THR Meralgia Parasthetica - any experience?

[CricketHip]

Aww, that had to be a horrible week for you, worrying like that. Good for your husband for getting you to your OS..
Take care and glad that you can go for some massages to help those soft tissue issues..
Remember that this recovery is a long process with ups and downs. Sometimes it feels like a lot of downs.. then along comes a nice period of ups... I wish this for you soon!

 

[Elf1]

Glad your hubby got you to the OS and he found a couple of things you can do to hopefully get you feeling better, and soon. Unfortunately we always seem to go two steps forward and one step back.

Hoping the holiday decorations cheer you some and you can relax and enjoy the holidays.

 

[leejaa]

So sorry you had such a scary time and was so nervous. I am glad your OS found answers and solutions for you. It is a stressful time in recovery and worrisome at times. Sounds like your husband is quite wonderful in how he takes care of you. I hope the massage does wonders for you. Keep us posted on how it is working. Sending (((hugs)))

 

[VSlowLife]

Dear @ritabell sending you a big hug I am hoping you notice some improvements as you navigate this healing process, on you days forward, to help you quell your fears. It is clearly not an easy emotional journey, this healing business. If I could, I would send you a rainbow to brighten your day.

 

[leejaa]

Some more Christmas to cheer your day, I hope. I hope you get a sunny day and feel better.

 

[ritabell]

Thanks @leejaa, @VSlowLife , @Elf1 @CricketHip for your encouragement. I need it.

Started the gabapentin and wrote to my PT to see if he would do massage therapy on the IT band as the OS recommended. I'm sure the PT will. He's the most flexible PT I ever met. The OS wants to see if the gaba and massage helps first.

THE OS called it a Later Femoral Cutaneous Nerve problem and IT Band Syndrome. Has anyone had either of these post op? Aren't I lucky? What worries me is if the massage will aggrevate the nerve that is already aggravated?

My walking and gait has improved on the new surgical hip but the right leg pain is preventing me from increasing the walking. What a predicament. I am icing both now.

 

[ritabell]

By the way, the above 2 problems are on my right surgical hip (3/19) not the new surgical hip (11/13).

 

[Mojo333]

THE OS called it a Later Femoral Cutaneous Nerve problem

Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve problem also has a fancy name
Meralgia Parasthetica
We have an article that refers to this.

Meralgia Paresthetica

Meralgia paresthetica occurs when the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve — a nerve that supplies sensation to the surface of your outer thigh — becomes compressed, or "pinched." The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is purely a sensory nerve and does not affect your ability to use your leg muscles...

bonesmart.org

Hope you will get some feedback from members with experience with the same issues.
Have you employed Crickethip's suggestion about gentle circular massage?

 

[ritabell]

@Mojo333 Yes, I am doing the gentle circular massage with ice which helps.

The article is both encouraging ( as it seems to eventually go away?) and distressing for me months (how long before it goes away? and how will it affect my recovery for the upcoming months?). What I can't figure out is why this happened 8 months after the surgery. Could something have happened in the second surgery?) I wonder if anyone has had a cortisone injection and if it worked? Is there any way to ask this of forum members? Should I rename my thread to hip nerve impingement so someone might see it? I don't know how to do that.

 

[ritabell]

@CricketHip

Evidently, I have Meralgia Parasthetica which distresses me. See above diagnosis from OS. I am using circular massage with ice. What do you think of an ice roller? Saw one on Amazon for face or body. IT is small but I think it might be helpful. The one below is just an example. Any thoughts?

 

[Mojo333]

@ritabell
I would be happy to have your thread title changed.. just let me know.
It indeed could entice more feedback.

I have read some articles that suggest more aggressive massage may indeed keep it aggravated, so if it were me, I would certainly keep things light and intermittent.
The ice roller looks very interesting...never seen this!

 

[Jaycey]

@ritabell I changed your thread title for you. Is the Gabapentin helping at all?

 

[ritabell]

@ Jaycey Gaba Not yet helping. Taking 300 mg at night for 4 days and 100 mg during the day til the end of the week and then increasing the daytime dose. I'm convinced that this is the nerve and not the IT Band.

 

[Jaycey]

The reason I asked is that the gabapentin is specifically for nerve pain. Perhaps ask your doc to tweak the dosage?

 

[ceezee]

I’m not totally sure but this sounds maybe like what I’ve been experiencing.

