Quote:
Originally Posted by casolorz
I've had what my doctor says its Meralgia Paresthetica for about 5 years now.
I am pretty sure he is right about what I have, all the symptoms and causes seem to match.
My pain seems to get worse at night, sometimes it starts pretty early, its worst when I wear jeans, some days my life is almost normal and some days I feel like sticking a knife in my leg to see if the pain stops.
I am sure I got this pain from gaining weight, it started as a feeling of pressure on my hip/upper leg and quickly became a sharp pain.
I have tried almost everything, I haven't lost all the weight but have in the past gone way below the weight where the pain started and that didn't seem to help. I have done physical therapy, a doctor had me take ibuprofen twice a day so strong and long that I developed an allergy against it, I've had injections, some sort of ultrasound therapy, taken anti depressants (cymbalta for the past few months up to 120mg a day). I've had xrays, mris, ct scans....
The Cymbalta seemed to help for a while but at the moment it does not seem to be helping much, I've had a lot of pain the past few nights. The doctors always ask me if it affects my sleep and the truth is it doesn't while I am sleeping but it does take me a while to find a position I am comfortable on, specially since the pain is at its worst at night.
So why am I posting this? I don't know, maybe I am looking for ideas, suggestions, sympathy, last hope! you tell me, I am guessing I am not the only one that has been at this point before.
Any comments are welcome, suggestions, anything really at this point.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
--Carlos
|
Meralgia Paresthetica can be the result of Myofascial trigger points (knots) in specific muscles especially Tensor fasciae latae, Sartorius and psoas/Iliopsoas - which also causes back pain. Tense bands in the paraspinal muscles may also play a role.
You can learn to self treat these muscles.
Side bar restrictive clothing and weight gain are two common reasons for pressure on the below noted nerves.
The numbness/pain of MP may be symptomatic of the muscle entrapment of the femoral, lateral femoral cutaneous, and the femoral branch of the genitofemoral nerves which, may occur in the lacuma musculorum beneath the inguinal ligament, as nerves exit the pelvis through a narrow lacunain “opening” in the company of the ilipsoas muscle. The genitofemoral nerve regularly penetrates, and the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves occasionally penetrate the psoas major muscle as they emerge from the lumbar plexus.
These trigger points can be deactivated by direct digital (finger) compression of the trigger point(s) in the affected muscle(s) followed by appropriate stretch. The Sartorius responds better to a cross fibber technique. You can learn to self treat these muscles. Look up books on treating Myofascial trigger points.
Trigger points cause the muscle to become shorter and tighter. This limits the function and mobility of the muscle which causes weakness, decreased circulation and pain. When injured, most tissues heal, but muscles learn they learn to avoid pain. This muscle memory can produce unexpected pain even years after an injury has occurred, especially during times of physical and emotional stress.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------