Andie MacDowell Has Piriformis Syndrome: What Is the Condition?

Andie MacDowell recently went public with her piriformis syndrome diagnosis, but what does the condition entail?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, piriformis syndrome causes pain or numbness in a person’s butt, hip or leg. The pain typically occurs when the body’s piriformis muscle presses on the sciatic nerve which results in inflammation.

The piriformis is a muscle that runs down from the lower spine to the butt and to the top of the thighs. The muscle extends to each side of your body and is used in almost every movement of the lower body. The sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in a person’s body, runs underneath the piriformis. It travels from the spinal cord all the way down to a person’s feet.

Piriformis syndrome can occur on one or both sides of the body. It can be caused by injury, swelling, muscle spasms or scar tissue in the piriformis. Anything that makes the piriformis press on the sciatic nerve can cause the syndrome like lifting something improperly, overexercising or sitting for long periods.

Related: Andie MacDowell Shares Piriformis Syndrome Diagnosis: ‘Falling Apart’

Andie MacDowell is opening up about being diagnosed with piriformis syndrome. The Four Weddings and a Funeral actress, 66, shared on the Thursday, January 23, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show how she feared she needed a hip replacement after experiencing “shooting [pain] down my leg.” MacDowell went on to share details about living with […]

In most cases, the painful episodes typically go away in a few days or weeks. Some ways to treat the condition include getting a few days of rest, at-home stretching exercises, physical therapy, massage and medications that relax the muscles. Surgery is not recommended to treat piriformis syndrome. The condition can resolve quickly by making lifestyle changes but there is a possibility it could return.

While the condition sounds similar to a herniated disk or sciatica, piriformis syndrome is different. In the other two ailments, most of the time the lower back is primarily affected and the pain typically travels down through a person’s butt or leg. On the other hand, piriformis syndrome only involves the piriformis muscle pressing on one area of the sciatic nerve which can feel a lot like sciatica but in a more specific zone.

Piriformis syndrome is not a common diagnosis and according to experts it only accounts for about up to 6 percent of lower back pain.

To prevent piriformis syndrome, medical experts recommend stretching before regular exercise, maintaining good posture and not sitting for an extended time.

During a Thursday, January 23, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, MacDowell, 66, shared she was worried she needed a hip replacement after experiencing pain while riding her Peloton bike. She later learned that she had piriformis syndrome and opened up about living with the condition.

“I ended up with bad knees and a bad hip and … I thought I was literally falling apart, like I was gonna have to get new pieces,” the Four Weddings and a Funeral actress said. “But the good news is my pieces are fine. My knees are good except for aging. They’ve aged. I’m working out really hard now doing PT. I’m not falling apart.”