MERALGIA PARESTHETICA

SYMPTOMS

These symptoms of the disease may be caused by the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve’s pressure, which delivers sensation to your upper thigh:

• Numbness and tingling in your thigh’s outside part
• A burning sensation in your thighs

These symptoms usually affect the other side of the body and may become more severe after standing or walking.

DIAGNOSIS

It’s a rare condition that leaves the skin of the thighs numb or painful. Doctors can make a diagnosis based on the physical assessment and medical records of a patient.

To rule out other possibilities, your doctor may advise you to do the following:

• Imaging studies. An MRI or CT scan may be ordered if your doctor feels a tumor is causing your pain.
• Electromyography. To prevent other disorders when the diagnosis is unclear, in most cases, this test is required.
• Nerve blockade. Pain relief from anesthetic injections may indicate that you have this condition.
• Nerve conduction study. To rule out the other possible causes of symptoms, this test may be performed.

TREATMENT

Most people’s symptoms of this disease subside after a few months. The goal of treatment is to relieve nerve compression.

Conservative measures

Among the conservative measures are:

• OTC pain relievers 
• Weight loss
• Wearing loose clothing

Medications

If your symptoms persist for more than a month or your pain is extreme, you may need to undergo treatment:

• Pregabalin, like Lyrica, phenytoin, like Dilantin, or gabapentin, like neurontin
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Corticosteroid injections

Surgery

The option of having the nerve decompressed surgically is rarely considered. Moreover, this option is only available to people who are suffering from severe and long-term symptoms.