Neurological Disorders - Meralgia Paresthetica & exercise

Author

Meralgia Paresthetica & exercise

Justin

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

I am having Meralgia Paresthetica for the
last couple of months or so. First time, I had
a bad burning, tearing pain - but this was just
for 5 minutes & it went away & never came back
again. After that I only had the numbness & not any pain.
For the last couple of weeks or so, I am having
some pain. The pain is not anything unbearable
- it's more like an irritant. Topical analgesics seem
to help.

I am a 36 year old, male, T2 diabetic, so I walk
a couple of hours everyday & occasionally jog
also. I also do various exercises occasionally,
some of which also involve exercising the thigh.
I was wondering these things will cause my
Meralgia Paresthetica to worsen?
I don't have any weakness or motor problems
in the thighs.

I was wondering if I should lighten my exercise
schedule or avoid stressing the thigh?

Also the doc told me there is no cure for this
but it usually resolves itself after a year or so.
Is there I can do which will hasten the process?

Or is there anything which I should avoid doing
which will worsen the condition?

ohush@unc.edu

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

David Rind

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

Justin wrote:
> I am having Meralgia Paresthetica for the
> last couple of months or so. First time, I had
> a bad burning, tearing pain - but this was just
> for 5 minutes & it went away & never came back
> again. After that I only had the numbness & not any pain.
> For the last couple of weeks or so, I am having
> some pain. The pain is not anything unbearable
> - it's more like an irritant. Topical analgesics seem
> to help.
>
> I am a 36 year old, male, T2 diabetic, so I walk
> a couple of hours everyday & occasionally jog
> also. I also do various exercises occasionally,
> some of which also involve exercising the thigh.
> I was wondering these things will cause my
> Meralgia Paresthetica to worsen?
> I don't have any weakness or motor problems
> in the thighs.
>
> I was wondering if I should lighten my exercise
> schedule or avoid stressing the thigh?
>
> Also the doc told me there is no cure for this
> but it usually resolves itself after a year or so.
> Is there I can do which will hasten the process?
>
> Or is there anything which I should avoid doing
> which will worsen the condition?

I don't think anyone actually knows the answer to this.

The assumption is that the nerve to the skin of the thigh gets injured
in the region of the waist. At the least, most people would recommend
avoiding clothes that fit tight at the waist and this would include
stretchy exercise shorts.

It's possible to imagine that exercises that flex the hip could
irritate/damage the nerve, though again I don't think anyone really
knows the answer to this. It's hard for me to see how thigh exercises
that move the knees rather than the hips (such as knee flexion/extension
exercises) would irritate the nerve.

Exercise is very important for diabetics so it's not clear to me that
giving up some or all exercises for an unclear benefit would be worth
it. Additionally, weight loss in people who are overweight is thought to
be helpful for meralgia paresthetica.

While it's possible the numbness will resolve, it's also possible that
it won't go away. Usually, though, even if the numbness doesn't get
better people get less troubled by it over time.

--
David Rind
drind@caregroup.harvard.edu

Justin

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

Thanx for your reply.

David Rind wrote:
> It's possible to imagine that exercises that flex the hip could
> irritate/damage the nerve, though again I don't think anyone really
> knows the answer to this. It's hard for me to see how thigh exercises
> that move the knees rather than the hips (such as knee
> flexion/extension exercises) would irritate the nerve.

What about something like jogging? Or doing squats, without
weights? Do you think it could cause agravation?

> Exercise is very important for diabetics so it's not clear to me that
> giving up some or all exercises for an unclear benefit would be worth
> it. Additionally, weight loss in people who are overweight is thought
> to be helpful for meralgia paresthetica.

I read this, but rather funnily, this started after I already lost a bit of
weight - I was overweight for quite sometime, but this started a couple
of months after I started losing weight.

> While it's possible the numbness will resolve, it's also possible that
> it won't go away. Usually, though, even if the numbness doesn't get
> better people get less troubled by it over time.

Justin

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

tx for your reply.

ohush@unc.edu wrote:
> http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic590.htm
>
> This link says it can be treated with a local nerve block. If it's
> causing you significant discomfort, it may be worth asking whether
> it's an option for you.

The pain isn't bad - it's more an irritant than anything else.

Last few days I have been using a chilly paste
topically (something similiar to what's
recommended here --
http://www.idiom.com/~drjohn/mera.html
) and it's working excellently - even the slight
pain I had earlier has reduced significantly.

Does anyone know more about this capsician
type treatment? How long do I have to
continue this? How long can I continue this?
Does it cause any unforseen problems - like
the capsician causing the skin or the nerve
damage?

David Rind

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

Justin wrote:
> What about something like jogging? Or doing squats, without
> weights? Do you think it could cause agravation?

Again, I don't think anyone really knows the answer to this. I would
guess that anything that involves flexing at the hips could conceivably
irritate the nerve, but that doesn't mean it's actually very likely to
do so. Exercise is good for diabetes.

--
David Rind
drind@caregroup.harvard.edu

Justin

2006-03-22, 4:25 pm

David Rind wrote:
> Justin wrote:
>
> Again, I don't think anyone really knows the answer to this. I would
> guess that anything that involves flexing at the hips could
> conceivably irritate the nerve, but that doesn't mean it's actually
> very likely to do so.

Thank you, David.

> Exercise is good for diabetes.

I know this. I was just wondering what kind of exercises I should
choose. I used to walk, jog, crunches & squats. Now I have cut
out the jogging & squats & increased the other 2. I just wanted to
figure out if this changed was warranted or not.

But as you say, there probably is no way to determine it.