Thigh pain at night
Thigh pain, which occurs mainly at night and at rest, can include the disease Meralgia paraesthetica. This involves compression of the lateral cutaneus femoris nerve, which supplies the outer thigh muscles. This disease is triggered by infections, toxins or surgical interventions.
Sensory disturbances, pain and burning, especially on the outside of the thigh, occur. These symptoms usually occur on one side. The pain occurs mainly when the legs are stretched or due to increased pressure in the lateral position, as it can be the case at night.
The suspected diagnosis can be substantiated by a targeted grip of the examining doctor with pressure on the anterior upper iliac spine. Another possible cause of thigh pain at rest is irritation of the nerve roots at their exit points from the spinal canal or in the course of the spinal cord. In some cases, hip joint arthrosis can also lead to these symptoms (see: Hip joint arthrosis symptoms).
Thigh pain during pregnancy
New physical symptoms are not unusual during pregnancy. These occur mainly because the body is exposed to unaccustomed loads due to weight gain. Ligaments become more elastic due to the hormonal changes, which reduces stability in the pelvis and consequently in the legs.
This results in incorrect loading, which in turn can lead to pain. In addition, the additional load on the muscles can lead to tension and pain. Gentle stretching exercises can help to counteract discomfort during pregnancy.
What to do for thigh pain?
In order to relieve the thigh pain in the long term and to prevent it from recurring, a causal therapy, i.e. treatment of the underlying disease, is recommended.If the thigh pain is only caused by physical overexertion, the sports behaviour should be changed. The electrolyte balance of the athlete can be additionally stabilized by the administration of magnesium, which should be taken in greater quantities during physical activity. For more serious causes, there are various therapy options, which are best discussed in a consultation with an expert doctor and depending on the individual case.
Especially in the case of degenerative changes such as herniated discs, however, surgical therapy must be carefully considered, since this is usually a major intervention and the chances of success are not always promising (see: Slipped disc lumbar spine therapy). In rare cases, an injury to the bone is the underlying cause of the thigh pain. This should then be treated surgically (see: Thigh fracture).
In addition to the causal therapy, a drug-based pain therapy should be administered if required by the patient (see: painkillers). For this purpose, the drugs that are summarized as the group of NSAIDs are particularly suitable. This abbreviation stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
These include Ibuprofen® and ASS®. In addition to pain relief, these drugs can also inhibit inflammation. Muscle relaxants, i.e. drugs that relax the muscles, can also be used.
If these drugs are not sufficient to relieve the pain, stronger painkillers can be prescribed, which cause central pain relief in the brain (opiode). If polyneuropathies, which are caused by permanent nerve damage, are responsible for the pain, antidepressants and anticonvulsants (drugs given for epilepsy) are used to relieve the pain in addition to opioids. However, it is important to make sure that the patient does not become dependent on these drugs during the permanent administration of painkillers.
Attention should also be paid to side effects, such as the acid load on the stomach, if ibuprofen is taken permanently. Besides drug therapy, physical applications in the form of heat or cold therapy, physiotherapy and muscle building in a pain-free phase are suitable. Through physiotherapy, painful tension and blockages in the muscles can be relieved, so that the symptoms are quickly relieved.
Another therapy option is the injection of local anesthetics to numb the pain. These are usually mixed with anti-inflammatory substances in the form of cortisone. They can be injected specifically into the site of nerve irritation.
This can be done, for example, at the spinal level by means of a computer-tomographically monitored injection into the spinal nerve root, or in the further course of the nerve. Often, however, a single anesthetic of the nerve is only sufficient for a limited period of time, so that the procedure must be repeated. If no long-term improvement can be achieved, it is possible to apply a permanent pain injection via a so-called pain catheter.
