Femoral Nerve Pain

by JANICE FOSTER
(SHEFFIELD ENGLAND)

I suffered a slipped disc approx 3 weeks ago and although my back feels fine now it has left me with a pain down the front of my thigh from my hip to my knee. I have a tingling burning sensation as well as pain which gets worse when I walk. Is this related to the slipped disc and what is the best
treatment.

Answer:

Hi Janice,

I afraid I can't give you any specific advice about your problem as I have not assessed you and there would be lots of questions I would want to ask!

However, generally speaking those symptoms could indeed be linked to a nerve root irritation from a disc bulge. It is a bit less common for it to be the root of the femoral nerve that is irritated, its more usual that the sciatic nerve is involved. If you want to see a chart that outlines the different nerve root patterns there is one on this sciatica page

For anyone with leg symptoms and pins and needles or numbness it is important you make sure you have nothing more serious the matter, although it is unlikely that you have, check these
signs of serious back problems and go and see someone if you have any of them.

Generally treatment for a nerve root irritation involves keeping gently active, finding a position of ease, monitoring the nerve root symptoms and waiting. A physiotherapist can give you appropriate back exercises and back pain management advice. Often the symptoms disappear with time, 3 weeks is very early days, it can take months sometimes.If the symptoms don't ease a referral to see a neurosurgeon is sometimes needed although this is certainly not the case for everyone.

I would strongly advise that you ask your GP to refer you to a physiotherapist where you will be assessed and they can monitor you and give you a programme of treatment tailored to your particular problem.

I hope you start to feel better soon,

Paula

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Femoral Nerve Pain

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Dec 28, 2011
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Seek pain experts advice
by: Anonymous

I suffered a prolapsed disc 5 months age. It took 3 weeks to be admitted to hospital with excrutuating pain. In my leg,knee,etc. I could barely move and screamed with the severity. I ended up on morphine, fentenynl patches, gabapentin, oxycontin tablets and liquid. Finally it eased the pain. I am due to be assessed for a operation. I am still in pain, although I am trying to reduce the dosage. I'm quite traumatised, apparently only 1% of cases are so severe. My G.P.didn't know what to prescribe. Pain clinic sorted me out.

Nov 28, 2011
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Diabetes and femoral nerve
by: steve w

I was diagnosed with diabetes appox 5 months ago. After a couple of weeks I started to have pain in my legs which I have been told by a physiotherapist is due to a trapped femoral nerve. Having read internet articles I strongly believe that this problem could be related to my diabetes. Have you an opinion on this?

Paula's Response

Hi, I have written a page on neuropathy which includes diabetic neuropathy - you can find it here http://www.lower-back-pain-toolkit.com/causes-of-peripheral-neuropathy.html

There is a fairly typical pattern to diabetic neuropathy - I would expect your physiotherapist to be able to spot the difference between this and a femoral nerve problem. My suggestion would be to have a discussion with them about this and ask them to explain why they are diagnosing femoral nerve problems not neuropathy - it may be that the features are clear to them but they need to explain in more detail to you.Best wishes.

Nov 09, 2011
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Keep going
by: Mr Positive

Hi, I sustained a overstretched injury in the lower back L4/L5, disk bulge hitting nerve ect, at the age of 26, which is now 20 years ago.

Having a cement mixer falling off the trailer and reaching over to save it cost me dearly.I have never given up on trying to find a cure, whether it be home exercise and remedies, or as everyone seems to do, all the costly visits to the usual health people with no positive outcome.

I have just undergone a series of root sleeve cortisone injections under ct scan and 10 days later I am in more intense pain now than before.

I am trying to figure out which nerve the pain is coming from as it seems to be over the hip and running down the outside of leg to the foot.

