Numbness in left thigh, top of left knee (MRI, hysterectomy, pain)
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For about 3-4 months now i have had a numbness in my left thigh from the middle of the thigh to the knee....I only get this numbness when I am laying down on my back or if I am standing up and not moving.....
I have went for an MRI and the Doctor said there is no sciatica or damage to my discs in my back..but he noticed arthitis in my back....
I have noticed that the last week it has gotten work..where a couple of time it has awaken me when i am sleeping....even this morning..the numbness was more like burning pain...very weird..
over the last few months, there were instances where the thigh hurt...rather then being numbness it was painful...like a burning pain...
In addition the area of my left knee, front of my knee left side ( outside side away from between my legs) on the top feels weird to the touch, a little numb to the touch...
any ideas on what this is or who to see? I was referred to a neurologist by my primary physician...
What you describe generally indicates a pinched nerve. Arthritis can also effect a nerve. You may want to see a pain specialist in your area. I had a similiar problem and the osteopath that I went to said that at my age the arthritis and nerve were being pinched by the wallet in my back pocket whenever I sat down. Now I put my wallet in a front pocket and after about 3 months the pain disappeared.
It sounds like Meralgia Paresthetica, which is compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. I have had it for seven years or so - I believe I got it after having a hysterectomy, which can cause it, among other things. My thigh has been numb (in the same areas as yours) all that time, with recurring bouts of burning pain, and sometimes itchiness that drives me mad as scratching the numb skin doesn't help as I can't feel anything, yet it itches - grrrrrr. I took some drugs to help with the pain, but they didn't help - now I just live with it.
I saw my regular MD and a pain specialist about it, neither had heard of it! I suppose I should look into seeing some other doctor for it, but I have too many other medical issues that take precedence. Sorry, I don't know what type of doctor you should see for it.
In the spring of 2010 I was abruptly awakened at 4 a.m. with a severe burning pain in my left thigh. When I started moving down my leg, it scared me, and I went to the ER. After 1/2 a day of tests, the diagnosis was sciatica. I'd had sciatica for years but never that experience. The thigh was mostly numb for a long time after that, with occasional burning pain or sometimes an electric spark kind of pain. The feeling is a little more back now, but almost every night when I lie down in bed, I get the feeling that bugs are crawling on my thigh. Very annoying. I have no drugs for it, and fortunately, it's not reoccurred quite as bad as that first time.
My main problem seems to be with the piriformis muscle. I think I'm one of those people that have the unfortunate position of having the sciatic nerve run through it. It's really affected the quality of my life, and I'm once again going for physical therapy for it.
You can try gabapentin (Neurontin) which interferes with the nerves' ability to transmit the pain signal. It is quite sedating so I was told to start at night. I had 300 mg to start, up to 600 mg twice/day. I never needed more than the 300 mg once per day.
Like the previous poster said, the anterior compartment of your thigh is innervated by the femoral nerve, so it has nothing to do with your sciatic nerve. The femoral nerve comes off of the lumbar plexus from spinal nerves emanating from L2-L4. Your pain could be to degeneration of those discs. This is also a wild guess, but would you happen to have a slight abdominal hernia that you don't know of? The femoral nerve is also part of the femoral triangle right near the inguinal ligament (where hernias are). Maybe some compression from a hernia? Ask your doctor.
I had very similar symptoms about 2 years ago. They corrected with physical therapy, cymbalta, and, Vitamin B-12. I don't know how much the B-12 really helped, but you could give it a try...
In the spring of 2010 I was abruptly awakened at 4 a.m. with a severe burning pain in my left thigh. When I started moving down my leg, it scared me, and I went to the ER. After 1/2 a day of tests, the diagnosis was sciatica. I'd had sciatica for years but never that experience. The thigh was mostly numb for a long time after that, with occasional burning pain or sometimes an electric spark kind of pain. The feeling is a little more back now, but almost every night when I lie down in bed, I get the feeling that bugs are crawling on my thigh. Very annoying. I have no drugs for it, and fortunately, it's not reoccurred quite as bad as that first time.
My main problem seems to be with the piriformis muscle. I think I'm one of those people that have the unfortunate position of having the sciatic nerve run through it. It's really affected the quality of my life, and I'm once again going for physical therapy for it.
I'm not sure what i'm doing but my left leg is the same as yours, exactly the same. can it be helped.
I have had that also...always means a nerve...I see my super special
Chiropractor and bingo...all gone.
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