Meralgia paraesthetica

I get numbness in my right quad/thigh/hip from a tight belt, especially if the load is particularly heavy. Most packs will do this to me, at this point I think it’s my anatomy more than hipbelt design.

I regularly train with a weighted pack, usually with no hipbelt. Being fairly accustomed to weight on my shoulders, I just periodically loosen the belt and shoulder the load until numbness subsides.

Sorry I don’t have a better answer, it can certainly be annoying.

Have you ever had inguinal hernia repair on the affected side? Does your hipbelt sit on top of the hip bones or lower on the hip bones?

I have not had such a repair. I have been backpacking for over 50 years. So, my suspicion is that it’s a repetitive injury or a cumulative series of micro-traumas. I hope it is not permanent.

Much of my time is off trail; when I need to step up on steep sections my waist strap tightens. That aggravates it. I can loosen the strap in those circumstances, but the weakness and numbness continues even after a trip.

I’ve had numbness in the past from shoulder straps (using a rucksack with no hip belt and a heavy pack) and from hip belt (too much weight and pressure).  Finding a pack that didn’t put so much pressure on those spots, and lightening my load, stopped that from happening any more.

But it did take about 6 months for it to go away once, on the hips.  On the clavicles, it went away quicker.

Now, 40 years later, I carry lighter loads, have better shoulder straps and hip belts, and more padding on my hips 🙄

I find if the hip belt rides too low I get a burning sensation in my right quads.  It clears after a couple months.

If I pay attention and keep the midpoint of my hipbelt at my iliac crest then the condition doesn’t develop.

I think also age plays a role as I never noticed it until my mid fifties.

I was diagnosed with meralgia paresthetica. After consulting with my doctor, we decided to try a new type of cannabis-based treatment, which has been proven effective according to recent studies. I’ve been using this treatment for two weeks now, and honestly, I’ve already noticed a slight improvement in my symptoms, particularly a reduction in pain and numbness. Of course, I didn’t feel the results from the first day, but each day brings a bit more improvement. Let’s hope it gets even better in the future.

If anyone in the UK is reading this and is interested, I’m using the alternative treatment for meralgia paresthetica from Releaf (a clinic specialized in medical cannabis). The process is entirely online, and home delivery is very convenient. However, it’s essential to consult with a specialist before starting this type of treatment to ensure it’s suitable for you.

Edit: i answered then  realised how long ago the original post was ! Ha, oh well. Likely the below is no longer relevant.

If it’s intermittent (so comes and goes) it is because your lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is getting squeezed – so it’s firing off (pain etc) then losing its ability to conduct signals (numbness) – temporarily. It recovers when the pressure is released.

It’s normal for nerves to do that under pressure.

The pressured point is usually where the nerve goes around the inguinal ligament. If you find the ‘point ‘ at the front of your illiac crest (‘hip bone) and then go at an angle medially and down along the firm feeling ligament, you can often find ‘the spot ‘.

Mostly it’s just due to where your pack belt puts pressure. It can be more common with a change in body weight, lots of sitting or when the nerve is more irritable (eg already stirred up by other back issues). I see it sometimes in patients who wear thick low riding trouser belts.

I use to get it a lot with a previous backpack (right leg)- not much now. Very different belts and pack weights. I used to roll up a light thermal and tie it around my waist to stop it.

Or just regularly loosen my waist belt for 5 -10 minutes.

Nerves can be damaged if under excess pressure for a long while – look up ‘ Saturday Night Palsy ‘ 😁. But I think it is unlikely in concious backpackers who shift their belts and packs.

If it’s is constantly present, no matter what you do, that is a bit different

Cheers