Meralgia paresthetica is a nerve condition that causes an area of skin over the upper outer thigh to feel numb, tingly, or painful. It is caused by compression of a nerve in the thigh known as the lateral cutaneous nerve. It is typically compressed as it passes underneath a tough fibrous ligament called the inguinal ligament.

Rarity: Rare

Symptoms

Pain in the outside of the hip
Pain in one thigh
Thigh numbness
Tingling upper leg
Hip numbness

Treatment

You should see a doctor to confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment options. Generally, this condition is treated with rest, physical therapy, pain medication, and occasionally corticosteroid injections.

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Jeffrey M. Rothschild, MD, MPH.

Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Dr. Rothschild has been a faculty member at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He currently practices as a hospitalist at Newton Wellesley Hospital. In 1978, Dr. Rothschild received his MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin and trained in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in critical care medicine. He also received an MP...

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