridge with heels close contracting the glute. If i was tired of all the workouts when get up do glute contractions on standing. Some times i do laying down on good side lift bad leg with hip stacked straight leg raise, then get up an do glute clinch when standing. I do high reps in all these. I kinda wish i knew this stuff when young to make me a better athlete not do to any pain.
Hey Chris! Thanks for watching! Appreciate it. Glad I could help
Thanks a lot! Your tips to cure PMS worked very well for me👍I do clampshell, side leg rises and glute and hamstring bridges and now improving slowly, my entire left leg was weak and painful
Awesome!
Did you get cured of this now??
@@ansh444-nm9ew - yes, I am far better now
I’ve been having this issue for close to a year now but it’s not easy for me to “test” because I usually don’t get pain until I run a couple miles. I’m registered for a marathon, so not being able to run a couple miles without pain is a big deal. I’ll try this for a few weeks and edit this to yet y’all know what it does for me
Hey Curt! thanks for watching. No pressure, but I'm sure we could come up with a much quicker way to determine if this motion is the right fit for you. My goal is always to see an immediate change. Even if you don't have symptoms until a couple miles in- I'm sure there's another way to go about testing this without needing to run- or wait weeks. This way you could get back to running faster with a clear plan.
If you're interested in speeding up the process- I'd be happy to review your case to see if/how I can help you out.
Just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat and then follow instructions to submit your case review.
Sound good?
Thanks for watching, happy new year, and hang in there!
Dr. Charlie
The stairs look to be having a tight periformis issue.
I have hip impingement, they hurt so bad. I'm worried exercise would make my hips worse.
I can't sit due to pain, i have to lay on my sofa..
I found that the MKensie method worked best for me so logically I will stick with that and yoga.
Awesome Terry. Just be careful with yoga- LOTS of “exercises” in there that may counter the effects of McKenzie method.
It seems it might actually help me. I will try it when at it's worst. For me it's after prolonged sitting or sleeping I get stiff. The part of the pain is hard to bend over to put on socks or shoes and tie the laces. It becomes tight. If by doing this and it relieves bending over and gives more range to put on shoes. Then well I would imagine it would be working.
Some say Piriformis can be bad when walking. For me though however I get bad after sitting and sleeping and stiff and the pain radiates from buttocks down back of thigh down to calf.
After actually moving around standing and walking I get relief from the pain. But the bending may or may not be the same in aforementioned. My thinking is that the Piriformis muscle is more contracted when standing and less stretched out. Maybe it's not. But since I am fairly sedentary in sitting and sleeping etc when not working. That is my problem and standing if "contracting" the muscle well that is what I get the "least" happening.
I don't know. But if I get relief doing this well then it would be working. Only time will tell.
This is what my PT gave me and it helps
I remember having a rotator cuff muscle ache and sting almost. I had a hunch it was super weak. Started strengthening it and it feels amazing now. Makes sense the same can happen with the piriformis
Same here , slow strengthening is the answer most of the time
Felt immediate improvement with both static holds and reps , will stick to it.. and get back after a week..
Cool!
How is there just a celling at the top of those stairs???Is Is it rare that both of my buttocks hurt? Can't wait to try this exercise. Thank you!
Hey Dana! If both buttocks hurt then it’s likely referred pain from the lower back- causing what feels like piriformis syndrome! Have you check out my DIY diagnostic guide? You can grab a free copy of it here. www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/DIYGuide
I've tried stretching for so long and it doesn't work. However, after doing the strengthening exercises, I can feel the relief
Thanks for sharing!
@@drcharliejohnson no, THANK YOU!
Am wondering, if the piriformis is pushing on the sciatic nerve, would shortening it reduce that pressure? Regardless I’m trying this… I’ll do most anything, legal, to get my quality of life back. Thank you so much for being you.
Hey Kathy- thanks for watching! Honestly, would need to do some detective work and begin testing to find what will work best for you.
Would you be open to me reviewing your case to see even if/how I can help you out?
If so, just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat, then follow instructions to submit a formal Case Review.
Hang in there!
Dr. Charlie PT
After doing this exercise, I can put my pants on while standing! I haven't been able to do that for weeks!
