Pain in outer thigh root

Whether it is a man or a woman, the thigh root is a very vulnerable area, and the skin at the thigh root is particularly tender. In addition, the important sciatic nerve is distributed around the thigh root. When soreness and pain appear on the outer side of the thigh root, it is necessary to determine the cause of the disease and treat it according to the symptoms of your pain. The following article will explain to you the reasons for pain in the outer thigh area.

Tensor fasciae latae contracture: The muscle injury pain is mainly concentrated in the anterior and lateral side of the greater trochanter of the femur, which will involve hip joint pain and extend to the anterior and lateral part of the thigh, and rarely extend down the thigh to the outside of the knee joint. It is common in people who often walk on slopes, sleep curled up, or sit for a long time with their hips flexed. It manifests as difficulty maintaining a sitting position with the hip flexed more than 90 degrees for a long time, pain after sitting for a long time with the knees bent, inability to lie on the painful side, and inability to walk fast due to pain.

When you often bend over or sit to work, the hip joint is in a flexed position, which can cause shortening and degeneration of the tensor fasciae latae and aseptic inflammation. When one side of our waist, hip, knee, calf or ankle is painful due to disease and we cannot walk with weight, the other leg has to bear the entire body weight. Such long-term weight-bearing on one leg will cause strain lesions of the tensor fasciae latae on the healthy side. When the thigh is suddenly extended and the knee is straightened, it often causes acute injury to the tensor fasciae latae, which will cause protective contracture.

It occurs when the tensor fasciae latae contracts. Generally, the patient can persist in moderate to small activities, but the symptoms worsen at the beginning and after the end, especially when rotating the body, extending the hip, and rapidly changing the direction of movement. When the condition is relatively serious and lasts for a long time, there will be numbness in the front and outer part of the hip, and the pain often radiates along the outer side of the thigh to the knee area. When the tensor fasciae latae is tight, it can be difficult for a person to lean against a wall and hyperextend the hip in order to maintain slight flexion at the hip while standing. There is no pain when the hip is moved in flexion. The pain disappeared when walking with support.

If the iliotibial band contracts and degenerates, it will interfere with the greater trochanter of the femur when the hip joint is flexed and extended, causing a snapping sound, forming a "snapping hip." Even the outer thigh may feel tight, as if a bow string is stretched tight, making it harder to control walking, with the toes pointing outwards, a sideways limp, and a crab-like gait.

From a neurological perspective, it is lateral femoral cutaneous neuritis. In lateral femoral cutaneous neuritis, although there may be pain on the outer side of the thigh, the more common symptoms are paresthesia, numbness, and decreased skin sensation in the upper and middle outer thigh.

Lateral femoral cutaneous neuritis:

The pain caused by damage to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is a syndrome of paresthesia and pain in the skin of the anterior and lateral thigh caused by damage to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve due to various reasons. It is more common in middle-aged and older patients.

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is a sensory nerve that originates from the posterior roots of the L2 and L3 spinal nerves. After extending from the outer edge of the psoas major muscle, the nerve passes deep to the iliacus muscle to the anterior superior iliac spine, and passes under the inguinal ligament on its inner side to reach the thigh. Then it descends along the lateral side of the sartorius muscle, and transmits to the thigh fascia lata 5-10 cm away from the anterior superior iliac spine, and divides into anterior and posterior branches to the anterior and lateral skin of the thigh. The cause of this disease is complex, and patients with low back and leg pain often suffer from this disease because the nerve is compressed by the traction, tightening, and spasm of the soft tissues in these areas when it passes through the inguinal ligament or penetrates the broad fascia of the thigh. The compression factor may be the root cause of the disease.

The main symptoms are:

Lateral femoral cutaneous neuralgia is mostly unilateral, and its main symptoms are paresthesias in the anterolateral thigh, such as pain, numbness, burning, stiffness,

Tingling or a tightening sensation. The pain often manifests as stabbing pain. In mild cases, it occurs in paroxysmal forms and is related to fatigue and cold. In severe cases, the pain is persistent and symptoms may worsen when walking or standing. There are obvious tenderness points on the inner side and below the anterior superior iliac spine, and areas of decreased sensation of varying sizes and shapes can often be found on the skin of the anterior and lateral thigh.