Andie MacDowell Thought She Was "Literally Falling Apart" Before Piriformis Syndrome Diagnosis

Andie MacDowell has been diagnosed with piriformis syndrome, a painful muscle condition that compresses the sciatic nerve. As she explained during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, before her diagnosis, she began to worry that her body was "literally falling apart".

"I thought I was gonna have to have a hip replacement," she said, recalling a shooting pain that went all the way down her leg.

Before MacDowell knew what was causing the pain, she tried to solve the problem with exercise. She began riding an indoor bike—"like a crazy person," she said—which only made the problem worse.

"It's not appropriate for my body, and I ended up with bad knees and a bad hip," she explained. "I thought I was literally falling apart."

Since her diagnosis, MacDowell has learned how to manage her condition properly. Instead of the indoor bike, she now performs daily exercises. “I have to work my tiny little bottom and my hips," she said. "I have to work the bottom and work my hip. I just do it every day,”

Thankfully, her body "doesn't hurt anymore".

“It’s a miracle," she said, adding, "The good news is my pieces are fine. My knees are good except for aging. They've aged."

MacDowell has always been one to be open about aging. In November, she proudly stated that she opted for a comfy oversized dress because she was "too old to starve myself for 5 lbs. nonstop."

Earlier this month, she also called out the industry's obsession with youth. While recounting a story of a photographer who had called her "too matronly," she said to Glamour, "But why do we have this distaste for women and the word matronly? Why can’t it be like demure? I’m matronly. That is what I am. Why can’t I be matronly in a gorgeous, powerful, respectful, glamorous way?"

And, of course, she's been proudly rocking her gorgeous silver hair since 2021.

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