I have recliner chairs and at the end of a day I just long to get in one and put my feet up. I sit there like that for maybe 3 hours before bedtime and am convinced that sitting with back straight but legs stretched up and out is making me worse. So I am now unfortunately going to have to experiment with no more reclining for the time being to see if it makes a difference.
Sounds like a good idea. Time to do some detective work!
And no pressure- but if you’re interested in some help- let me know. I consult with folks worldwide and would be happy to review your case personally 👍
It works, one day!
👊🏼
I will be trying this tonight because Most of my problem is at night when I try to sleep and even then it is not all the time or exactly the same. LOL
Hey thanks for watching. Sounds like a plan!
Other things to consider would be your nighttime routine, sleeping surface, and position in which you sleep.
Let me know if ya get stuck 👍
Thanks for this Dr Charlie. I will definitely give this a try!
Sure thing Frank! Let me know how it goes or if ya need some help!
I have tried this exercise a few times and have not really noticed anything yet. I was not really sure if my toe numbness and occasional upper thigh/butt area (sciatic)burning sensation was due to nerve issue in the lower lumbar or if it was piriformis until I watched one of the piriformis videos where they showed exaclty where the sciatic could be pinched by the piriformis and how deep under the glut muscle it is. I was pushing in the general area It was supposed to be with my thumb and when I hit a certain spot and pushed in quite hard, the toes that tend to be mildly numb all the time then immediately went much more numb with the pressure from my thumb. It's the left buttock where I used to always keep a very thick wallet and I noticed the numbness began after I got back into riding motorcycles and somietimes taking multi-hour trips. If I sit with pressure on the left cheek, the toes go more numb and if I lay to the left putting pressure on that cheek when I sleep, the extra numbness in the left toes wakes me up. I guess I am on the right track with the piriformis? I did have an xray on the lumber that showed ddd of the L5 S1 and some narrowing of the facet joints. Maybe the root of the problem is in the lumbar but exacerbated by the piriformis? Is that possible or likely?
I am going for my first PT in a few days and the next day I have a nerve conduction test.
Probability wise- likely the lower back- but hard to be 100% certain without knowing more details. Did you test, treat, retest using this exercise… or did you just starting doing it?
Sounds like this exercise probably isn’t the ticket for you. No worries, would need to test and find another approach!
What’s the update? I have the exact same thing going on. I jumped and landed kinda weird a month ago. Then u had some back pain that came and went. Now when I sit my left leg and toes/feel have this tingling feeling.
To me strengthening and making the fibres stronger then stretching to release tension after exercise serms to be more logical. The pain in the butt will disappear. Were our ancestors stretching after escaping the lion? I see more physical therapy folks are using strength exercises. Science is slow to evolve. Yes I agree to try one exercise before ditching it for anorher one. I'm currently doing one exercise recommended by my athletic therapist for the medial rotators for a month then see if my hip pain walking, climbing stairs and hiking has disappeared. Being patient is hard for us humans.
Thank you Dr Johnson, and thank you for your information. I have watched many of your videos and I've determined my pain is not from my back, but from the piriformis. I woke up from left total knee surgery with left buttock pain, and it has worsened since then (I'm five weeks post-op.) Left knee flexion causes excrutiating pain in my buttock, so my knee flexion is stuck at 90 degrees. 😔 PT did stretches and massage but I still can't push my knee any farther. I'm going to try the clamshell exercises, but I can't do the figure-4 bc of the knee surgery. I sure hope this helps. I'm getting discouraged.
Hey Cheryl! Sorry to hear! If you're limited in knee bend- clamshell may not work for you. No worries, need to find other motions.
Are you open to help? Would love to see if/how I can help...
@@drcharliejohnson Yes, I'm desperate for help!
@@cherylatkins9323- I’d ask that you apply and schedule a time to work together. As part of the process, you will be asked to submit a case review. I will review the case prior to our call and we can review everything during the call. Sound good?
