Definition
The inguinal ligament, also known as the ligamentum inguinale or vesalius ligament, is a connection between the ilium and the shinbone. It delimits a space in which important vessels, nerves and muscles run. Pain in the inguinal region can be caused by a pulled or overstretched inguinal ligament. Inflammation of the inguinal ligament usually refers to such a pulled or overstretched ligament, since inflammations of other causes are rarely found on the inguinal ligament.
The causes
Strains or overstretching of the inguinal ligament are usually due to sports activities and training. Everyday movements are usually not sufficient to overload the inguinal ligament. Sportsmen and women who are frequently affected by pain in the groin area are, for example, footballers.
The inguinal ligament can be inflamed due to muscle imbalances, overstretching during spreading or straddling movements or acute injuries. This is also possible in other sports where stretching and strain is present in the groin area, such as kickboxing or hurdle running. In this case, the groin ligament may be continuously overstretched over a longer period of time or may be excessively strained in an acute situation.
The tissue reacts to this locally with swelling and pain. The Meralgia paraesthetica is a pain syndrome caused by the compression of a nerve. The compressed nerve is a small superficial skin nerve that is only responsible for the sensitivity of a small area of skin on the outer thigh.
The nerve runs directly in the fibers of the inguinal ligament and thus has a constricted, superficial and vulnerable position. If the nerve is pressed in its course, sensations of discomfort occur in the thigh area, which manifest themselves as tingling, formication, numbness, pain and changes in the tendency to sweat and hairiness of the skin area. The nerve compression can be caused by tight pants and belts, thickened tendons, ligaments and muscles, overweight, pregnancy and other changes in the anatomy of the groin region. The nerve should be relieved as soon as possible to prevent permanent damage to sensitivity.
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