Which treatment is more effective for piriformis syndrome: ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection or shockwave therapy?
- Julian Simpson
- Apr 3
- 2 min read
Updated: May 1
Which treatment is more effective for piriformis syndrome: ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection or shockwave therapy?
Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a common cause of low back pain. It may arise from myofascial pain within the piriformis muscle or manifest when variations or abnormalities of this muscle result in compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve
It accounts for nearly 1 in 10 cases of sciatica
The symptoms and signs of PS include pain in the hip and buttock regions, sciatica, and discomfort during prolonged sitting
For buttock pain, which may be caused by tendinopathy, sprain, bursitis, tumor, neuralgia, sacroiliac or hip disorders (including impingement syndrome), or piriformis syndrome, ultrasound is a useful tool for evaluating and guiding injections
So which is going to be better, coricosteroid injections or shockwave?
findings revealed that both treatments led to positive outcomes in terms of the mitigation of disability and alleviation of pain,
Piriformis muscle injection is a relatively invasive procedure; it involves a risk of injuring the sciatic nerve, pelvic organs, and inferior and superior gluteal arteries
Patients where assessed after 1 week and 5 weeks post care , and found both were similar in their effectivenss
But considering the sideeffects of cortisone and the ease of shockwave, why not give a go at your next Chiropractic session!
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Fu YS, Shih KS, Lin YT, Hsieh LF, Liu YF, Chen YR. Efficacy of ultrasound-guided piriformis muscle corticosteroid injection versus extracorporeal shockwave therapy in patients with piriformis syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. J Formos Med Assoc. 2025 Feb 27:S0929-6646(25)00036-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2025.01.020. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40016058.
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