To schedule a time to chat- visit: www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply
Why does your staircase goes nowhere
so bad every step with my left heel ...now the heel gone...
l.. sorta triggers heel... never goes away.
learning what the hell is wrong with me I think I got this from driving left foot rest on side while drive. sleeping also
.i did get hurt at work once like 6 years ago .foot went numb. then that went away a week . but its funny becuz I didn't feel this pitri forms thing until 4 years after that hurt work thing.
so I started it feeling it ....... this happened I was driving everyday 3 years straight hours a day..... all of sudden I quit no more driiving ...
within 3 weeks this pain developed. hmmm cud just be relating them .....but its a painful and my doc just says pt and stretch looks at me like im crazy . yet im in pain everyday .havent had a mri. nothing broken. sucks 35 m
Great video thank you!
I love your content ,you really care
I do my best Paul! Thanks!
do you have an excersise for plantar fascitis 🙏🏻
and thankyou for the video !
Hey Stardust- I do not. That's not my speciality. That being said- sometimes plantar fasciitis is caused by a problem upstream... even in the back. Appreciate you watching!
What if it's a combination of stretching and contracting. Seems like that's the two functions muscles have and maybe they need to be balanced. Something where neither gets done enough especially if you sit a lot at a desk job. Just a thought.
Thank you Dr. Charlie! This exercise has done wonders for me so thank you for sharing your expertise with us. I've been dealing with piriformus pain down the leg for several weeks and tried foam rolling which only made it worse. Got onto your videos and followed your DIY guide and this exercise and I'm feeling much better. But I'd like to know when I can go back to doing my lower body weighted workouts? I generally work my lower body at least 2-3 times a week which probably caused this in the first place. How long do you suggest doing the clamshell before easing back into my lower body workouts? And are there any lower body moves I should avoid? Thanks so much!
Hey Tracey! Sure thing- glad I could help! So, timeline is dependent upon many things... as symptoms calm down, most people start to get the "itch" to get back to life. When this happens, need to make sure you are systematic about getting back to exercise slowly... so that you don't set yourself back. Also, there is usually some form of fear/anxiety around getting back to things... in which case you will ideally want to learn how you can neutralize these feeling. Basically, I teach people a framework for getting back to life- so that they know what is OKAY to feel/experience and/or when they should back off/stop. Big picture, if getting back to lifting feels safe- give it a go. But start small and do not push past mild symptoms.
Does this help?
Let me know if you're interested in more support- here to help.
Dr. Charlie!
@@drcharliejohnson 😊 Thank you so much! I didn't expect a response so quickly -- thank you! I'll go slowly for sure--I definitely have the "fear/anxiety" that you describe because I definitely don't want to go backwards in my progress. It's such a relief to feel more "normal" than I've felt in several weeks/months so thank you from the bottom of my heart! I'll let you know how it goes!
@@traceywalters4120 Cool! Yup- very common. Let me know if ya bump up against any issues and need more help. I consult with folks worldwide (this is my area of speciality). No pressure, but if ya get stuck- you can set up a time to chat with me @ www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply and we talk about a plan.
Good luck Tracey! Thanks for watching!
For sure going up those stairs and hurt your head and not your back
I wish you could be my physical therapist.
Hey! Thanks for watching my content. If you're open to working virtually- I can absolutely coach you along your healing journey. I consult with folks worldwide.
No pressure, and not even sure if I can help- but if you're interested- I'd invite you to set up a time to chat with us and submit details of your case for review.
To do that- just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply
Sound good?
Dr. Charlie
@@drcharliejohnson Thank you, yes it does.
@@journeyali6788 great- just click the link and apply to get started.
Hope to chat soon. Hang in there!
I think I’d put a pillow behind my back to help me not tip backwards.
Hey! Great idea! That or even being close to a wall is sometimes useful for feedback!
This helped!!! Thank you!!! New subscriber now!
awesome Rosi!
Hahahhaaaa entertaining AND informative!😂
Thanks Tracy!!
It’s like an electricity jolt of severe pain
Please direct me to a video or let me know here: If my piriformis is overstretched, how can it be irritating my sciatic nerve?
Do you have any videos on Ischial Bursitis?
Do NOT at the moment. Is this Alex?
I can only do this for a few seconds before the muscle gives out. It's much weaker than the other side. And it also doesn't seem to get any stronger, even with this exercise :(
First and foremost the goal is to experience an immediate reduction in symptoms/improved ability to move. Sounds like it's not the right exercise for you. Time to test others!
