Burning Sensation in Thigh

  : I am a 42-year old female and I am having some burning sensation in my thigh. This is not an every day occurence. This is the second time I have had this in probably the last couple of months. There is some discomfort at all times. When I walk the rubbing of my clothes against my thigh is somewhat painful. Not so much so that it stops me, but there is discomfort. Many years ago, after the birth of my son, 20 years ago, I had a blood clot in my lower leg. This reminds me of that but it's not quite as bad as when I had the blood clot. Any suggestions would be helpful.
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Hello Joy!
A burning sensation in the thigh such as the type you describe can be due to several causes, depending which part of the thigh is burning. If it is the outer part of the thigh, the most common cause is a syndrome known as meralgia paresthetica, due to entrapment and irritation of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. If it is the front of the thigh that is burning, it could be a problem with the femoral nerve or upper lumbar nerve root, often due to femoral hernia (in women) or diabetes, or less frequently due to other causes like tumors, cancers, and fibroids pressing on the affected nerve(s). A test called an EMG can be performed to diagnose whether there is any damage to these and other leg nerves that could explain the symptoms. If the nerves are all normal (I should mention that testing for meralgia paresthetica involves extra nerves being examined not routinely looked at as part of a standard EMG), then another serious cause of such burning pain may be vascular disease of the leg arteries cutting off circulation to the affected leg. Usually the pain comes on with exercise or walking and subsides with resting, however, unlike the pain due to nerve damage which is usually fairly constant but often worse at night. If you would be interested in an evaluation at the Cleveland Clinic for your problem, our neuromuscular section of the department of neurology is an outstanding one, but realistically any of our staff neurologists could evaluate you for such a problem, as could most competent neurologists. Please remember that information provided on the forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only, and that the actual diagnosis and treatment of your specific medical condition should be strictly in conjunction with your treating physician(s). We hope you find the information useful.

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