Thigh Pain

About the Symptom

It describes any painful sensation in the thigh area between the hip and knee. It may be pressing, sharp, burning, or dull.

When to see a doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Lower leg edema
• Swelling of the affected area
• Back pain
• Low back pain
• Numbness / sensory disorder
• Edema

Possible Causes

Generally, Thigh pain can be related to:

• Piriformis Syndrome

  The sciatic nerve is responsible for muscle control and sensation of the leg. Sometimes, it can be compressed by the piriformis muscle in the buttocks. This can result in symptoms that are often similar to a slipped disc or nerve compression in the spine.

• Lumbar Vertebrae Disk Herniation

  Also known as a slipped disc, this condition is characterized by injury to the cushioning discs between the spinal bones in the lower back (lumbar vertabrae) that causes the disc to bulge outward or rupture. The disc bulge puts pressure on adjacent nerves, which causes pain, leg weakness, or numbness. Poor posture, exercising with incorrect form, or occasionally benign non-lifting movement are some possible causes of this disorder.

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

  A condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually affecting the legs. The blood clot impairs blood circulation. Sometimes, the clots can dislodge and travel to an artery in your lung, which is a medical emergency.

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Myalgia (Muscle Pain)
• Neuropathic Pain
• Lumbar Spondylosis
• Bone Tumor

Related serious diseases

Sometimes, Thigh pain may be related to these serious diseases:

• Decompression Sickness

  Decompression sickness (also called "the bends") refers to problems caused by a rapid decrease in surrounding pressure (either air or water). This causes gases to dangerously shift out of the bloodstream. It most commonly occurs during scuba diving when surfacing too quickly. Rarely, it can happen in airplanes, typically in military pilots traveling at high speeds through upper and lower atmosphere layers.

• Cellulitis / Erysipelas

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Are your thighs hurting?
• How long have you had thigh pain this time?
• How quickly did your thigh pain develop?
• Have you had thigh pain before?
• On a scale of 1-10, how severe was the pain in your thighs? (10 being the worst)

Find Similar Symptoms

References

• Jayanthi P, Philip S, Lopez P. When is Thigh Pain a Problem? J Emerg Med. 2018 Aug;55(2):e53-e55. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.04.062. Epub 2018 Jun 2. PMID: 29871828.

  https://www.jem-journal.com/article/S0736-4679(18)30490-6/fulltext