The duration | Pinched nerve at the hip

The duration

It is not possible to make a general statement about the duration of the discomfort caused by an incarceration of a nerve at the hip. If there is a clear trigger, such as a belt that is worn too tightly or the pressure of the seat belt during a long car journey, the complaints usually subside within a few hours after the cause has been eliminated. Often, however, the cause of the complaints is less clear or there are various factors that have led to the nerves at the hip being pinched.

In such cases, the duration of the nerve irritation and the resulting complaints can last several weeks. It is important to take early measures to remedy the symptoms. If there is no improvement or the symptoms become increasingly severe, a doctor’s appointment is indicated after one week at the latest. If the symptoms of a pinched nerve are ignored or merely suppressed by taking painkillers, permanent nerve damage may be imminent.

What is a meralgia parästetica?

Meralgia paraesthetica is the medical term for an irritation of a special nerve in the hip region, which occurs relatively frequently and usually leads to typical symptoms. The nervus cutaneus femoris lateralis is affected, which means “skin nerve of the outer thigh“. This nerve runs from the lumbar spine in the region of the pelvis to the thigh.

At several narrow points, it is only slightly protected by surrounding tissue, which favors possible entrapment. In addition to mechanical pressure from outside, overweight and excessive strain on the hip joint can cause the typical complaints. The Meralgia paraesthetica is sometimes also called Inguinal Tunnel Syndrome.

Which alternative diseases can be behind it?

Often, if a nerve at the hip is pinched, it is not completely clear, so there may be some alternative diseases behind it.As these sometimes require further diagnosis and treatment, it is important to differentiate between them through the medical consultation and the specific physical examination. A possible alternative disease is wear and tear of the hip joint (so-called arthrosis). This usually affects older people and causes movement-related pain in the hip joint area.

Tingling and numbness as with pinched nerves are less typical, but do not rule out arthrosis. In addition, it must always be remembered that several complaints can also be present at the same time, which may influence each other. Another alternative disease that may be behind the complaints is a herniated disc in the lumbar spine.

Here too, as with the pinched nerve at the hip, this can lead to discomfort and numbness in the thigh. However, the area in which the symptoms occur is often different. In addition, a herniated disc can also cause an impairment of muscle strength. A differentiation of the clinical pictures is usually possible by an examination at the doctor even without the use of imaging techniques.