Ever have weird symptoms such as tingling, numbness, and discomfort in your upper thigh?
Are you wondering what they could be?
It is possible that you are suffering from meralgia paresthetica if you answered yes.
You might not recognize the name, but the unpleasant sensations it generates are virtually unbearable and unforgettable, despite the fact that it may be new to you.
There is no need to be concerned if you are suffering with meralgia paresthetica and would like to put an end to your discomfort and discomforting symptoms.
Because we'll be talking about meralgia paresthetica exercises for pain treatment in this article.
Prior to beginning the exercises, let us define meralgia paraesthetica and discuss the factors that contribute to its occurrence.
Related Articles:
9 Lateral Head Tricep Exercises For Bigger Arms
The Best Battle Rope Exercises And Routine
Table of Contents
How do you calm meralgia paresthetica?
Meralgia Paresthetica Treatment
- Heat, ice, or taking over-the-counter pain medicines like aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen, or ibuprofen for a few days.
- Weight loss.
- Wearing loose-fitting garments, especially around your upper front hip.
What Is A Meralgia Paresthetica?
Meralgia paresthetica, commonly known as “Bernhardt-Roth syndrome,” is a condition characterized by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN), which is responsible for feelings in the upper thigh region.
It travels from the spinal cord to the pelvic and upper thigh area, where it stimulates the hip flexors and hip extensors of the lower leg.
Because this nerve is strictly sensory in nature and not motor in nature, it has no effect on your muscle action.
It does, however, create numbness and tingling feelings on your muscle nerve, as well as discomfort, which are both somewhat unpleasant side effects.
According to study, meralgia paresthetica affects approximately 4.3 percent of the population per 10,000 persons.
Patients with diabetes mellitus have a higher likelihood of developing the condition like thigh pain, burning sensation, groin pain, nerve pain and low back pain.
Meralgia Paresthetica Symptoms
It is impossible to predict the symptoms of meralgia paresthetica because everyone is different.
However, they all appear in the same location on the leg, namely the front and lateral portions of the leg.
In this area, some people report searing and agonizing sensations, while others describe sensations such as tingling and buzzing in this area.
Some persons complain of numbness in the upper and lateral portions of their legs or outer thigh, whilst others report a high sensitivity to light touch, which is greater than their sensitivity to strong pressure in some cases.
When you spend a long period of time standing on your feet or taking a long stroll, the symptoms get considerably worse.
Causes Of LFCN Compression
Currently, we know that meralgia paresthetica is caused by LFCN compression, but the question is: what are the components that contribute to this compression?
There are two reasons for why this compression is occurring:
Internal nerve compression of the muscles, fascia, and fatty tissues.
Spinal compression disorders such as spinal stenosis, herniated disks, and degeneration are all examples of this.
External compression can be achieved through tight garments or weight belts.
Meredith paraesthesia is caused by internal factors the majority of the time.
It is believed that the nerve is most commonly compressed in the pelvic region between the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and the Inguinal ligament because there is a relatively tight space for tight clothing in this location and because the LFCN crosses through this region.
Pressure or pressing on your leg might easily irritate your lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, resulting in meralgia paresthetica (painful leg).
Meralgia Paresthetica Can Be Treated With?
The following are some of the therapy options for meralgia paresthetica:
- Loss of weight.
- Myofascial Release
- Adjustment of the spine by a chiropractor.
- Acupuncture.
- Adaptability in the face of adversity.
- Corrective Strength Training
- Physical therapy
If none of the treatments listed above are successful in alleviating your symptoms, your doctor may recommend a steroid injection to reduce swelling around your nerve.
Your doctor may also prescribe you pain-relieving medications in addition to other treatments.
When the pain is extremely acute, it may be necessary to perform surgery to relieve pressure on the nerve rather than manual therapy.
Surgery, on the other hand, is not always effective in alleviating pain.
After you've learned enough about meralgia paresthetica and its causes, let's look at some meralgia paresthetica exercises that you can do to keep yourself in shape.
Exercises For Your Meralgia Paresthetica
1. Lunges for Legs
Lunges help to develop and stretch some of the key muscles in your leg, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutei, as well as helping in improving your overall balance and coordination.
Lunge Techniques:
Maintain a straight posture and place both arms on each side of your body.
Move your right leg forward and place your hands on your hips to complete the movement.
Make sure your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your right shin is perpendicular to the floor as you descend your body.
Make certain that the right knee does not extend over the toes of the right foot.
The tops of your toes should be easily distinguishable.
Hold the position for 10 – 15 seconds.
After 15 repetitions, switch to the opposite leg and repeat the process.
Lunges should be performed three times each day on both legs.
2. Standing PSOAS Strength Workout
These muscles travel from your lower back across your pelvic region to the top of your lower limb, and they are called psoas muscles.
In addition to raising your upper leg, it induces bending of the hip joint.
The following are the steps to conduct a standing psoas stretch:
Position yourself about 2 feet away from the wall, with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
Alternatively, you might lay both hands on your hips.
Keeping your elbow in a fully extended position is important if your hands are positioned on the wall.
Gentle bend the pelvis towards the wall while your hands are resting on your hips.