Is it possible that years of back pain could be linked to a damaged or moved nerve

Nov 06, 2011
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Good Info and My Pain problems
by: Special K

I am 64 but very active. I pulled a groin muscle playing softball. Then a few days later playing volleyball, I landed after jumping leaving me with pain in knee, hip, and groin. I tried the next week to bowl and to try volleyball but no go with the pain. I was shutdown to rest for 3 weeks by my primary doctor. I was able to golf 2 twice in the next week with my pain reduced. I bent over to move a piece of furniture and I suffered a back spasm. The pain was now in my back, hip, knee, and groin. I was seen by a specialist who says I have an L4 nerve root problem. I do NOT have Back Pain. I have started PT going twice. With exercises my pain in my knee has been reduced but I continue with hip and knee pain with high activity. I do NOT have back pain. I start next week with MWF PT to continue for 3 weeks then back to the Specialist for next steps. Does this story fit with anyone else? What did you do or what were results? Thanks

Paula's comments

Its very common with a nerve root disorder for there to be no back pain at all. Check out this page for more info:

http://www.lower-back-pain-toolkit.com/symptoms-of-sciatica.html

Oct 28, 2011
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Chiropractic
by: Jack

I have had intermittent back problems for 27 years which has progressively deteriorated. I recently decided to see if a chiropractor could help. After 3 sessions per week for a month I now have permanent pain down the front of my left thigh. I now see a physiotherapist who advises the pain is a result of the femoral nerve.

Oct 27, 2011
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Femoral nerve injury
by: BILAL

I was badly injured in a severe bike accident. My femur is fractured and was operated on. I am concerned with orthopedic surgeon he suggested I had a test (ncs/emg). The reports conclusions are
1) femoral nerve injury at upper thigh with good recovery.
2) tibial nerve injury with fair recovery.

I go to hospital to do electro therapy but my pain is increasing day by day my muscles are weak and I can't walk on my own, i need a stick please suggest me how can I can get back to normal?

Note from Paula
Hi Bilal - I cant offer specific advice but when you have had major trauma like that it takes many many months for the nerves to regenerate. Talk to your doctor about managing your pain and ask what they think the predicted length of recovery will be. They may have an idea of how much of the nerve is damaged and needs to regrow.

Sep 26, 2011
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Missdiagnosed I believe sciatic nerve pain
by: John

I have been living with chronic back pain with mutiple back surgeries for the past fifteen years. The most recent surgery I had was on 9/20/2011, a microdisectomy at level L-3,L-4 with almost no relief.

I had a microdiscectomy at L4,L5 about ten years ago with immediate relief of leg pain after surgery, and I returned to my full duty job two months later. Five years later this was followed up by a fusion at the same level.I had some leg pain for about a year but the severe pain was again gone the day of surgery.
Just recently I had a fusion at L5-S1, it was a long recovery but I returned to my physical job with about 90 percent of strength. Once again after surgery I was almost pain free from sciatic nerve pain in my right leg.
Two days back at work I began getting pain in my left hip,the front of the quadriceps with numbness and tingling.It persistantly got worse and I could barely walk by the end of the day.
I have never had front of leg pain so severe in all my years. I'm taking percocet,norco,fentaly and nothing relieves the pain. So, I got an MRI scan, saw my physio and my nerosurgeon and they both diganosed a small herniation or bulge above the L4-L5 fusion. Although I feel this not sciatic nerve pain I stick to what experts say. The MRI showed a very slight herniation that the radiologist did not catch. So I proceeded with another microdiscectomy. After about six days my pain is returning back to where it was. Obviously I have a little relief but after reading the symptoms for femoral nerve pain which describes every symptom I'm having I am now calling the doctor in the morning. What I want to know is it common to misdiganose sciatic nerve pain, because I just got another surgery weakening another area of my back that may be was not necessary.
My pain is still very high with femoral nerve symptoms and I still have to go back to work.I have been off since March, how long will it take to rehab this problem? Someone give me answers.

Sep 25, 2011
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Hip surgery
by: Autie

Had hip replacement surgery about 2 years ago. It was fine to the point where I was walking a mile and swimming a lot until about 5 months ago. I developed a painful reaction in my upper thigh and gradually felt it move into my lower back. I've had about 20 physical therapy sessions, a trip to the acupuncturist, 3 trips to the deep tissue masseuse and to the pilates trainer, 2 sets of xrays and blood tests, bone scan, and thigh drain. No answers from 3 orthopedic doctors. Pain gets worse weekly and I'm not the complaining type. On 1 xray, the doctor did see some minimal spacing between L-3 and L-4 on my vertebrae. Could this be sciatic or femoral nerve problem? I don't want to self diagnose, but I'm not getting any answers.