You said this exercise shouldn't be painful, but if your glute already hurts before beginning (like a painful pinch deep in the center of your glute), should you try it and then see if the pinch eventually starts subsiding?
You said don't do this exercise if it hurts, but if your glute hurts before you begin the exercise (big deep pinching pain in the center of the glute) should you try it and then see if the pain eventually starts subsiding?
My pain is near the bottom outside where the muscle connects to the bone. It can become pretty irritated when it contracts while im doing some sort of squat movement. My groin also skips around a lot especially when I flex the glute muscle. Not sure what to do about that. It's from an injury to my back from deadlift in my SI joint. My hamstring also burns and stings when it's being contracted in a curl motion but it's fine when I work it in the stretched position if my SI joint pain allows that type of work. I do also have some anterior pelvic tilt on the injured side.
I went to sit down last night in a booth at a restaurant and my hip area, then a little into the groin area felt like a big rip! Wow did it hurt and then again when I went to get in my SUV trying to lift that left leg up. I think it's stretched not tight. I will try clam shell. Thank you for what you do!
Hey Robyn! First things first- appreciate you watching. Now, sorry to hear...hope you still enjoyed dinner! I'd let things calm down over next 24-48 hours... then give this exercise (watch video above) a try! Remember, it should not be painful! If that doesn't work- shoot me an update/reply back- would love to chat with you to see if/how I can help!
@@drcharliejohnson right I commented before watching it all first!! Will do. Thanks!
@@Prettynickle all good- for sure- check it out! Let me know what you learn.
def going to try because I have been doing the stretching and it is not helping whatsoever
Hey! thanks for watching. Awesome, let me know if ya get stuck or need help- I'd be happy to review your case and see if/how I could help.
Hang in there and thanks for checking out the channel!
@@drcharliejohnson so I started that clam shell exercise yesterday and it seems to be working. It has already started to feel better than it did. I am amazed that something so small could help. I have to admit, I was really skeptical but I am going to keep on doing this exercise and hope that it goes away
Thank you for the video. Mine is most painful in the morning. I have full range of motion. It hurts most when i sleep. I just did the exercises, and it still hurts, laying down on my back. Should i change the mattress? If so, firm or softer mattress, which kind is better? Can you comment on that? Thank you.
Also, i do yoga on a regular basis, so i should avoid doing the yoga? You wouldn't recommend it?. It hurts to do the yoga when i do stretching motions. Thank you.
What should do if both sides hurt ?
I tried this exercise last night and the pain in my butt felt pretty good afterwards but I could barely get up and walk around the morning after. Did more clamshells and went for a casual walk to loosen things up and am feeling fairly okay. Is feeling worse in the morning a sign that I should stop now or give the exercise more time? It FEELS like it's hitting something that needs to be hit...
Hey! May have overcooked it. Or May have been the way you slept. Feeling worse in the morning is common (especially with disc issues)). If motion is yummy/doesn’t hurt- then should be fine to continue but perhaps at a lower dose?
Let me know if you get stuck (I work with folks worldwide 👍)
Same here. Still a major improvement from a Couple days ago
I'm currently suffering piriformis syndrome. Honestly I'm in so much pain I have been given cocodemol and naproxen and they do nothin. Doing all the normal streches results in agony as does walking and almost everything else.
I'm trying this, hopefully it will give me the break I need.
Hey Dorian! Thanks for watching man! Hang in there and let me know if ya get stuck... would love to help!
Dr. Charlie
@@drcharliejohnson
I would gladly accept all the help I can get.
Short term, I have noticed with this exercise I can walk about for a few mins before the pain returns. I was able to get out of bed without being in agony. Progress.
Also if I got pain whilst sleeping it helped, which is how this all started.
@@dorianeley9653 hey! Okay, got it... for sure, sounds like you're a bit stuck- but good to hear that getting out of bed is a bit better.
No pressure man, but best first step to see if I can help is to set up a time to chat. Hard to give specific recommendations blindly without knowing all the details and being able to work through things. Hope that's fair.
If you're interested in my help- you can visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply and schedule a time to chat with us.
Sound good?
@@drcharliejohnson thanks, I'll take a look!
@@dorianeley9653 Cool man- let me know if ya have any questions.
i wouldn't suggest going up your stairs
Yeah man- bad news bears!