I never got an actual name for the condition...it was just called a pinched nerve. It happened to me overnight when I slept the entire night on the opposite side of my newly operated hip at about two weeks after the second hip surgery. I woke up to pain and numbness in my thigh with the hip that had surgery three months before. At its worst I couldn’t even tolerate fabric or a sheet on it. I went on Gabapentin (300mg twice a day) and it helped with the symptoms.

Eventually I saw a spine doctor who gave me three options. One, wait it out until it goes away on its own. Two, get an injection. And three, try PT. So I choose PT to work on teaching me what’s called the McKenzie Method (a set of stretching and strengthening exercises) to help relieve the pressure on the nerve by strengthening my back and core. Since then, and it’s been over a month now since the PT, its been getting better and better. I’m off the Gabapentin and I can tell it’s easing up. So overall it’s been around 4 months since it started.

The other thing that I know has really helped is I improved my gait. My friend, a massage therapist, noticed I was still swinging my leg out on the newer operated side. I had been doing it so long it seemed normal. I immediately started concentrating on walking with both legs straight and together. It was very sore the first couple of days but then I felt much better and my thigh started to greatly improve. My walking posture is way better and my back feels straighter and stronger.

I think all these things have helped but overall it just takes time. I just read the article and it says it often takes 5 months to go away and I’m getting close to that.

 

[ceezee]

Also, I was to gradually up my dose of Gabapentin until the symptoms were tolerable. That happened for me the second week when I went from one 300mg a day to two a day. My doctor thought that was pretty quick and had expected me to have to take more to get enough relief. It’s a drug that you ramp up slowly with.

 

[CricketHip]

Hi @ritabell I am so sorry you are dealing with nerve pain. The best thing is to know that at it will eventually calm down. Hugs to you!

I couldn't see the ice roller, it wouldn’t come up on my phone but I think I know what you mean.
Ok, never mind, I ran to my laptop and there I can see it. It's small enough that I don't think it would be harmful and it might help those muscles and tendons temporarily feel better.
That's the most annoying thing about an irritated nerve, it takes time. I'm sure that is frustrating to hear and I'm glad that @ceezee e reached out to you with her experience. She may be a very helpful support for you in this.
I doubt that you can irritate the nerve(s) with any amount of gentle massage and if ice feels better for you then go for it. For some ice is a big help, for others it will be heat.
If you buy that ice roller please let us know how it works for you.. I know many of us will be interested to hear about it and we definitely care. @ritabell

 

[ritabell]

@ceezee @ Jaycee @ Moojoo

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

Yes, what you described is exactly what happened to me even the point of sleeping on the non-operated side at about 2 weeks when this condition came on. I am shocked that something like sleeping on the non -operated side so long after our surgeries could contribute to this but this is what happened to both of us. It is a pinched nerve and if you look at the picture in the article that MOJO sent me above, this is exactly where it hurts , especially to the touch which is how the OS determined what it was. I couldn't tolerate him touching it. His only reservation was that I have spinal stenosis and this condition originates near the spine where this nerve originates, but I haven't had any spine issues in years so I'm not thinking that.

Glad to know what helped for you. I will up my dose of gabapentin in a couple of days per OS and am waiting for my PT to get back to me. OS wanted to start lo during the day so I wasn't wiped out. I have heard of the McKensie method . Relieved that you are getting better and hope this happens to me. My OS was encouraging as well.

I am also doing light circular ice massages that someone suggested.

For me, this has been 2 hip replacements in one year with all the pre-op pain and post-op recovery to manage. I am so close to feeling "better"finally that this threw me for a loop and I had an all-out panic attack. I can't tolerate one more thing happening that might interfere with my progress. But I am encouraged by your email and will have to live with it hoping it will get better quickly.

So did you stop sleeping on your non-operated side? I am so comfortable on that side.

 

[CricketHip]

Sadly, you may need to give up sleeping on the unoperated side for a while, at least I know I would if it were me.
Again I am so sorry you have to deal with this but what is that saying? "time heals all wounds"
I pray this is true for you, too. While I'm at it I will add in a request for a short time to heal wounds..

 

[Layla]

I'm sorry you have to deal with this @ritabell
Even sorrier you're suffering emotionally because of it. I think the info CZ shared is beneficial and enlightening. I hope you find it informative and are comforted by the fact this should be temporary. Cold comfort as you still have to deal with it, but hopefully not for that long. I stopped by to wish you a Happy One Month Anniversary for Lefty and while I'm sure these new symptoms are upsetting, I wish you comfort and hope you're able to have a pleasant weekend.