What is the Difference Between Herniated Disc and Piriformis Syndrome

The key difference between herniated disc and piriformis syndrome is that herniated disc occurs when some of the internal section of the spinal disk slips out through a crack in the fibrous lining of the disk, while piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses on the sciatic nerve and causes inflammation.

Herniated disc and piriformis syndrome are two medical conditions that are characterized by pain in the buttock. Both these conditions can cause sciatica, which is the pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve from the lower back to down the leg. However, they are different medical conditions with different causes.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Herniated Disc
3. What is Piriformis Syndrome
4. Similarities – Herniated Disc and Piriformis Syndrome
5. Herniated Disc vs Piriformis Syndrome in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Herniated Disc vs Piriformis Syndrome

What is Herniated Disc?

A herniated disc occurs when some of the internal section of the spinal disk slips out through a crack in the fibrous lining of the disk. This condition is caused by gradual wear and overuse due to repeated movement over time. The risk factors in the condition may include age (older people are affected more likely) and certain diseases such as spinal stenosis and connective tissue diseases. The symptoms of a herniated disc include numbness and tingling that travel outwards along the nerve, into the arms or legs, muscle weakness that leads to stumbling while walking, burning or sharp pain that starts in the back and radiates to arms and legs, and problems in bowel or bladder control.

Herniated Disc vs Piriformis Syndrome in Tabular Form

Figure 01: Herniated Disc

A herniated disc can be diagnosed through physical examination, CT scan, MRI, X-ray, discogram, and myelogram. Furthermore, treatment options for herniated discs may include medications such as over-the-counter pain relievers (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen, opioids, muscle relaxants and nerve pain drugs, physical therapy, epidural injections and spinal nerve injections and surgeries like discectomy, nucleotomy, laminectomy, spinal fusion, and disk replacement.

What is Piriformis Syndrome?

Piriformis syndrome is a medical condition that occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve and causes inflammation. The symptoms of this condition may include aching, burning, numbness, pain, and tingling sensations in the butt, hip, or upper leg. The most common causes of piriformis syndrome include swelling in the piriformis or the tissues around it, muscle spasms, and scarring in the muscle. Moreover, the risk factors for this condition include gender (females affected more likely), increased BMI, occupational related injury, and overused piriformis muscle.

Herniated Disc and Piriformis Syndrome - Side by Side Comparison

Figure 02: Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis syndrome can be diagnosed through physical examination, ultrasound, MRI, and electromyogram. Furthermore, treatment options for piriformis syndrome may include taking rest, stretching exercises to strengthen piriformis, NSAIDs, pain relievers, massage, muscle relaxants, physical therapy, steroid injections, and botulinum toxin injections (Botox).

What are the Similarities Between Herniated Disc and Piriformis Syndrome?

Herniated disc and piriformis syndrome are two medical conditions characterized by pain in the buttock.
Both these conditions can cause sciatica.
They have similar symptoms like tingling in the buttocks and legs, pain related to movement, pain relief when lying, leg weakness, and difficulty sleeping.
Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
They are treated through specific medications like pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and physical therapy.

What is the Difference Between Herniated Disc and Piriformis Syndrome?

A herniated disc occurs when some of the internal section of the spinal disk slips out through a crack in the fibrous lining of the disk, while piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses on the sciatic nerve and causes inflammation. Thus, this is the key difference between herniated disc and piriformis syndrome. Furthermore, a herniated disc is caused by gradual wear and overuse due to repeated movement over time. On the other hand, piriformis syndrome is caused by swelling in the piriformis or the tissues around it, muscle spasms, and scarring in the muscle.

The below infographic presents the differences between herniated disc and piriformis syndrome in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Herniated Disc vs Piriformis Syndrome

Herniated disc and piriformis syndrome are two medical conditions that are characterized by pain in the buttock and sciatica. Both these conditions have other similarities as well. However, a herniated disc occurs when some of the internal section of the spinal disk slips out through a crack in the fibrous lining of the disk, while piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis muscle compresses on the sciatic nerve and causes inflammation. So, this summarizes the difference between herniated disc and piriformis syndrome.

Reference:

1. “Herniated Disk: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.
2. “Piriformis Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Herniated Disc” By Blausen.com staff (2014).”Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014″. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Piriformis syndrome” By Patrick J. Lynch & KDS4444 (CC BY-SA 2.5) via Flickr