Musculoskeletal Condition · Glastonbury, CT

Hip Nerve Entrapment

Burning, numbness or aching in the hip or thigh may be a pinched nerve, not the joint. See ultrasound-guided care with Dr. Paul Tortland in Glastonbury, CT.

Written and clinically reviewed by

Paul D. Tortland, DO, FAOASM, CAQSM, RMSK

Dr. Paul Tortland, DO is a non-surgical orthopedic & sports medicine physician specializing in regenerative orthopedics and surgical alternative treatment. He is dual board-certified in Sports Medicine & Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and Regenerative Medicine, Fellowship-trained in Sports Medicine. He became the first physician in the world to earn board certification in Regenerative Medicine in 2015. Diplomate, American Board of Regenerative Medicine (ABRM), 2015. Registered in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (RMSK).

Condition

What is hip nerve entrapment?

Burning, numbness or aching in your hip, buttock or thigh can come from a pinched nerve instead of the hip joint, and Dr. Tortland treats the common hip nerves with ultrasound-guided care.

Scar tissue, tight muscle or swelling can squeeze or stick to a nerve. Behind the hip, the sciatic nerve causes buttock ache and burning or tingling down the back of the leg. In front, the obturator, femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves cause burning, numbness or aching in the front or side of the hip and thigh. These patterns can look like hip joint or low back problems, so Dr. Tortland uses ultrasound to look at the nerve itself.

Explore related conditions: Browse the Hip condition hub for related diagnoses and treatment options.

CARE OPTIONS

How is hip nerve entrapment treated?

Dr. Tortland’s potential treatment options: After examining the nerve and distinguishing it from hip-joint or lumbar-spine disease, Dr. Tortland may consider ultrasound-guided nerve hydrodissection for selected peripheral nerve entrapments. The approach and evidence depend on the nerve involved; it is not a general treatment for every cause of hip or thigh pain.

Physical therapy and traditional care: Traditional care may include physical therapy, activity modification, avoiding compressive positions, and nerve-specific movement or desensitization strategies. Medication options depend on symptoms and individual health risks.

When other care may be needed: Significant or progressive weakness, widespread numbness, or symptoms suggesting a spinal problem warrant further evaluation. Sudden weakness or new bowel/bladder changes require urgent medical care.

Common questions

Questions about hip nerve entrapment

Which nerves around the hip can get pinched?

The sciatic nerve behind the hip, and the obturator, femoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves in front. Sciatic problems cause burning down the back of the leg. Obturator problems cause inner-thigh ache. Femoral problems affect the front of the thigh. Lateral femoral cutaneous problems cause burning on the outer thigh.

What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve in the hip?

A dull ache, sharp or burning pain, tingling or numbness in the buttock, hip or thigh, sometimes moving down the leg. Where you feel it points to the nerve involved. Sudden leg weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control needs urgent medical care, not a scheduled visit.

How is it different from a hip joint or back problem?

The pattern of numbness, a tender spot over the nerve, and an ultrasound of the nerve help tell it apart from hip arthritis, a labral tear or a spine problem. You may still need hip or spine imaging, because more than one problem can exist at once.

What is nerve hydrodissection, and does it work for hip nerves?

Hydrodissection uses ultrasound to place fluid around a nerve to free it from nearby tissue. In a trial of 56 people with outer-thigh nerve pain, hydrodissection with dextrose (sugar water) worked better than steroid at 4 to 6 months. For the other hip nerves, evidence is limited to case reports, so results vary.