Andie MacDowell, 66, has shared with the world a recent diagnosis she's received.
Videos by Wide Open Country
She visited the Drew Barrymore show last Thursday. While there, she revealed what she's recently been suffering with, and what she's been doing to combat it.
"I have piriformis syndrome," she told Barrymore.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this occurs when piriformis muscle spasms and compresses the sciatic nerve. This causes pain, numbness, or tingling in the buttocks and down the back of the leg, making for an uncomfortable and painful condition.
"It's a muscle that's, kind of clamps down on my sciatic nerve and it was shooting down my leg," as MacDowell described it. At first, she thought it would be something a lot worse. "I thought I was gonna have to have hip replacement. Thank God my hips are fine."
As with most things like this, some physiotherapy and exercise can go a long way.
Talking about how she tackles piriformis syndrome, MacDowell said, I have to work my tiny little bottom and my hips. I have to work the bottom and work my hip. I just do it every day."
Andie MacDowell's Exercises Are Helping Combat The Diagnosis
Thankfully, all the exercising she's been doing has been working wonders.
"It doesn't hurt anymore - it's a miracle, it really is," she admitted. I imagine she'll have to keep the exercising up, but I'm glad to hear it's no longer troubling her.
While on the show, she also touched on other aspects of her health.
"'I like to eat, but I do love to work out. That is my great fortune because I have had friends that are frustrated because they don't enjoy it, but I really do enjoy it," she said. Considering how important exercise is, it's a huge bonus to have fun whilst doing it.
Although, she may enjoy working out a little too much. "What happened when I was working last season as I did the Peloton like a crazy person and it's not appropriate for my body, and I ended up with bad knees and a bad hip," she recalled. There is such a thing as over-exercising, and it's important to be mindful of that.
Thankfully, she is healthy and doing fine. "But the good news is my pieces are fine. My knees are good except for like aging. They've aged. I'm working out really hard now doing PT I'm not falling apart. Well, thank God."
