The piriformis is a pear-shaped muscle nestled deep within the gluteal region. It runs from the sacrum (the base of your spine) to the greater trochanter at the top of the femur (thigh bone). Despite its modest size, it plays three critical roles in everyday movement:
When fascia adapts to repetitive movement, prolonged posture, or previous injury, it creates patterns. These patterns influence where pain shows up, when it appears, and why it keeps returning—even after the original tissue has healed.
The majority of sports injuries occur during routine movements — running, changing direction, reaching, or accelerating in exactly the same way you’ve done thousands of times before. That’s not bad luck. It’s the result of how the body manages repetition, fatigue, and split-second decision-making under load.
Pain is your body’s alarm system. It warns you of danger — like touching a hot stove, twisting an ankle, or straining a muscle during exercise. This kind of acute pain is protective, purposeful, and temporary.
But what happens when the alarm keeps ringing long after the danger has passed? That’s the reality of chronic pain — a state in which your nervous system becomes overprotective, continuing to send pain signals even when tissues have fully healed. Understanding this distinction is the first step toward meaningful recovery.
Injuries are an unavoidable part of athletic life. Whether you’re a competitive athlete, a weekend runner, or someone easing back into sport after a long break, understanding how the body heals—and how physiotherapy actively supports that process—can mean the difference between a complete, confident return to sport and months of lingering setbacks.
Injuries are an unavoidable part of athletic life. Whether you’re a competitive athlete, a weekend runner, or someone easing back into sport after a long break, understanding how the body heals—and how physiotherapy actively supports that process—can mean the difference between a complete, confident return to sport and months of lingering setbacks.
Sports medicine and sports physiotherapy clinics play a central role in modern athletic care — helping individuals recover from injuries, prevent re-injury, and return to performance safely. While some centres include sports medicine physicians on staff, many leading physiotherapy clinics — including physiotherapy clinics in Ottawa — deliver evidence-based, non-surgical rehabilitation through physiotherapists and other regulated health professionals working within their defined scopes of practice.
Tennis elbow is one of the most common overuse injuries seen in clinical practice — and also one of the most misunderstood. Despite its name, most individuals affected have never played tennis. Office workers, tradespeople, parents, gym-goers, and anyone performing repetitive hand and arm movements can develop this condition.
Your health is our priority, and we’re committed to partnering with you to achieve your optimal wellness.
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