Sep 23, 2011
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Numbness in feet and thigh
by: joseph

I have had no feeling in my feet and right thigh for 4 months.It stems from a back problem I have my lower discs are all bulging but at 66 that is quite commom I was told.The thigh pain is like pins and needles,but very numb my feet in the mornings are agony and can't walk till the pain is away.I am getting told now they think it is coming from my central nervous system. I don't know what to think any more.

Sep 15, 2011
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femoral leg pain
by: reza

I have a severe shock nerve pain in the my left leg some times. It is a pain down the front leg. I have trigeminal neraulgia in the left side face and I used 800mg tegretol daily. Is this related to trigeminal or not?
reza

Paula's Reply

Hi Reza, I can't diagose your problem online but the trigeminal nerve is a cranial nerve that supplies the face and is unlikely to be the cause of your leg pain. You must go and have a chat with your doctor and get your leg pain diagnosed and checked out.

Aug 24, 2011
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femoral nerve / sciatica pain
by: sylvia

Hi Paula, So grateful for all the information on your page. For myself, at age 30 my back seized-up
due to heavy work and having 3 children,after xrays, cause said to be worn disc,given distalgesic pain killers,10 years later xray no change,still taking pain killers.In all having to work,could only manage a desk job,lifting leg into car to get there.Until someone directed me to a private chiropractic clinic,6 weeks later pain was lifting,like many thought I would end up in a wheelchair,now I am retired I do get the femoral nerve pains if standing too long, so I am going to try yoga again, or some other exercise that Im comfortable with as I avoid any drugs where ever possible,I must have got this attitude from my mum who never saw a Doctor for 20 years.To end up I think the chiropractor was the answer for me.good luck everyone.

Aug 16, 2011
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following in many footsteps
by: ktucker

I am a nurse with back pain. Like many nurses before me I have managed to go the route I said I would never follow. I let lifting on and caring for my patients injure my own back.

After 27 years of caring for everyone else now someone else has to put my socks on for me. I understand and know exactly what is wrong with me and know all the possible complications of the treatments available to me and right now my best option is tincture of time.

I try to see patients in my clinic half days but by noon my tempurpedic mattress is calling me. I am hoping I will once again be able to put full weight on my feet and walk without pain but I also know this may never be the same again and I will have to cope in some way or another,with the very ailments I have spent years trying to sooth.

Hopefully for each of us that came to this site for answers or to share there will be new better less invasive treatment options so we can all just be functional again.

Aug 03, 2011
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Femoral Nerve Damage
by: Anonymous

I have fermoral nerve damage after having surgery. I fell off a platform and broke my right pelvic bone. I had surgery as I stated and the outcome was a fixed pelvic bone but now I am unable to walk without a walker. I am doing physical therapy 2-3 times a week. The muscles in my calf do not function to grab the knee so I wear a brace. Yes, the pain races from my thigh around my kneee and down my leg. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the thigh at times. I am taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen evry 3 hours, 600 mgs of Gabapentin every 3 hours, 2 tablets of 10 mg /325 mg of Hydrocodine Norco every 4 hours and 500 mgs of Methocarbacol every 3 hours. The pain is bad at times and the pain meds don't work. They said it will take 1-1/2 to 2 years before I will be able to walk with a cane but I am staying positive throughout the process. I have had to retire early from my job.

Jul 07, 2011
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Femoral Nerve Pain
by: Anonymous

Hi,
2 years ago I completed a jump from a high wire course, I pulled my back and was in severe agony, after some time the pain moved down the front of my legs from my back to my knees. Its agony, everyday I suffer so going to the doctors several times and having 3 MRI scans the doctors found I've got a femoral nerve trapped and there is nothing they can do about it I was on diclofenac but it made me ill now I'm on dihydrocodeine and amitriptyline. I'm still in complete agony and it starts as soon as I wake up, to waking me in the night in pain.
I do exercise a lot as I have 5 children but sometimes it just hurts even if I'm resting. Hopefully it will ease but not as yet.

