Meralgia Parasthetica: What is it and can Chiropractic help?

One look at the name of this condition, Meralgia Parasthetica, and you may wonder what in the world is that.  Meralgia Parasthetica is the entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve causing numbness, tingling, and pain in the outer part of the thigh, typically in one leg only.  This nerve runs from the abdomen through the inguinal (groin) area and into the leg, providing sensory innervation to the outer thighs.  The primary cause is pressure on the tissue surrounding the nerve that can occur with constant sitting or standing, being overwieght, wearing constrictive clothing (especially around the waist), pregnancy, and/or trauma.  From personal experience, the discomfort felt with meralgia perasthetica can range from numbness without pain to a nagging, achy pain, on up to very nagging, sharp pain.

Can chiropractic help?  The answer is yes, but with help from the patient.  From a chiropractic standpoint, making sure that the low back, pelvis, and hip are in line and functioning correctly through adjustments and some soft tissue work will help, but is only part of the equation.  The other part lies with the patient.  Things that the patient can do to help may include resting if active, losing weight, wearing looser fitting clothing, keeping the pocket on the affected side empty, and exercise and stretching.

Here are some stretches and exercises that can help:

• Hip Flexor Stretches:  standing with foot of unaffected leg about 3 feet in front of you, then flex your front knee, letting your hips sag and keeping the affected leg straight (don't bend that knee), stop when feeling a gentle stretch and hold for 5 breaths, deepening the stretch slightly with each exhale
• Quadriceps Stretches:  can be done either standing or kneeling on affected leg, bring the foot of the affected leg up towards the buttocks by grasping the ankle and gently pulling, holding for a count of 5 breaths
• Sit-ups:  strengthening the abdominal muscles can help relieve the pressure on the nerve in the abdominal region;
• Lunges:  these strengthen both the hips and the quadriceps muscles

These exercises and stretches were found the livestrong.com website and is not the only source of information for Meralgia Parasthetica.  Make sure to consult with a chiropractor or your primary care physician for a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan.