Femoral nerve pain in the buttocks area that sometimes moves to front right leg

by Kristine
(Los ANGELES)

Femoral nerve

I typically have pain in the buttocks area that sometimes spreads to the side and front right leg. I've never experienced this on my left leg and it seems to get worse when i'm highly stressed and the weather is cold.

I'm currently under Chiro care and I've brought to his attention that there is tenderness on my T-L region when you press directly on the spine, but he just threw a bunch terms at me, which in the end, I didn't really get a proper answer.

I'm only 33 and I've already noticed a diminished range of motion. Thankfully, the pain comes and goes and not consistent, but I would like to get some answers as to why I'm having this pain and what's causing it.

He's supposedly weaning me off now--I've been under his care for the past 6 months, but all he's done is apply the pads, turn on the machine and after about 20 minutes, turns it off and does his routine adjustment.

I feel like more could be done, but I'm not getting the proper treatment I should get to alleviate the pain, which always comes back.

Hello Kristine,
I understand your concerns and they are legitimate. Six months is a lot of treatment, and your chiro should be listening to you, rather than fobbing you off.

Does he examine you? Ask you to bend this way and that, look closely for the fixations/ subluxations, do orthopaedic tests, check if there are sensory changes where you get pain in the leg... not every visit, necessarily, but do have the feeling that he's thinking, earning his money, or do you feel you are just on a treadmill?

I guess we all get lazy some of the time, I do too, but only with the patient who is responding well and then I can put my mind in neutral. Even that's dangerous. But when you have an unhappy patient who is not getting better, it's critical to be properly examined.

The front of the thigh is supplied by the Femoral nerve. The Femoral nerve stretch test is subtle and difficult, but the first step is to see if this is an irritated pinched nerve. Try pricking the front of your leg with a pin, is there a difference right and left?

Very important, bounce on your leg, bending the knee slightly. Any weakness in the quad muscle?

Next could this be a hip problem? Pull your knee to the tum and rotate your hip. Any pain in the groin?

There's a triad of conditions: meralgia paresthetica, Maignes syndrome and a frank Femoral nerve lesion, all of which have their origin indeed at the thoraco-lumbar junction. Is he adjusting the high lumbars?

Plug all these terms into the Search this Site function at C-H.

Are you doing any exercises? Look at our "lower back exercises". Do them every morning faithfully before getting out of bed. I take it your chiro has given you some exercises, so perhaps go through them with him first.

One last thought: a nagging high lumbar subluxation often goes with a short leg.

Perhaps this has given you more questions than answers, but I can see you are thinking person so this merely adds a little grist to the mill. Feel free to come back to me.

Dr B