My hip pain resembles piriformis syndrome. What should I do?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am experiencing some pain in my left buttock that travels down my leg and causes a feeling of numbness and tingling in my left leg. I do not experience any pain in my lower back. It is only that after prolonged sitting, I start feeling pain in my left hip that travels down the left leg. I consulted a doctor, and he told me that a disc in my lower spine is pinching a nerve that causes the pain to radiate from my hips toward my leg. I searched my symptoms and found that the pain resembled much of piriformis syndrome. What should I do?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The doctor you consulted is right. These symptoms can be caused due to a slipped disc. To confirm this and we may need to take up an MRI of the lumbar spine. Also, the piriformis syndrome symptoms are similar, but they are not radiating in symptoms as piriformis muscle tightness may lead to compression over the nerve root and can misguide the diagnosis.

Having an MRI scan will be the right decision. Post which if there is no disc disease is noticed then another differential diagnosis has to be made and treated accordingly. Please take an MRI scan and let us know the reports. I will help you further with the therapeutic plan.