Clinical term

Femoral neuralgia

Femoral neuralgia (cruralgia) is pain that follows the path of the femoral nerve, along the front of the thigh and sometimes down to the knee or the inner side of the lower leg. It is linked to irritation of an upper lumbar nerve root, most often L3 or L4.

Scientific basis

The femoral nerve arises from the L2 to L4 roots. Its irritation causes pain in the front of the thigh, sometimes accompanied by sensory changes or quadriceps weakness, which can show up as difficulty getting up from a chair or climbing stairs.

The causes are similar to those of sciatica — herniated disc, osteoarthritis, narrowing of the spinal canal or foramen — but involve higher lumbar levels (L2-L3, L3-L4). Femoral neuralgia is less common than sciatica.

Blue Portance / SBNFA™ reading

As with sciatica, the SBNFA™ distinguishes the neurological mechanism of pain from the mechanical environment of the nerve: hip position, pelvic orientation, how long positions are held and the possibilities for variation.

The path of the femoral nerve is related to the front of the hip. In the SBNFA™ reading, the pelvis-femur relationship is therefore one of the functional parameters observed.

Contribution to the analysis of sitting

Sitting places the hip in flexion and changes lumbopelvic organization. The analysis focuses on tolerance of sustained positions and on the ability to vary the position of the hips and pelvis, without replacing medical diagnosis.

Not to be confused with

Sciatica, which affects the back or side of the leg (L5-S1 roots); meralgia paresthetica, involvement of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve; hip pain of joint origin.

Related terms

Herniated disc · Sciatica

Sources and scope

Established clinical definitions. In case of loss of strength (knee giving way) or bladder or bowel disturbances, urgent medical attention is required.