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Suggest Medication For Inflammation In The Hip And Numbness In The Leg
Question: Nerves running on outside of hip are inflamed. Leg is numb.
affects walking to point of limping. While sleeping there is no position to alleviate pain. Is there something medical that can be done without medication?
affects walking to point of limping. While sleeping there is no position to alleviate pain. Is there something medical that can be done without medication?
Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It is a little hard to suggest something medical but without medication. I mean generally speaking we have at our disposal to treat medical conditions medication, physical therapy and surgery. If we are to exclude the first two there is only surgery left which I assume is not what you had in mind. So I am afraid physical therapy doesn't work medication will eventually be needed.
In order to provide a more opinion some more information is needed regarding the diagnosis, what exactly do you mean by inflamed nerves, there are many different causes with different distributions. Some are chronic progressive conditions others are acute one episode event which has ended and only physical therapy is left.
Is this an acute recent event, or has it been months, years? Have you had any imaging exam or nerve conduction studies, what did the reports evidence. Any other blood or cerebrospinal fluid test was needed for the diagnosis?
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It is a little hard to suggest something medical but without medication. I mean generally speaking we have at our disposal to treat medical conditions medication, physical therapy and surgery. If we are to exclude the first two there is only surgery left which I assume is not what you had in mind. So I am afraid physical therapy doesn't work medication will eventually be needed.
In order to provide a more opinion some more information is needed regarding the diagnosis, what exactly do you mean by inflamed nerves, there are many different causes with different distributions. Some are chronic progressive conditions others are acute one episode event which has ended and only physical therapy is left.
Is this an acute recent event, or has it been months, years? Have you had any imaging exam or nerve conduction studies, what did the reports evidence. Any other blood or cerebrospinal fluid test was needed for the diagnosis?
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
He has seen a physical therapist(P.T.) who concluded the nerve on the outside of the hip is irritated. The PT said there is no physical therapy that can help this problem. Symptoms are: numbness, hot shooting pains, pins and needles in upper left anterior leg muscle. Recently the irritation has spread to the front over left hip bone near the waist. When lying on back, the pain runs approximately from the L2 around left hip and down the leg. He has taken steroids orally for one week which had no effect. The question is if he continues to sleep on this mattress does it have the potential to cause permanent nerve damage? We are also concerned about the possibility of earlier onset arthritic problems.
Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information. Sorry for answering a little late but your question came during the night (time difference) and I couldn't find a free moment afterwards during work at the hospital.
Now I am not sure what the PT meant by that conclusion, did he give you a diagnosis? If the nerve is outside of the hip then why does the pain run from L2 in the back it is unclear. If the pain starts from the L2 level in the back then a nerve root compression is the likely cause. In that case again, if physical therapy doesn't work medication for pain is necessary. Next step if medication is not enough is local injections As a last resort there is surgery. However these last two steps are after imaging has been done to confirm the cause, the site and degree of compression.
If the pain though is only in the outer thigh and hip then a diagnosis which has to be considered is meralgia parestetica, caused by damage of lateral cutaneous nerve. It may be related to obesity, wearing tight clothing, diabetes. In that case weight loss or wearing loose clothing may help without needing medication.
As for the mattress it is a little difficult to ask be it for the fact that the cause is unclear be it because you do not explain what type of mattress you refer to.
Generally speaking when the nerve issue is due to lumbar spine then a firm mattress is generally preferred. However if it is someone who sleeps a lot on the side it shouldn't be too firm as it may cause pain due to pressure point compression.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information. Sorry for answering a little late but your question came during the night (time difference) and I couldn't find a free moment afterwards during work at the hospital.
Now I am not sure what the PT meant by that conclusion, did he give you a diagnosis? If the nerve is outside of the hip then why does the pain run from L2 in the back it is unclear. If the pain starts from the L2 level in the back then a nerve root compression is the likely cause. In that case again, if physical therapy doesn't work medication for pain is necessary. Next step if medication is not enough is local injections As a last resort there is surgery. However these last two steps are after imaging has been done to confirm the cause, the site and degree of compression.
If the pain though is only in the outer thigh and hip then a diagnosis which has to be considered is meralgia parestetica, caused by damage of lateral cutaneous nerve. It may be related to obesity, wearing tight clothing, diabetes. In that case weight loss or wearing loose clothing may help without needing medication.
As for the mattress it is a little difficult to ask be it for the fact that the cause is unclear be it because you do not explain what type of mattress you refer to.
Generally speaking when the nerve issue is due to lumbar spine then a firm mattress is generally preferred. However if it is someone who sleeps a lot on the side it shouldn't be too firm as it may cause pain due to pressure point compression.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dr. Olsi Taka,
Last e-mail did not reflect answering all of your questions. This problem started about three years ago. No testing has been done, no blood or cerebrospinal fluid testing, no imaging or nerve conduction study. Maybe this information will allow you to more fully answer our questions.
Thank you for information.
Last e-mail did not reflect answering all of your questions. This problem started about three years ago. No testing has been done, no blood or cerebrospinal fluid testing, no imaging or nerve conduction study. Maybe this information will allow you to more fully answer our questions.
Thank you for information.
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information, although it seems that not much has been done to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms.
