Prevalence of Piriformis Tightness and Its Impact on Daily Life Activity Among Undergraduate University Students

Background: Piriformis Syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder characterised by pain and/or numbness in the buttock area caused by the compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve by piriformis muscle tightness. Early diagnosis and treatment of piriformis tightness are crucial to preventing long-term complications and improving the quality of life for individuals. Objective: to determine the prevalence of piriformis tightness and to determine the impact of piriformis tightness on physical activity and quality of life among undergraduate City University students. Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional design conducted at City University, Peshawar, Pakistan, with a sample size of 329 participants selected through non-probability convenient sampling. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Committee of City University of Science and Information Technology. Inclusion criteria included undergraduate students aged 18-26 and those who are willing to participate, while exclusion criteria covered recent trauma, surgery in low back and lower limbs, psychological issues, lower limb disability, and lumbar radiculopathy. Tools used in the study were piriformis stretch test, numeric pain rating scale, and international physical activity questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Qualitative variables were calculated as frequency and percentages. Chi-square test was used to analyze the correlation between variables. The p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In a sample size of 329, 165 (50.2%) were males and 164 (49.8%) were females. The pain intensity among these participants was also distributed into different categories such as no pain, mild pain, moderate pain, and severe pain. The mild pain category had the highest frequency with 123 participants representing 37.4%% of the total sample. According to IPAQ score of the participants, the participants who are performing moderate physical activity had the highest frequency accounts for (54.4%). The mean sitting hours of the participants is 10.79±3.12. Conclusion: In conclusion, the prevalence of piriformis tightness and its impact on physical activity and quality of life are high among undergraduate university students, as a significant association was found between piriformis tightness and physical activity.