Introduction
A burning sensation or pain is generally caused by nerve dysfunction, injury, entrapment or compression. The neuropathic pain (originating from disturbed nerves) is described by those affected as burning, electrifying or shooting. The burning pain usually comes suddenly and is felt as very intense.
Sometimes they are accompanied by numbness and other sensory disturbances. About 6% of people are affected by neuropathic pain. Sometimes the vascular system – more precisely the venous system – in the pelvis or thigh can also be affected. If a burning sensation in the thigh is new or recurs repeatedly, a doctor should be consulted to initiate appropriate diagnostic procedures.
Causes
There are various causes that can trigger a burning sensation in the thigh. For one thing, open areas – for example by rubbing the thighs together – can cause burning pain on the inside of the thigh. Then the pain can also be felt on both sides.
The most important diseases associated with burning on the thigh are the following:
- Meralgia paraesthetica
- Polyneuropathies
- Thrombosis
- Shingles
Meralgia paraesthetica causes sensory disorders such as burning pain, formication or numbness on the outside of the thigh due to pressure on a nerve. The nerve that triggers the burning is the lateral cutaneus femoris nerve, which runs from the inguinal ligament to the outside of the thigh and above the knee. Typically, the Meralgia paraethetica occurs in overweight people and is also known as a “jeans lesion”, since the constriction of the nerve can be caused, among other things, by wearing too tight clothing in the groin area (belt or too tight jeans).
A more frequent occurrence after infectious diseases or diabetes mellitus is also discussed, although this is controversial. Often diabetics or long-term alcoholics are affected by so-called polyneuropathies. This involves damage to several nerves in the extremities, which – among other symptoms – is also conspicuous by burning pain.
The course is usually gradual and often starts at the feet, so that the thighs are only affected later. A long-standing vitamin deficiency can cause nerve irritation of the body. However, it tends to be the regions further away from the trunk, i.e. mainly the lower legs or feet, that are affected.
The most common vitamin deficiency disease in Germany is a vitamin B deficiency resulting from long-term alcohol consumption. Vitamins are supposed to act as a kind of protective shield or regeneration agent for the nerve fibres. If they are missing, slight injuries to the nerves can occur, which in turn give the feeling of tingling.
Depending on where the nerve defects are located, the thighs can also be affected. Even deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can sometimes cause a burning pain in the thigh. These are then usually felt in the groin, but can also be felt deeper or even down to the feet.
Arterial occlusion can also lead to an undersupply of nerves and thus to burning pain in the thigh. A thrombosis is a clot formation in the deep venous vascular system. In most cases, thrombosis occurs after prolonged immobilization of the legs (for example after long-distance flights).
A thrombosis can affect all veins in the leg, whereby the flow of blood from the legs to the heart is impeded. Although a thrombosis often comes with pulling pain – similar to a sore muscle – the obstruction can also irritate nerves and cause a burning sensation in the thigh or leg. Since a blood clot can dissolve in the veins and enter the lungs (pulmonary embolism), thrombosis should be ruled out for such complaints – especially if the legs are immobilised for a longer period of time – or, if a thrombosis is detected, rapid therapy should be carried out.
Shingles (herpes zoster) on the thigh is relatively rare, but it can also trigger complaints with shooting pain and burning sensation on the thigh, which then usually extends over the lower leg to the foot. The burning sensation often occurs up to a week before the typical rash with redness and blisters. The symptoms of shingles are only felt on one leg.
In addition, shingles on the leg usually occurs in patients over 50 years of age. The herniated disc of the lumbar spine leads to all kinds of sensations of discomfort in the leg area. While most patients are plagued by pain, insensitivity or tingling or burning sensations can occur.
The decisive factor is which nerve fibres are damaged by the herniated disc. The injuries to the nerve lead to a certain degree to misperceptions, the origin of which the brain locates where the nerve normally receives its emotional information from. If by chance, the fibres of the nerve responsible for the pain sensation of the thigh may be damaged, so that the herniated disc expresses itself with exactly this symptom.
A burning sensation on the thigh can be a symptom of MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Feelings of pain are a very common symptom in MS patients and are individually distributed very differently over the body. A burning sensation on the thigh would therefore probably not make any doctor immediately think of MS.
The clinical picture presents itself with very individual symptoms, depending on where the disease starts at the nerve sheaths. However, at some point in almost all cases the nerves of the eyes are also affected, which can lead to vision problems. Furthermore, for a suspected diagnosis of MS, motor deficits or sensitive disorders of a completely different body region would have to be added.
You can find everything on this topic under: Multiple sclerosis or diagnosis of multiple sclerosisIn psychosomatic medicine, many combinations of cause and symptom are possible for which there seems to be no explanation from the viewpoint of conventional medicine. Burning on the thigh can be a symptom of an actual psychological illness or part of a “separate” explanation for the illness, as hypochondriacs, for example, also seek psychosomatic treatment. For them, burning of the thigh is then a symptom of a serious illness. However, the treatment of a psychosomatic cause is usually more complex than for purely physical causes and requires the patient’s willingness to accept the therapy.