To resume the type of pain that you describe does indeed correspond to a peripheral nerve issue. Since it is constantly only in one limb then issues like polyneuropathy are not likely so blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests shouldn't be that helpful, it is most likely a local issue a nerve compression.
Now such a compression can take place as the nerve root exits the spinal cord and leaves the spine causing pain from the back and spreading according to the territory covered by that nerve root. Alternatively the pain can be due to a more peripheral compression like the meralgia parestetica which I mentioned.
So if the symptoms start with back pain spreading to the lower limb the nerve root compression should be considered. Now in the initial weeks it can be tried to be managed only with physical therapy and pain killers. However if the symptoms persist for over 6 weeks I do ask for spinal imaging in my patients, to confirm the diagnosis, exclude issues like tumor and consider whether surgery would be of any help. So since you have the symptoms for 3 years I think spinal imaging preferably with MRI is long overdue, I am surprised it hasn't been asked.
If the symptoms are only in the outer thigh and hip then as I said a more peripheral issue such as meralgia parestetica should be considered. In this case nerve conduction studies are needed to confirm the diagnosis. If there is no evident risk factor such as diabetes, obesity, use of tight belts etc, then even imaging may be asked.
So while I know that what your original question was whether there was some means of help without medication, what I am trying to say by this long boring lecture is that first some more attention should be paid to the cause, one can't speak of treatment if it is not clear what to treat. After 3 years this shouldn't be handled as some transitory thing like say a muscle strain, some tests are needed as well as a proper neurological exam.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information, although it seems that not much has been done to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms.
To resume the type of pain that you describe does indeed correspond to a peripheral nerve issue. Since it is constantly only in one limb then issues like polyneuropathy are not likely so blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests shouldn't be that helpful, it is most likely a local issue a nerve compression.
Now such a compression can take place as the nerve root exits the spinal cord and leaves the spine causing pain from the back and spreading according to the territory covered by that nerve root. Alternatively the pain can be due to a more peripheral compression like the meralgia parestetica which I mentioned.
So if the symptoms start with back pain spreading to the lower limb the nerve root compression should be considered. Now in the initial weeks it can be tried to be managed only with physical therapy and pain killers. However if the symptoms persist for over 6 weeks I do ask for spinal imaging in my patients, to confirm the diagnosis, exclude issues like tumor and consider whether surgery would be of any help. So since you have the symptoms for 3 years I think spinal imaging preferably with MRI is long overdue, I am surprised it hasn't been asked.
If the symptoms are only in the outer thigh and hip then as I said a more peripheral issue such as meralgia parestetica should be considered. In this case nerve conduction studies are needed to confirm the diagnosis. If there is no evident risk factor such as diabetes, obesity, use of tight belts etc, then even imaging may be asked.
So while I know that what your original question was whether there was some means of help without medication, what I am trying to say by this long boring lecture is that first some more attention should be paid to the cause, one can't speak of treatment if it is not clear what to treat. After 3 years this shouldn't be handled as some transitory thing like say a muscle strain, some tests are needed as well as a proper neurological exam.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your responses.
He is sleeping on a foam mattress. Over time it compresses and wears out. As he sleeps at night it will compress and become hard over a half to one and a half hours. The surface he is sleeping on is hard and with no support. This is what has caused the nerve to become irritated. As he tries to sleep in other positions, stomach or back, the same problems occur in other areas, numbness, soreness, etc. He wakes frequently at night with numb muscles and often hot shooting pains. The question he needs answered is if he continues to sleep on this compressed mattress can this nerve irritation become permanent damage. The muscle is slightly numb all day long. The other question is, "Is sleeping on this hard surface likely to present arthritic problems?" These are the two questions that he would like answered and we forwarding your answers to him.
He is sleeping on a foam mattress. Over time it compresses and wears out. As he sleeps at night it will compress and become hard over a half to one and a half hours. The surface he is sleeping on is hard and with no support. This is what has caused the nerve to become irritated. As he tries to sleep in other positions, stomach or back, the same problems occur in other areas, numbness, soreness, etc. He wakes frequently at night with numb muscles and often hot shooting pains. The question he needs answered is if he continues to sleep on this compressed mattress can this nerve irritation become permanent damage. The muscle is slightly numb all day long. The other question is, "Is sleeping on this hard surface likely to present arthritic problems?" These are the two questions that he would like answered and we forwarding your answers to him.
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
A good foam mattress is not bad, latest generation ones adapt to the body and shouldn't cause pressure issues. Their life span is shorter though, perhaps it just needs to be changed.
The chance of it causing permanent nerve damage is very small, only if the same pressure is applied to the same nerve for many years in a row.
As for arthritis, no it shouldn't cause arthritis issues, foam mattresses are used precisely because they take the form of the spine of other body parts and are better for the joints (I use an anatomic foam pillow for my neck myself).
I hope to have been of help.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
A good foam mattress is not bad, latest generation ones adapt to the body and shouldn't cause pressure issues. Their life span is shorter though, perhaps it just needs to be changed.
The chance of it causing permanent nerve damage is very small, only if the same pressure is applied to the same nerve for many years in a row.
As for arthritis, no it shouldn't cause arthritis issues, foam mattresses are used precisely because they take the form of the spine of other body parts and are better for the joints (I use an anatomic foam pillow for my neck myself).
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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