Meralgia paresthetica, or meralgia of the lower extremity, is caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) and can often be diagnosed through history review and physical exam.
Exercise that strengthen and stretch outer thigh muscles and nerves can be effective at managing meralgia paresthetica symptoms and increasing mobility, while simultaneously helping individuals take an active part in managing their health.
Plank
The plank is an effective exercise that strengthens both core and lower body muscles, while helping you avoid injuries like meralgia paresthetica. As it’s an isometric movement – wherein muscle contraction remains for the duration of movement – unlike moves such as squatting that have both shortening and lengthening phases, doing a proper plank can yield maximum benefits and can be done virtually anywhere without equipment. For maximum benefits from this easy but challenging workout it’s crucial to execute it properly to reap maximum rewards from doing this simple but challenging exercise!
Straight arm planks are perhaps the most renowned form of planking. Simply lie on your stomach with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders and feet hip-width apart or slightly wider; press into forearms and toes while contracting abs to raise body off ground, maintaining neutral spine/neck position (no hunching/looking up). Make sure legs remain together while simultaneously squeezing glutes to create full-body tension; hold this position for at least 1 minute or as long as you possibly can!
Plank exercises not only strengthen your core, but they can also help build stability and posture and balance improvements, as well as aiding other exercises like squats or deadlifts more safely. A strong core is necessary for daily activities; performing regular planks may prevent back pain in the future.
The plank is an effective way to strengthen both upper and lower back muscles. This makes it especially helpful for people experiencing low back pain due to imbalanced muscles in that region – for instance an overactive transverse abdominis muscle can contribute to poor posture that exacerbates lower back discomfort – but performing regular planks may help correct any such imbalance and alleviate lower back discomfort.
Start slowly and gradually increase the time you plank, paying close attention to proper form to avoid injuries. Watch Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel and senior fitness editor Brett Williams demonstrate the proper way of performing a plank.
Pelvic tilts
The pelvic tilt exercise strengthens core muscles that support posture and movement, as well as stretching tight muscles in the lower back and hips. It is especially useful in relieving back pain caused by forward tilt in their pelvis, leading to muscle fatigue due to poor ergonomics at work and pregnancy-induced tightening of abdominal and hip muscles. It is crucial because some individuals move with forward tilt in their pelvis that contributes to backache as well as fatigued muscle groups in their lower back. In particular, pregnancy causes tightness around abdominal and hip muscles which causes them to tighten even further than before birthing forces them open for further flexibility in order to release tension in this region of their bodies resulting in pain relief!
The upper and lower ribs connect to a pelvic bone (sacroiliac joint) at the bottom of your spine, which in turn connects with two iliac bones in your lower half of body. The pelvis plays an essential role in human anatomy by dispersing weight to legs while supporting movement. Postural deficiencies result from incorrect posture or repetitive activities that cause pelvic muscles to adapt in specific positions, a process known as postural deficiency. The resultant posture may cause back and groin aches, pains and stabbing sensations as well as effects lumbar and cervical spine, leading to back and neck pain respectively. Furthermore, knees, buttocks, and thighs may become affected; in these instances there can even be loss of balance and posture caused by this condition.
Implementing basic pelvic tilt exercises can improve posture and relieve any associated pain, yet it should always be performed under the supervision of a health care provider if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Begin this exercise by lying on your back with bent knees and soles of your feet touching the floor. Inhale, and slowly raise your lower back off of the floor until you feel your spine stretching against it. Hold this position for several breaths, before exhaling to return back to starting position – repeat 15 times on each side.
Once you can perform the basic pelvic tilt, you can progress to another variation known as Pelvic Tilt with March. This requires additional stabilizing work and may be more challenging for most people; it is important not to rush your movements but focus on quality instead.
Hip flexors
If you have been experiencing pain, tingling, or burning sensations in your outer thigh, meralgia paresthetica could be to blame. This condition occurs when the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve becomes compressed causing pain and numbness in its vicinity. While often mild in its severity, meralgia paresthetica can become very painful over time and affect range of motion of hip. Stretching and strengthening exercises are the ideal solution to treating meralgia paresthetica as they help reduce inflammation of nerve inflammation and increase quality of life overall.
Add hip flexor exercises to your workout regimen for greater flexibility and mobility, as well as reduced pressure on the LFC nerve. Hip flexor muscles are responsible for flexing your hips and bringing knees toward chest without experiencing pain; strengthening quad and hamstring muscles through these exercises will also reduce pressure on this nerve.
Exercise options to strengthen your hip flexors include walking lunges, hip circles and sidesteps. Begin by standing with feet shoulder-width apart and one foot two feet in front of the other; keeping core engaged while supporting back leg firmly against wall; then slowly lower yourself into lunge with front knee bent over rear knee and hold for few seconds at bottom before slowly returning back up towards starting position for repeated sets. Repeat as needed!
poliquin split squat: One more hip flexor exercise to consider is the poliquin split squat, which involves placing your back knee down and lowering yourself as far as possible while maintaining flatness of foot on ground behind you. Although challenging, take your time while performing this exercise – performing slowly but deliberately is key!
Include these exercises into your routine to prevent meralgia paresthetica by increasing flexibility, improving stability, and relieving tension on the lateral femoral cutaneous (LFC) nerve. Their aim is to strengthen hip and quad muscles which can alleviate any associated discomfort from meralgia parsthetica.
Lunges
Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a condition in which the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) becomes compressed in the front and lateral regions of your outer thigh, often manifesting itself with either burning sensations similar to when your leg is on fire or buzzing sensations that resemble that of a cell phone ringing out phantomly. While not always comfortable, MP can often be reduced through physical therapy treatments administered by qualified practitioners.
LFCNs run from the spine through pelvis and on to skin of thigh. Because these sensory nerves don’t control muscle movement, but can still cause pain or tingling in front and lateral region of outer thigh. Pressure from tight clothing, overly long pants or jeans and certain forms of exercise often leads to this problem; alternatively it could also result from hernia surgery, pregnancy and any condition which leads to abdominal swelling causing pressure on this area of nerve.
Meralgia paresthetica can often be relieved through looser clothing; however, the most effective way to treat meralgia paresthetica is with exercises designed to stretch and strengthen muscles in your pelvis and thighs. A physical therapist can show you these exercises, often combined with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation treatment plans in order to alleviate pressure off of problematic nerves.
One of the best exercises for meralgia paresthetica involves performing hip flexion. This involves taking a large step forward before lowering yourself until both knees bend at 90-degree angles – this exercise helps strengthen gluteal, quadriceps and foot muscles that contribute to stability, as well as balance.
Donkey kick is another form of lunge that requires both hip flexion and core strength. To perform it, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips; push yourself up into standing position, lower yourself back down until right knee is almost parallel with floor; return back up and repeat on both sides.