Apr 25, 2011
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Drugs for pain
by: Jo

John, i had unusual hip surgery 8 years ago and had slight damage to the femoral nerve (could't walk without a stick for 2 years and still cannot do straight leg lifts or run ) i am very active and ride horses, which is not a problem believe it or not!!It took 5 years of slow improvement and i only took Ibuprofen when needed . I recently woke up an old sacroiliac injury and now i have the nerve pain again but i still dont know if its the femoral or sciatic nerve pain , it goes down the front of my leg to the knee and is a deep aching . pulsing pain. I am now taking Diclofenic, Amytriptilyne and Paracetamol, all these act in a different way so are safe . Prehaps you dont need some of the other drugs . This mix seems to work for me without drowsiness, as long as i take the "last " dose about5 pm

Mar 07, 2011
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Pain relief for femoral nerve pain
by: john h s

Hi I had a bad fall when on holiday and broke 3 ribs, my wrist and elbow 5 wks ago. As the ribs and the rest are getting there I have been getting bad pain in my right thigh. I went to the doctor as I thought it might have been deep vein thrombosis, as I had a five hour flight soon after the fall I was worrying, glad to say that it was not that. Went to the doctor who told me I had a trapped nerve in my right thigh the opposite side from the other problems? And gave me a prescription for amitriptyline, one at night. Not to take during the day when the main problem is during the day? Anyone out there with more info on this would be great as I'm on other pain killers for the rest of the problems and it makes me feel that I am out of it most of the time. Thanks

Oct 24, 2010
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Knowing what my lower back pain is?
by: Anonymous

I hurt my back Digging when was 16 and its never been 100% from then. I am lost what to do now.
Doctors have done x rays and little tests over the years but I damaged it more when pushed myself to do things as no one else would do them for me. I am in pain daily with it mainly at the left hand side and over past two months started getting sore numb leg on front i am waiting to be referred to see someone which i hope they get to the bottom of the pain.
I am bent over walking some days and able to do very little.
I take more pain killers than should as Doctor wont give me anything strong enough as he feels its not as bad as i making out.
I had it for 18 years now and i feel i be in a wheel chair within ten years if this carries on.
I am hoping the Hospital will get to the bottom of this pain even if it means i have a problem which is bad as leasti know how to cope with it and get the right help.
I do not know what to do as i am putting on weight un-able to exsize as pain so bad.

Aug 23, 2010
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Pain in front of leg
by: Yuri

Does this pain show up out of thin air? Yesterday I was fine, and today I can't walk!!!! I seem to have all the symptoms described for femoral nerve irritation, but I am still confused as to how it happened so quickly. Last night I had a slight back ache, but since I will be getting my period today, I didn't think anything of it. This morning the pain was still there, but now I was feeling it in my leg. ON THE FRONT OF MY LEFT LEG. I walked a couple of miles, and by noon I was incapacitated. Whe I am off my feet I can't feel the pain, but I feel tingling, like my leg is contracting inside, then I feel very confortable, then I get up, and there is the pain again. I'm getting scared.

Paula:

Hi Yuri, try not to worry as those symptoms are not unheard of, but do go and see your doctor and get assessed. That way you can get the right treatment and they can put your mind at rest. Best wishes.

Dec 18, 2009
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femoral vs sciatica
by: Anonymous

I had 2 bulging discs in lower back, pain in front inner thigh of left leg which was like a knife every time stepped onto left leg. All medical doctors said sciatica. But my physio said femoral nerve irritation, because the pain was in the front of my thigh. It has been 3 months now and after exercises and ibuprofen and physio every fortnight, things are seeming alot better. It does take time, but do the right things and hopefully will recover Good Luck

Apr 12, 2008
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Good info
by:

Good stuff

Apr 12, 2008
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Fear factor
by: Frogface

I wonder how common this is? Why do we not get more information when we visit the doctor - people are frightened to ask questions and look silly. Thank goodness for the internet!

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