Efficacy of neural prolotherapy in treatment of meralgia paresthetica: a case series

Background: Meralgia paresthetica is an entrapment neuropathy. Neuropathic pain was reported to be improved by using neural prolotherapy. Aim of the research was to assess and evaluate the short-term efficacy of neural prolotherapy on relieving pain, paresthesia and improving function and quality of life of patients with meralgia paresthetica. The study included 19 lower limbs with idiopathic meralgia paresthetica obtained from 15 patients. Subcutaneous perineural injection of dextrose (5%) in sterile water was given once. All patients were evaluated for outcome measures twice, at baseline visit and at follow-up visit four weeks after the injection which included: patient assessment of overall symptoms of meralgia paresthetica, patient assessment of meralgia paresthetica pain, patient assessment of meralgia paresthetica paresthesia and patient assessment of meralgia paresthetica effect on function and quality of life using visual analogue scale. Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in the visual analogue scale of patient assessment of overall meralgia paresthetica symptoms, patient assessment of meralgia paresthetica pain, patient assessment of meralgia paresthetica paresthesia and patient assessment of meralgia paresthetica effect on function and quality of life when the findings at the postinjection visit were compared to the preinjection assessment among all patients. All the patients tolerated the injection procedure-induced pain. All the patients experienced immediate postinjection relieve of the meralgia paresthetica pain. At the postinjection assessment visit, all patients were satisfied with the procedure. There were 12 lower limbs (63.2%) from 10 patients (66.6%) that showed improvement and recovery. Two patients of them had bilateral meralgia paresthetica. There was no patient withdrawal, and no patients were lost to follow-up. There was one lower limb (5.3%) from one patient (6.7%) who had bruises at the injection sites that resolved within few days after the procedure. Conclusions: Neural prolotherapy is easy, safe, tolerable, effective and successful in treatment of meralgia paresthetica. It is effective in relieving pain, paresthesia and improving function and quality of life of patients with meralgia paresthetica. Neural prolotherapy injection should be included in the conservative treatment armamentarium of meralgia paresthetica.