This will cause you to feel a stretch in the front of your hip.
Maintain this position while taking ten deep breaths.
This exercise should be done twice a day.
3. Planks for Core and Stomach workout
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for the treatment of meralgia paresthetica (pain of the feet).
It requires the use of your abdominal muscles and relieves pressure from your lower back and hips.
Planks should be performed as follows:
Lie down on the floor in the prone line position (looking downward) and lift your body with your hands straight under your shoulders, as if you were going to do a pushup, as shown.
In order to balance your body, tuck your toes into the ground and contract your glutei.
Your legs should be involved, but avoid over-stretching them at this point.
By focusing on the point on the ground, you can maintain proper neck and spine alignment.
Your upper back and lower back must be in a straight line with your head.
Maintain this position for 20-30 seconds, or as long as you are able to bear it.
Once you have gained stability in planks, you can lift one of your legs while still in the plank posture to make further improvement.
4. Side Planks
With side planks, you'll be working your rectus abdominis, glutes, and hip abductors, among other muscles.
Meralgia paresthetica can be relieved with this exercise, which helps to minimize pressure on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and alleviate the symptoms of the condition.
To complete this activity, follow the procedures outlined below.
Place your body in a sideline posture with your knees bent and your upper body supported by your arms.
Lift your hips off the ground and maintain the position for 6-10 seconds.
Do this exercise three times with the same leg, and then switch to the opposite leg and repeat the entire stretch in the same manner as the first.
5. Gluteal Bridge
A gluteal bridge is the most effective approach to offer support for your pelvis and spine.
A gluteal bridge is performed in the following ways:
Supine line posture (facing upward) with your knee bent at a right angle to the thigh and your feet flat on the floor is a good starting point for this exercise.
Raise your hips up into the air until your hip, knees, and shoulder form a straight line with one another.
In order to avoid overextension of your back throughout the exercise, contract your glutei and draw your abdominal muscles in tight.
Hold this position for 30 seconds before carefully lowering yourself to the ground.
15 repetitions of this workout should be completed twice daily.
6. Quad Stretch In Standing Form
Keep your feet straight and your hips at a comfortable distance apart.
Take a deep breath, relax your shoulder muscles, and draw your abdominal muscles in.
Bend your right leg and pull it closer to your hip, while holding your right leg with your left hand, as shown.
After 30 seconds, return to the starting position and repeat the activity with the opposite leg.
Another option is to use a chair as a form of support, resting your opposite hand on it to keep yourself balanced.
Repeat this exercise ten times twice day for a total of 20 repetitions.
7. Supine Frog Stretch
Many specialists believe that extending the inguinal ligament can assist to alleviate the symptoms of paresthetica in a short period of time.
To complete this stretch, perform the following:
To begin, lie down on the floor in a supine line (facing upward), with your feet flat on the floor and your arms lying flat on both sides.
Place your feet in such a way that the bases of both feet meet each other, then widen your legs as you open them to stretch your inguinal ligament, as shown below.
Return to the supine line position after 30 seconds and then to the starting position.
Do ten repetitions of this stretch three times a day.
You can also execute a variety of additional exercises, such as the clamshell or cow-cat stance, to improve your flexibility and strength.
Various Other exercises
Exercise for 30 minutes a day, three or four times a week should be sufficient to alleviate the pain associated with meralgia paresthetica.
Among the exercises to try are the following:
- Walking at a fast pace
- Aerobics with a low impact
- Swimming
- Water aerobic
- Cycling (either outside or on a stationary bike), and
- Yoga
Final Thoughts
Meralgia paresthetica is a condition characterized by compression of the LFC nerve, which results in numbness, tingling, or neuropathic pain in the skin of the thigh's outer side or surface.
When left untreated, the majority of cases resolve on their own or with conservative measures like as wearing looser clothing, decreasing weight (if a doctor recommends it), and increasing physical activity.
A variety of exercises are recommended by doctors and physical therapists for the treatment of meralgia paresthetica.
These exercises are aimed at stretching and strengthening the muscles in the hips and legs, respectively.
Many different sorts of exercise approach, on the other hand, can aid to alleviate the symptoms of the illness.
Based on the information in the preceding paragraph, we can conclude that meralgia parasthetica is unquestionably a painful and unbearable condition.
I can put together a remedial program that is tailored to your body's requirements or invite you to participate in a class with me if you want personal ideas and advice with meralgia paresthetica.
We will both work together to alleviate the symptoms of meralgia paresthetica that you are experiencing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Managing meralgia paresthetica on your own can be performed by lowering the cause of compression—for example, by losing weight or tightening belts, refraining from carrying a wallet or cell phone in your front pocket, or by wearing looser jeans.
Patients who sit may have a reduction in their symptoms, while others may experience an exacerbation.
It is possible that there will be no positions that provide relief at some point.
It is common for individuals to be treated for suspected back, hip, and groin disease before the true diagnosis of meralgia paresthetica is made.
Several individuals with signs and symptoms of meralgia paresthetica (MP) during long-distance walking and cycling are presented in this paper.
There were no signs of any other probable causes of MP, such as trauma or external compression, in this study.
