Numbness in the thigh

What is a numbness in the thigh?

A numbness in the thigh is a reduction or decrease in sensation or sensitivity. Some people know the numbness from the feeling of a part of the body falling asleep. A touch of the thigh does not feel as strong as before. In some cases a numbness can be so strong that the person affected feels nothing at all in that area. In some cases, the numbness may only affect the thigh or the whole leg.

Causes

Causes of numbness in the thigh can occur as a result of nerve damage caused, for example, by constriction, irritation or inflammation. Other causes can also be circulatory disorders or inflammatory changes in the brain or spinal cord in the areas of sensitivity. These also include herniated discs and certain forms of polyneuropathy or, in some cases, inflammatory diseases such as MS.

If sudden numbness occurs, one should also think of a stroke. A herniated disc of the lumbar spine (lumbar spine) often occurs in middle-aged people who have to physically lift heavy objects, are overweight or do not move enough. A herniated disc in the lumbar spine is the most common type of herniated disc.

It manifests itself in the form of back pain that can radiate into the leg. Other symptoms can affect sensitivity, mobility (i.e. paralysis) and reflexes, as well as a restriction of movement in the back and muscular hardening. Depending on the height of the spine at which the herniated disc occurs, the accompanying symptoms manifest themselves in different areas of the leg, as these areas or muscles are supplied by nerve roots from certain spinal segments, which are called dermatomes or identifying muscles.

If numbness only occurs in the thigh, the nerve roots L2, L3 or S2, for example, can be affected. The nerve root L2 supplies an area on the front thigh very high up, just below the inguinal ligament. The nerve root L3 innervates a large part of the front thigh up to the knee.

The nerve root S2 supplies a limited area on the rear thigh from the bottom to just below the hollow of the knee. The other nerve roots L4 and S1 also supply parts of the thigh, but also parts of the lower leg. The sciatic nerve is a nerve that only innervates muscles on the thigh and runs through the buttocks and rear thigh.

A sensitive innervation, which is responsible for sensations, does not take place in the thigh through the sciatic nerve, so that irritation of the sciatic nerve usually does not lead to numbness in the thigh. Meralgia paraesthetica is a technical term for the constriction of a specific nerve under the inguinal ligament. This nerve is called the cutaneus femoris lateralis nerve and sensitively supplies an outer skin area of the thigh.

This means that the sensation of touch is transmitted by this nerve. Since the nerve runs under the inguinal ligament, there is little space even in the natural position of the nerve. If the space of the nerve is then further narrowed by e.g. obesity, pregnancy or jeans that are too tight, complaints such as burning pain or sensory disturbances can occur in the outer area of the thigh.

Numbness can also be a part of this, but mostly the pain is in the foreground. These complaints usually improve when the hip joint is bent. MS or multiple sclerosis is a severe chronic disease of the nervous system.

In this disease the nerve sheaths are damaged and the nerves can lose their function. If nerves of sensitivity are affected, numbness can occur, also in the thigh. Symptoms of MS can be very diverse, further symptoms can include paralysis or visual disturbances.

However, the diagnosis of such a serious disease should only be made by a physician. An intervertebral disk surgery is usually only necessary in the case of severe herniated disks, for example, if there is a bladder and bowel emptying disorder or very severe paralysis. Every operation has certain risks, including disc surgery.

Such an operation takes place close to the spinal canal, which means that nerves can also be damaged during the operation. Therefore, there is also the possibility that nerves for sensitivity in the thigh may be affected, resulting in numbness in the thigh.There are also other risks about which the doctor will inform you during the consultation. A thrombosis in the thigh does not usually cause numbness in the thigh. A thrombosis can be completely asymptomatic or manifest itself, for example, through pain or swelling, redness.