Is swimming good for piriformis syndrome, and is ice or heat better? Severe pain in the way down my leg into my foot. Not traditional sciatica. I’ve had that before. This is definitely coming from the Glute
So long as swimming feels safe- I don't see an issue with it. Let's call it neutral? May be great for you, but make someone else worse... would need some more info here...
What about strengthening butt muscles. Wouldn't that help tighten up the piriformis?
I'm pretty sure I tore that muscles
It may help "tighten it" but are you sure it's related to your pain?
I have a bad hip and would have trouble getting up off of the floor.
Can I do this exercise on my bed?
Please help me i have piriformis 😭😭😭😭
I can't get my form right. I understand that when i lay down my hip/pelvis should be at a 90 degree angle from the floor but its hurts so badly. I end up either leaning my hips forward or backward. The part that hurts is the side of my leg, right at the top of the leg bone. Ive added more cushion but it doesn't seem to help. How do i fix this?
Hey- try putting pillows above (under your side) and below your hip to offer pressure relief (like sitting on a donut idea)... or consider that doing it ONLY on your good side may offer some benefit alone. May not be necessary at all to do it on your painful side.
@@drcharliejohnson thank you so much for the reply! I will try this
@@wishkohaku you’re welcome!
No pressure, but if you get stuck and are interested in some help- I’d be happy to review your case personally.
Just visit www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply - select a time to chat, then follow instructions to submit details of your case if you’d like 👍
Sound good?
Dr Charlie PT
Do you recommend a massage gun along with the exercise? Thanks! I've just started doing these exercises - my acupuncturist agrees it is Piriformis and she suggested a massage gun...
Dr Johnson, Could you PLEASE ADDRESS my question?
I am experiencing SEVERE MUSCLE CRAMPS IN MY MUSCLES OF MY LEG AND BUTTOCKS from doing any specific exercise. I am a Nutritional Therapist and I have tried utterly EVERY possible combination of professional supplements and food to obtain correct amounts of electrolytes and any other need for muscles! I am trying to come back from 2 separate slip and falls on ice, last January and February. The muscle spasms were SO INTENSE it felt like the muscles were being TORN OFF THE BONE! (ALWAYS at night!) It was first affecting the lateral side (IT Band) and up into Piriformis and Glutes, then it went into SEVERE SPASMS into the medial/inner side of my thigh, which made it almost impossible to lift my leg up (walk upstairs, get into a car, etc.,).
Has ANYONE else out there experienced anything like this? I cannot do any specific exercises without going into complete muscle spasms that are the Tetany Form! They will not release for many minutes of mind blowing, EXCRUCIATING PAIN!!! I use only Nutritional Supplementation for pain, but it is driving me crazy! My Physical Therapists have never seen anything like this! I am thinking of seeing a Neurologist! The only thing that helps, is ME showing them where to do Graston Therapy and just last week, Dry Needling worked extremely well at calming the medial muscle tension, but not high enough into my groin. We are trying it again this week! I have looked at your other videos, but I have NEVER seen you address this kind of Tetany Muscle Spasms when trying to address the Piriformis, which is ALSO a MAJOR issue with my identified problem! MUCH THANKS! I CHALENGLE YOU, SIR!
Please help me! Please help me! 😭😭😭😭
Why are you stairs going to nowhere ????
🤔 🤣🤣
Can I do this laid in bed? It's hard for me to get off floor painful
Sure Kelly! You can do it in bed- whatever is easiest. Let me know how it goes or if ya get stuck.
I did the clamshells and had immediate relief after a week of stretching, which ultimately made my pain worse. Would you recommend using heat on the piriformis to increase blood flow to the muscle?
Hey Anna! Awesome! So, you could apply heat- but remember- piriformis is a deep muscle… so heat on the skin surface wont reach it! Best way to “warm it up” would be to work it and bring blood flow to the area! Make sense?
That never occurred to me, thanks! And thank you for this video. I've been doing this twice a day for only 3 days and I'm virtually pain free now! I wasted 5 weeks of my life going to a chiropractor because my doctor told me I had si joint dysfunction, all the while, my piriformis pain was getting worse. The chiropractor was stretching my piriformis which I believe was only making me worse. I stopped going, did these exercises, and took off my si belt and I feel great! However, the si belt was making my opposite side si joint feel stuck so I'm trying to sort that out now.
