Pain in the thigh and knee | Pain in the front thigh

Pain in the thigh and knee

Anterior thigh pain is often accompanied by knee pain.The reason for this is, among other things, that the front thigh muscle, the quadriceps, with its tendons is attached to the kneecap. When the muscle is tensed or injured, the pain often extends beyond the kneecap. In addition, movement sequences that strain the thigh muscles often also lead to overloading of the knee joint. If the pain is caused by a nervous problem, other parts of the leg are also affected in addition to the thigh. The femoral nerve, for example, sensitively supplies not only the entire front and inner thigh, but also the skin above the knee.

Pain while running

When running, the muscles of the front thigh are heavily strained. The quadriceps is an extensor muscle of the knee and is compressed virtually with every step. This does not lead to any complaints under light load, but untrained runners in particular quickly become overstrained. If the training is reduced, the pain usually disappears by itself. Suitable running shoes, a relaxed running style and training on forest floors instead of tarred roads are also helpful.

Pain independent of stress

In the front thigh, pain may also manifest itself that is not due to overloading or injury. Incorrect strain is often a cause, since a predominantly sedentary activity, which is predominant in our society, causes muscle shortening and poor posture. Long periods of sitting, wearing tight pants or being overweight expose the groin region to increased pressure.

This can lead to the nerves located there becoming trapped. If a nerve is trapped, it can lead to disturbances of sensitivity or pain in its assigned area, which are usually characterized by patients as stabbing or burning. The reason for this is that each skin region of the body is assigned to a nerve that supplies it with sensitive information.

If this nerve is irritated, irritation and pain may occur in the respective skin area, although there is no organic cause at this point. The front of the thigh is mainly innervated by the femoral nerve, which, after exiting the spinal column, runs along the hip flexor and reaches the thigh through the groin. On the outer side, the cutaneus femoris lateralis nerve takes over the innervation of the skin; it must also penetrate the groin region in order to reach the leg.

If the stabbing and burning nerve pain is located more centrally to the inside, it is more likely that the femoral nerve is affected. Pain that is not only in the front but also on the outer side of the thigh is more likely to come from the nervus cutaneus femoris lateralis. This nerve can also be affected by another clinical picture, the Inguinal Tunnel Syndrome.

Similar to the carpal tunnel syndrome in the hand, this is a narrowing that irritates the nerve, causing pain and discomfort in the front and outer thigh. Fortunately, these symptoms often disappear on their own, so that nothing more needs to be done except to take painkillers. The risk factors described should of course be eliminated if such nerve entrapment occurs. If the pain persists, the nerve should be protected with medication, and in some cases an operation may even be necessary to relieve the affected nerve.