Hip/groin numbness

[Pernille93]

Hello,

When I sleep on my left hand side I often experience a complete numbness of the skin on my outer hip and a little towards my groin (so not a big area).

There’s no tingling or pins and needles.. it just goes numb. However this numbness quickly goes away when I change position.  I do sometimes experience the same numb sensation on my left side when sleeping on the right hand side (just to be safe: I’m lying on right hand side but still experience numbness on left hip). The numbness never occur on my right hand side it self.

What could this be? I must admit that I’m a bit worried if it’s something serious within the spinal cord itself but then again.. it goes away every time I move to another position and it’s never constant or occur out of nowhere.

Do you have any ideas of what it could be?

[Sara_MHModerator]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Thank you for your question.  The most likely explanation is nerve impingement. Since this only happens in a particular sleeping position, this could well be the case.  That changing positions alleviates it is a good sign.  However, other things also can cause this would have to be considered if this continues and it is not the simple explanation of a compressed nerve.  There is a specific kind of nerve impingement that can cause numbness of the outer thigh called Meralgia paresthetica.  Are you overweight by any chance? It is more likely if this is the case and losing weight in itself can greatly help.  Unfortunately, nerves can not just be compressed but actually damaged.  Femoral nerve dysfunction is an example of this.  However, that it goes away when you change positions makes this unlikely.   Talk to your doctor but would guess this has to do with sleeping position and nerve impingement.  https://www.healthline.com/health/numbness-in-thigh#treatment

[Paxiled]

Got any hip problems?  Might be pinching on a nerve.  

[Pernille93]

No hip issues!