Sciatic nerve and Piriformis syndrome are synonymous with each other when it comes to pain symptoms. The pain is in the same area causing a miss diagnosis of what is really casing the pain. Is it the nerve or the muscle or both? A well trained doctor or PT can figure it out, if they take the time to listen and observe. Also, a proper diagnosis should include palpation of the area to feel if Piriformis swelling is present and that may be the cause to the aggravated Sciatic Nerve. Knowing the cause to the problem of which came first will lead to a more successful rehab or strength training program. When the diagnosis quickly blames the Sciatic Nerve, it may be a good quick guess to satisfy the patient, but might not solve the problem.