The effects of three types of piriform muscle stretching on muscle thickness and the medial rotation angle of the coxal articulation.
Jun Chul Park, Jae Hun Shim, Sin Ho Chung
PMID 29184293WHAT IT FOUND
None of the three piriform stretching positions was more effective than the others, although each produced immediate changes in muscle thickness and hip medial rotation.
Key findings
01Forty-five healthy male students were randomly assigned to three stretching methods.
02Each method produced a significant change in piriform muscle thickness and medial rotation angle after stretching.
03No significant difference was observed between the methods for either outcome.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Participants were 45 healthy male students in their twenties, not people with piriform muscle syndrome or pain. The study measured only immediate changes after stretching, so it does not show lasting benefit. The sample was small, and the authors could not control minor motion during ultrasound measurement. The researchers did not measure the change in medial rotators other than the piriform muscle.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these stretching methods treat piriform muscle syndrome. The study measured only immediate changes in 45 healthy male students, not patients or symptoms.