# Numb inner thigh



## hugh0380 (15 Jan 2009)

Hi

I know this is a bit of s specific 'injury' and i have seen an Osteopath for their advice but i wonder if i may pose the question here to see if anyone else has ever experienced this or know if i can do anything about it, it may not even be cycling related.

Last sunday i took a pretty gentle 1 hour ride around our local park, went for a half hour swim and then did some pretty gentle stretching at the end of the day. None of that is unusual. However during the stretching i noted that on my right side my inner thigh was numb spreading down from where my leg attaches to the body and for about 10cm down my thigh. It is in the area where the hamstring and the adductor attaches to the body and it seems to be the skin thats effected not the underlying tissue as i can 'feel' the hamstring fine. There is nothing going down my leg and no pain or numbness in my foot or toes or anything like that. I also dont have numb balls either !!! As i have heard of that before but this is definately my thigh.

I saw an osteopath on Tuesday as i know that they are medical doctors with further training and they were not concerned in the slightest although did not offer any real explination.

Its now thursday and the numbness is still there but perhaps its slightly less so, its sort of difficult to tell and the hamstring has a 'bruised' feeling about it but there is no visible sign of a bruise from what i can see, its 'underneath' so to speak so slightly hard to see. When i sit down its tender after a while but no pins and needles or anything like that.

I am contemplating seeing a Chiropractor next week who deals in ART which is Active Release Technique and apparently good for this sort of thing but i wonder is this something that anyone has ever experienced before?

thanks for any tips.


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## ColinJ (15 Jan 2009)

Hi Hugh - welcome to CC! 

I had a very similar feeling after completing the Kirklees Sportive last year. I got pretty tired towards the end and remember dismounting a few times when the hills got too much for me. I think I swung my leg over the saddle a bit clumsily and something 'went'. I was able to cycle home, but over the next few days I had an unpleasant 'twanging' sensation in my upper leg as though a tendon or ligament was catching on something. I also had that numb skin feeling. 

The leg was pretty painful for six months and even now I can tell that something had happened to it. It was obviously some sort of soft-tissue damage but I didn't seek expert advice so I can't tell you what it was. 

For a while I was fairly careful not to aggravate the injury and it started to heal itself, but I caused a relapse by doing a 40 mile ride to my sister's house on a single-speed bike. The leg went again on a small hill and I could hardly ride on the flat after that. It's not too bad now.

If you are seeking professional advice, wouldn't a sports physiotherapist be the best person to see?

Good luck anyway. Could you let us know what the outcome is?


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## Tynan (15 Jan 2009)

damaged nerve?

I dimly recall this once, some numb skin for no good reason, feeling slowly cames back over a few weeks


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## hugh0380 (3 Feb 2009)

well its still numb!! Although i cant determine if its as numb or not but i can feel touch to the area just the sensation seems dimished. I have also found that the area slightly forward of where my hamstring inserts into the pelvis feels 'sore' although touching it does not hurt as such but very gentle massage of that area seems to 'stir' something up. I would say i get 'pain' just above the area that feels numb when i am sat down and also walking something feels off, i have not cycled since!

I am seeing a sports massage person, seen them once so far, but they are not too sure but i have tried icing the area as it feels swolen but nothing is visibly wrong.

Its a bit of a mystery really!!!


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## Simeon Jones (3 Feb 2009)

Hi, I'm an osteopath and see this problem on a fairly regular basis. It is caused by a compression of a nerve called the 'anterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh' as it passes through your groin, most often by your abdominal muscles. It can be an early sign of an inguinal hernia so if you start to feel a bulge in your groin when coughing its worth seeing your doctor. Usually poor, or excessively tight abdominal tone is the cause and the best action depends on which category you fall into. Get in touch for more advice.


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## hugh0380 (3 Feb 2009)

thanks - i have sent you a PM


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