Meralgia Paresthetica & Lipedema

First off, yes, I’m just learning what Meralgia Paresthetica is - after experiencing sharp burning pain in my upper thigh area (in the middle of the night) and fearing the worst (like we do) I looked into what could be causing the searing pain that was shooting across my thigh and waking me from a sound sleep.

Meralgia Paresthetica is a condition caused by the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) being compressed.  The nerve runs from the lower back through the pelvis & groin to the skin of the outer thigh.

Common causes of the nerve being compressed are repetitive leg movements, prolonged sitting, tight clothing, obesity, pregnancy, etc., and while no evidence to confirm my suspicions, I believe the lipedema tissue we carry on the outer thigh, hip and abdomen areas can also put pressure on the nerve. Not to mention the graduated compression we were all day to help our Lipedema (talk about tight clothes).

Seems to be very similar to #sciatica - just a different nerve being compressed. So yeah, been a fun couple of months for my poor body.

Thankfully there are some great stretches you can do to try to help unpinch both of these nerves, and the number one thing I’ve been reaching for in the middle of the night for some instant relief is my trusty magnesium lotion. 

Do you experience tingling, numbness, burning pain in your upper and/or outer thigh? Do you have experience with Meralgia Paresthetica? What do you find helpful?

Some of my goto stretches are some of my favorite hip flexor poses/stretches…