07/07/2026
Deep, nagging ache in the center of your glutes that radiates down your leg or locks up your lower back? One small, stubborn muscle can cause a massive amount of pain: the piriformis. Here’s how PNF assisted stretching can solve your pain.
When the piriformis becomes overworked, tight, or inflamed, it can compresses the sciatic nerve. This triggers a condition known as Piriformis Syndrome, which can cause:
-A deep, persistent ache in the center of the buttocks
-Sharp, shooting pain, tingling, or numbness travelling down the back of the leg (known commonly as sciatica)
-Referred pain in the lower back and hips, making it uncomfortable to sit or walk up stairs
Because the body naturally protects itself from pain, a tight piriformis often forces your lower back muscles to compensate, leading to secondary back spasms and chronic posture issues.
Standard solo stretches rarely isolate it because its buried deep so in a pigeon stretch, your larger surface-level glutes absorb the majority of the pull. The piriformis remains shielded underneath.
Trying to force a deep muscle to stretch on your own often triggers the body's natural stretch reflex.
To bypass the stretch reflex and reach a muscle as deep as the piriformis, you have to work with the nervous system rather than against it. This is where Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) comes in.
PNF is a medically proven stretching method that rewires the nervous system to allow your muscles to relax and stretch further without pain. It works because it isn’t just pulling on tissue; it is retraining the neuromuscular connection.
Rewire your pain to release the piriformis and find your path to a pain-free body with PNF assisted stretching.
We're London's only PNF assisted stretch specialists. Find us in Islington, Waterloo and Kings Cross.
50mins for £55 at www.stretchlife.com
Start your journey to a pain free piriformis now.