Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy is a condition that occurs when a blood supply to a specific nerve becomes impaired or is stopped completely. The affected nerve is located just below the muscle on the outside of the lower leg. This condition results in a pinched nerve in the foot that causes a pain in that particular area.
Meralgias Paresthetica is the most common major form of lateral femoral neuropathy. Meralgias paresthetica occurs due to the restriction of one of the major sensory nerves in your leg – the lateral femoral nerve. This nerve gives sensation to the insides of the foot, starting from the superficial inguinal crease to the bottom outer skin of the foot.
The restricted nerve becomes engorged with fluid and is compressed by surrounding muscle tissue. This causes a very sharp pain that runs up the back side of your foot from the ball of your foot to the ankle. The pain can also be felt in the area below the foot, and it can even extend as far as the big toe. The pain can also radiate down the leg to the calf, foot and ankle.
A pinched nerve in the foot can swell and become clogged by the surrounding muscle tissue. As the pressure on the nerve increases, it becomes even more sensitive to touch and feels pressure in all directions. This means that the pain that occurs with lateral femoral neuropathy can be very acute or intermittent and vary in intensity from place to place.
You may experience some or all of these symptoms with cutaneous neuropathy. However, the complete and persistent absence of symptoms does not necessarily indicate the absence of problems with the nerve itself. There may be some other problem with your foot or other joints that makes it difficult to identify cutaneous neuropathy.
This condition has several potential causes, including diabetes, infection, bone spurs, herniated discs, or spinal tumors. In any case, if your condition does not improve after taking medication for diabetes Gluconormix, infection, bone spurs, or tumors, or if you have not taken medication for an infection for several months, see your doctor immediately. These conditions may require treatment to reverse the damage.
Surgery is one possible treatment for a pinched nerve in the foot. However, it is not recommended to use procedures such as laminectomy or adhesiolysis to reduce or repair the damaged nerve. If your condition is not life threatening, you can opt for over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs or injections. Administration of lidocaine, local anesthesia, or epinephrine may help relieve some of the symptoms.
Over time, if your condition does not improve, your doctor may recommend a combination of treatments to help control your pain. You can get a traction device that will ease the pain. You can also wear a splint to keep the affected area from moving.
Traction devices are usually available from your doctor or local pharmacy. The device is placed around the damaged nerve, and when the pressure on the tissue is relieved, the tissue softens and returns to its normal state. Over time, the nerve can reattach to the tissue.
Once you have the traction device and a splint to hold the affected area in place, you should wear it regularly or at least twice a day, and be careful to use a local anesthesia so as not to numb the foot. Use an ice pack or compress on the injured area at first, and then apply the traction device. When the first aid wears off, you may want to wear a special shoe to provide added support.
A traction device can also be used when the foot is swollen or inflamed from infection or swelling and local anesthesia cannot be used. However, if the condition is severe, or if you have more serious conditions, then it is wise to talk to your doctor. For example, if the injury is a result of a bone spur or herniated disc, then you may need to see a specialist.
As well as the above mentioned treatment, if your foot pain is constant, you may want to consider wearing protective footwear while working or playing sports. Ankle splints can help with reducing or eliminating the pain, and it may be necessary to wear footwear designed to reduce the risk of infection. Keep in mind that if you play sports or participate in strenuous activity, that you should wear protective footwear during this time to avoid further injury. Foot care is important if you have nerve damage, because if it is not treated right away, then the damage could become permanent.
