Updating my post No. 8 from a year ago . . . Sciatica went and never came back. We did that 10-day backpack. Had some stiff back, but no sciatica. Back in the gym now, no problem. Back on the bike, no problem. I think the most important thing I did, more than the stretching, was the walking while rotating the hip joints. I still do that once or twice a week, just a half hour. Did another 10-day backpack this September, again some back stiffness and aches, but no sciatica. I might not have mentioned in that earlier post, but when I started the walking, it hurt like the very devil for the first mile. I had to force myself to do it. After that first mile, it steadily got better and after maybe 3 weeks, ceased to hurt at all. At the time I thought, "That really hurts, but doesn't seem to be getting worse and I'm obviously not dying, so keep on."
I did go to my PCP and he thought, as above, probably not piriformis. Horses, not zebras. Piriformis stretches were no help at all.
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