Would adding weight to the clam movement (weight strap to knee) be helpful?
Hey Dan! Thanks for watching. May be helpful- but first make sure that no weight works and is tolerable 👍. Only add as much weight (if any) as necessary to achieve relief.
@@drcharliejohnson thank you
@@DanR-hn2dn for sure man. Let me know if you get stuck or need help. No pressure, but if you're interested- I'd be happy to review your case and see if I can help ya out and get you back to normal.
Hang in there!
@@drcharliejohnson Its been a month since my pain began and I am now so much better thanks to your input. What helped me a great deal is not stretching and working on the clam exercises with some other useful glute building workouts.
I used a Rogue Fitness Sling shot hip band for resistance and it is great for those exercises and for recovery. Thanks a million.
@@DanR-hn2dn awesome man! Great to hear. Thanks for watching and sharing the update! Reach back out if ya need anything 👊🏼
Which muscles are the ext rotators worked when we squat into flexion?
am I the only one wondering where these stairs behind him are going to?
So this exercise is the only thing that I have found that feels like it is doing something to my issue (a certain point on my butt hurts when I sit down). I wouldn't say it was painful to perform, but I did make the area of pain tired. I could really tell this exercise affects the problem area. So, should I continue with this? Should I add another one? I have been in pain for well over a year. Thank you Dr. Johnson
Hey Clint! Thanks for watching. Honestly hard to say if you should keep going or not or if this is the exercise for you- may not be and my guess is you have several other things that would need to be addressed first.
Would need to do some more detective work here.
No pressure- but are you open to potentially working together so I can help you solve this?
@@drcharliejohnson yes!
@@clintgroom8213 awesome man
So- best first step would be to submit details
of your specific case and set up a time to chat by visiting www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply and following instructions.
If I review case and feel I can’t help- I’ll just letcha know 👊🏼
Then we can go from there 👍
Dr. Charlie, at 2:09 in the video his right knee doesn't want to go down. Is a shortened piriformis the usually culprit, or can other muscles like the gemullus muscles or even the adductors cause this?
Sir i have short piriformis syndrome. My Painful side is less movable and weak when tested so which exercise should i do?
Mines is more in my hamstrings and gets worse when I sit or any pressure is put on it. I have anterior pelvic tilt. It started from trying to do side leg raises with internal rotation. Then I went massaging it and it flared up and hasn't stopped since 😔 would it be ok to do this with exercises that target glutes and hip flexor to help with the anterior pelvic tilt?
hey! hard to say without evaluating. but give it a try and stay focused
my pain increases when i sit,what should i do ?
good question- but impossible to answer without knowing more- hope that's understandable. So many things to consider- what the source of pain is, where it hurts, how bad it hurts when you sit, how long you can sit for, what motions make your pain better, worse, how long you've been in pain, the way you sit, the surface you sit on, what you're doing while you sit, etc...
Would you be open to chatting to see if/how I can help?
If so, best first step would be to set up a time to chat... www.drcharliejohnsonpt.com/apply
Dr. C, I have been doing these clams but had to stop cuz the pain is sooo bad when standing up????
Hey! Okay got it. So, make sure first that they are NOT painful while doing them. If so, stop em. If painfree- great- now to solve the getting up issue. Question becomes is... is the pain you experience when you get up due to "getting up"... like simply getting up is painful. Or is it caused by the clam? Something to consider is to do it on a high surface- like a firm mattress, so you can simply roll on over, sit up and see if that changes things.
Make sense?
@@drcharliejohnson Yes, makes sense:) It hurts when I stand and bear Full weight:(
@@lvncsr6166 yup! I get it. Keep me in the loop and let me know if ya need help 👊🏼
Is it ok to feel some soreness after doing the exercises
If minimal while doing- I’d say that’s acceptable… but should not linger afterwards. Make sense?
HI.
Very nice videos. I have sore and tender piriformis muscles, especially when im sitting or lying down.
Is it best to stop doing exercises or continue?
Hey Thanks! If the exercises are working- then continue. if not- cut em out and time to test others! make sense?