meralgia parasthetica

Question 1

what is meralgia parasthetica?

Answer 1

compression of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve causes sensory symptoms on the outer thigh

Question 2

what symptoms do people experience in the femoral cutaneous area?

Answer 2

Burning
Numbness
Pins and needles
Cold sensation
There may also be localised hair loss.

Question 3

what are exacerbating and releiving factors?

Answer 3

Symptoms are aggravated by walking or standing for a long duration and improve when sitting down.

Symptoms are often worse with extension of the hip on the affected side. This can be used to reproduce symptoms on examination.

Question 4

what is conservative management for meralgia parasthetica?

Answer 4

Rest
Looser clothing (tight clothes such as belts may add pressure to the nerve)
Weight loss (if appropriate)
Physiotherapy

Question 5

what is medical management for meralgia parasthetica?

Answer 5

Medical management is based around analgesia if pain is a feature, such as:

Paracetamol
NSAIDs
Neuropathic analgesia (e.g., amitriptyline, gabapentin, pregabalin or duloxetine)
Local injections of steroids or local anaesthetics

Question 6

what are surgical options for meralgia parasthetica?

Answer 6

Decompression – removing pressure on the nerve
Transection – cutting the nerve
Resection – removing the nerve