How to Sleep With Meralgia Paresthetica?
What is Meralgia Paresthetica
Meralgia paresthetica is a neuropathy that affects women. This nerve disorder causes tingling sensations along the outer thigh, buttocks, and lower abdomen. These symptoms are usually caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Symptoms include pain, numbness, burning, and itching. In some cases, patients experience muscle weakness.
When to See A Doctor?
If you notice any changes in your body such as loss of sensation, muscle weakness, or difficulty walking, it is important to seek medical attention immediately.
Causes Of Meralgia Paraesthetica?
The cause of meralgia paraesthetica is unknown. However, there are several theories about what might be causing this nerve disorder. One theory suggests that the pressure on the nerves could be due to pregnancy. Another possibility is that the problem is related to diabetes.
Symptoms
Meralgia Parathesia is characterized by burning, numbness, and/or tingling sensations on one side of the body. This could be caused by damage to nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, skin, or fascia. The most common cause of Meralgia Paraesthesia is injury to the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve (LFCN).
The LFCN originates in the lumbar plexus and travels down the anterior surface of the thigh, supplying sensation to the skin of the inner aspect of the lower limb. Damage to the LFCN causes pain, weakness, and sensory loss along the course of the nerve. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and burning on the lateral part of the thigh. These symptoms are usually unilateral, although bilateral involvement has been reported.
While it is commonly associated with pregnancy, trauma, cancer, diabetes, and carpal tunnel syndrome, there are many other conditions that can produce similar symptoms. Common causes of Meralgia paraesthesia include:
• Pregnancy – Meralgia Paraparaetisia is often seen during pregnancy due to stretching of the ligaments around the hip joint. In some cases, the symptoms resolve once the baby is delivered.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – A painful neuropathy of the median nerve caused by pressure on the ulnar portion of the wrist.
• Diabetes Mellitus – Diabetic peripheral neuropathies are caused by damage to small blood vessels near the end of the nerves.
• Cancer – Damage to the sciatic nerve, brachial plexus, or spinal cord can lead to Meralgia Paratahesis.
Commonly Missed Symptoms
Chiropractors are trained to identify problems that affect the spine, neck, shoulders, arms, hands and legs. But they aren’t always aware of conditions that occur outside those areas. One such condition is IT band syndrome. This condition causes pain in the groin area, usually on one side of the body. Many people don’t realize it’s there because it isn’t painful enough to seek treatment. However, it can cause significant discomfort while doing activities that require strength in the hips, including lifting weights, running, jumping and even sitting down.
The term “IT band” refers to three muscles that run along the inside of the leg, connecting the lower leg to the pelvis. These muscles include the iliofemoral complex, the pubofemoral complex and the rectus femoris muscle. When you put pressure on these muscles, they tighten up and pull on the surrounding tissues. Overuse of certain movements, such as prolonged standing or repetitive motions, can lead to tightness in the muscles and tendons. In some cases, the symptoms may go away without treatment. For others, however, it can take months or years to resolve.
In addition to treating the underlying problem, chiropractors often recommend stretching exercises to help loosen the muscles and reduce tension. They may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications or physical therapy to treat inflammation and swelling. Some patients may benefit from icing the affected area for 20 minutes every hour.
When to See a Doctor?
The following are some signs you might want to see a doctor about your neck pain:
• Neck Pain Is Worse When You Wake Up In The Morning
If your neck pain gets worse when you wake up in the morning, it could mean you have cervical radiculopathy, a form of nerve damage. This type of injury occurs due to pressure on the spinal cord caused by a bulging disc pressing against the nerves traveling down the spine. Symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, and burning sensation.
• Your Neck Hurts More Than It Used To
Your neck shouldn’t hurt more than it used to. If it hurts more than it did before, it could indicate a herniated disc. A herniated disc refers to a small tear in the ligament around one of your discs, causing it to protrude out of place into the surrounding tissues. This causes pressure on the spinal cord, resulting in symptoms like those listed above.
• You Feel Weak All Over
If you feel weak all over, it could mean you’re having a stroke. Strokes occur when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted. While there are many different types of strokes, most people experience arm weakness, speech problems, vision loss, and difficulty walking or standing.
Causes of Meralgia Parasthetica?
Meralgia paresthetica is a neuropathy which causes pain, tingling and numbness in the lower part of the thigh. It occurs due to compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, which runs along the inside of the thigh. Compression of this nerve can occur anywhere along its course. However, the most common site of compression is where the nerve passes over the inguinal ligaments, just above the pubic symphysis. This area is called the inguinal canal.
The nerve itself is relatively small and lies deep within the pelvis. It emerges from the spinal column at the level of L2/L3. It then traverses around the anterior surface of the ilium and continues posteriorly into the groin region. At the inguinal ligamnet, the nerve crosses over the inguinal canal and then descends along the medial aspect of the thigh, passing underneath the sartorius muscle.