Paresthetic meralgia is a disease characterized by compression of the lateral femoral nerve of the thigh, which results mainly in a decrease in the sensitivity of the lateral region of the thigh, as well as pain and burning sensation.
This disease occurs most often in men, but can be quite common in pregnant women, obese people or people who wear a lot of tight clothing, compressing the nerve and causing pain in the thigh.
- Diagnosis is mainly based on the symptoms described by the person and treatment is carried out with the aim of relieving symptoms.
- Being recommended for example weight loss and the use of loose clothing.
- Surgery to decompress the nerve is only indicated when symptoms are persistent and do not improve with conventional treatment.
Paresthetic meralgia can occur due to any situation that may result in compression of the nerve of the thigh, so the main causes of this condition are:
In addition to these causes, paresthetic meralgia can occur when you’re sitting cross-legged or during physical exercise, for example, causing numbness or tingling, but disappearing when you cross your legs or when you stop exercising.
Treatment of paresthetic meralgia is done with the aim of relieving symptoms and can be done with the use of analgesics and anti-inflammatory, for example, depending on the cause, specific measures may be indicated, such as weight loss, if meralgia is a consequence of obesity, or the use of looser clothing, if it is caused by the use of belts or very tight clothing.
It is also indicated for people with paresthetic meralgia who, if they stay up for a long time, try to support the foot on something, such as a low bench, for example, to decompress the nerve a little and relieve some symptoms.
In addition, physiotherapy or acupuncture may be indicated, which is performed by applying needles at specific points in the thigh to reduce nerve compression and relieve symptoms.Find out what acupuncture is and how it works.
If physical therapy, acupuncture or medication is not enough or if the pain is very severe, surgery to decompress the nerve to improve the feeling of numbness, tingling and burning is indicated.
Paresthetic meralgia is relatively common and is characterized mainly by the sensation of tingling or numbness in the side of the thigh, in addition to the pain and burning sensation from the hip to the knee.
Symptoms often get worse when the person is standing for a long time or walks a long time and is relieved when they sit, lie down or massage their thighs.Despite symptoms, there are no changes in muscle strength or movement-related strength.
Diagnosis of paresthetic meralgia is primarily clinical, in which the doctor evaluates the symptoms described by the person, in addition, the doctor may order more tests to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other diseases, such as x-rays of the hip and pelvis region., MAGNETIC resonance imaging and electroneuromyography, which can evaluate the conduction of an electrical impulse in the nerve and thus check muscle activity.Understand how the electroneuromyography test is performed.