How to Sleep With Meralgia Paresthetica?

How to Sleep With Meralgia Paresthetica?

Meralgia paresthetica sleeping position – Sleep on to the opposite side of the pain and keep pillows between your legs.

Before, knowing the solution, you should first understand the problem deeply. Meralgia Paresthetica is a condition of numbness or trickling or burning sensation in the anterolateral thighs. The aforementioned condition develops due to compression in the lateral cutaneous femoral nerve, a sensory nerve branch of the lumbar plexus. The patient with meralgia paresthetica feels uneasy and uncomfortable while sleeping due to constant pain. 

Meralgia paresthetica is not a permanent condition. Rather, it can be curable, if patients go for a good treatment. Nowadays lots of medications, creams are available in the market to reduce the pain of meralgia paresthetica. Moreover, physiotherapy might help in reducing pain.

Pregnant women are most susceptible to meralgia paresthetica, Due to enlarging the uterus. 

If you want to know about the symptoms, causes, treatments, and exercise for meralgia paresthetica, kindly read the article completely. 

Symptoms of meralgia paresthetica

The most prominent symptom is numbness in the front of the thigh. Also, some people may experience complication as hypersensitivity in the pocket region of the thigh. 

The most highlighted symptom of meralgia paresthetica, which causes trouble in sleeping is burning sensations. 

How is the meralgia paresthetica develops?

The nerve called lateral femoral cutaneous nerve supplies the anterolateral part of the thigh. The nerve is a sensory means, it only supplies to the skin of the anterolateral thigh but not the muscles. This particular nerve passes underneath the inguinal ligament present in the groin region. And, passes near to the anterior superior iliac spine. Due to the pressure on that ligament the nerve compresses at ASIS and causes numbness or burning sensations. ASIS is most likely the spot for lateral cutaneous femoral nerve compression. 

Causes of meralgia paresthetica 

  • Wearing tight clothes/jeans can cause meralgia paresthetica.
  • Excessive use of belts on hip region.
  • Weight gain, especially abdominal fat, compresses the nerve.
  • Pregnancy, due to excess growth of the uterus.
  • Postoperative damage of hernia surgery. 
  • Trauma caused by the car’s seat belt.
  • Prolonged sitting, due to a sedentary lifestyle. 

Why is it difficult to sleep with meralgia paresthetica?

As the pain of meralgia paresthetica is more like a burning sensation. The Patient is unable to sleep because, while sleeping heat is released by the body due to an overlying blanket. Therefore, this heat production from the body intensifies the burning sensation in your thighs. 

When to see the doctor?

Once you notice the symptoms like numbness in the anterolateral part of your thighs. Also, if you are feeling a burning sensation or tickling sensation you should surely approach a specialized doctor. Also, you might feel discomfort while walking. As the symptoms of meralgia paresthetica enhance on walking and prolonged standing.

How to sleep with the pain of meralgia paresthetica?

K- Tek Kinesiology tape

To reduce the pain, you need to decompress the particular nerve. Decompression of the nerve can be done by using K-Tek tape. You need to place the tape in the groin crease, which would help to lift the ligament compressing the nerve. 

Use of rolling pin on region 

Before going to the bed, roll a rolling pin on to your thighs tightly. Specifically, in the area of extreme numbness or burning sensation. What this would do is, it can restore the sensory function of the lateral femoral nerve and the burning sensation could go away.  

Use of ice-pack 

Ice packs are recommended for relieving pain and swelling. As in meralgia paresthetica patients experience a burning sensation due to heat production in a blanket, ice packs can be a bliss for them. 

meralgia paresthetica sleeping position

Sleep on to the opposite side of the pain and keep pillows between your legs. Add more pillows if needed, until your pain level falls. And, while sleeping in a supine position put the pillow below your back. All this will reduce tightness of the inguinal ligament, causing a reduction in pain. 

Physiotherapy sessions

Physiotherapy sessions are bliss for patients of meralgia paresthetica. The massage during physiotherapy relieves the pain by decompressing the nerve. Moreover, it recovers the numbness by stimulating the lateral femoral nerve. Also, massage helps to lose the tightness of the inguinal ligament. 

Wearing loose clothes

One of the reasons for meralgia paresthetica is wearing tight jeans for long durations. The patients should stop wearing tight jeans. Moreover, they should put on the loose night suits for bed. 

Lose weight

The abdominals obesity can cause meralgia paresthetica. Especially in diabetes, in which most of the fat deposits in the region of the abdomen only. So, losing weight, if you are overweight would help in pain relief. 

Top 3 Exercises for meralgia paresthetica

Regular exercising could diminish pain. Do all the below mentioned exercises for one set of 15 only. 

First – lie down on the couch, having the affected half of the butt off the couch. Flex your thigh up to 90 degrees and then extend it completely. While extending the thigh, squeeze your butt tightly. Do at least one set of 15.

Second- use a door jam for this exercise. Hold the door jam keeping the affected leg on the ground. Lift the unaffected leg off the ground and lean to this side, extending the butt of the affected side. While performing this, again squeeze the butt. 

Third- do a lunge with the affected leg. And force the back forward and simultaneously squeeze the butt. You need to hinge the hip joint only.  

Conclusion

The meralgia paresthetica is not an incurable disease. The symptoms of the meralgia paresthetica can be cured by following the above-mentioned steps. You need regular exercises, which may help in pain reductions. As the main cause of meralgia paresthetica is just the compression of the lateral cutaneous femoral nerve. compression of the nerve can be treated very easily, by regular exercises, performing yoga poses, going for regular psychotherapies. 

Also, you can use some of the painkillers as prescribed by the neurosurgeons. Meralgia paresthetica is not a life-threatening condition. One can even cure this condition by just changing one lifestyle. 

I hope this article helped you to gain some knowledge about meralgia paresthetica sleeping position

How to Sleep With Meralgia Paresthetica?

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