Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve entrapment, also called meralgia paresthetica, is derived from the Greek work meros, meaning thigh and algo meaning pain.
Though the pain presents on the outer hip, it is not caused by localized muscle issues. Rather the pain is a result of the femoral nerve becoming entrapped in the inguinal ligament – a strong fibrous tissue. To resolve the pain, the inguinal ligament needs to be released to stop the nerve from being squeezed causing pain.
Cause of Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment:
- Inguinal ligament tightness or spasm.
Symptoms of Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment:
- Pain that is burning, numbness and or tingling on the front and side of the thigh.
- Pain worse with prolonged standing, walking or hip extension.
I approach treating your pain condition to your presentation, which involves:
- Ruling out lumbar disc injury, sacroiliac joint pain or lower lumbar facet joint referral to ensure lateral femoral cutaneous nerve entrapment.
- Understanding how other factors such as posture or sports can aggravate the problem.
- Muscle testing the muscles comprising the hip for weakness and pain.
- Targeting effected muscles, releasing motor points, trigger points and relaxing the fascia.
- Providing exercises to continue treatment success between acupuncture treatments.
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