Often confused or equated with sciatica, cruralgiais a pathology very present in workers exercising in the fields of manual handling of loads. This pathology is responsible for severe pain along the path of innervation of thecrural nerve which can reduce productivity and alter the quality of the tasks performed.
The worker then very often finds himself in the need to ask for a work stopping before they can resume their activities properly.
In the present article, discover elements of answers on the duration of work stoppage for cruralgia.
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Lumbar Spine Anatomy
La spine ( spine) is made up of a stack of several vertebrae, 07 cervical vertebrae, 12 dorsal (or thoracic) vertebrae, 05 lumbar vertebrae, sacrum (consisting of 05 vertebrae) and coccyx (composed of 04 vertebrae).
LeLumbar spinecorresponds to the lower portion of the spine, which articulates above with the thoracic spine and below with the sacral vertebrae.
Anatomically, it is formed by 05 vertebrae (named from L1 to L5) separated from each other by theintervertebral discs.
Its role is to protect the spinal cord as well as the nerve roots which emanate from its center at the level of L1-L2.
What is cruralgia ?
Definition
La cruralgia, Also called crural neuralgia, is a pathology that has various similarities to the sciatica. It is the result of a nervous irritation induced by compression of the femoral nerve.
It is observed in 70% of cases in men and is therefore predominantly male, regardless of age. However, the age range between 55 and 60 years is usually the most affected.
Le femoral nerve (formerly called crural nerve) is a mixed (sensory and motor) nerve. Its nerve fibers come from the lumbar vertebrae of the spinal cord (L2 to L4).
So, a compression of this nerve will induce pain that will typically sit on the course of the crural nerve, that is to say the anterior face of the thigh and the antero-lateral face of the leg to the feet. The pain of cruralgia is exacerbated by any exertion that increases abdominal pressure (defecation, coughing, sneezing).
In addition to pain, other symptoms such as tingling and lower limb paralysis may indicate a cruralgia.
As aroused, the cruralgiais the clinical manifestation of compression of the crural nerve. This compression can be due to various causes:
A herniated disc : represents a large part of the cases of cruralgia.
osteoarthritis : in some cases, it can affect the crural nerve at its origin.
A hematoma of the psoas muscle
A tumor : in rare cases.
How long does cruralgia last?
La crural nerve neuralgiais an episodic phenomenon, that is to say that the disease progresses in crises separated by periods oflull. Once an attack sets in, be sure it will recur from time to time, especially in people with chronic lumbar spine disorders.
A complete rest of approximately 2 to 5 days is necessary to induce a relaxation and a reduction in the inflammatory attack of the lumbar muscles. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended to maintain moderate physical activity through light exercise to avoid muscle stiffness.
The nerve recovers in a period ranging from a few days to several weeks. It is the lapse of time necessary for the decompression of the nerve at the level of its root or along its course.
Can you work with cruralgia?
The crural neuralgia often lead to a stopdejob. Any position other than lying down is painful.
Sachez that manual work or work involving sitting at a desk can be excruciating. In the first case, there remains an undue solicitation of back muscles as well as the lumbar spine and in other cases, it is the sitting position that can become unbearable.
La first step observed in the healing of a cruralgiais rest. At the onset of a seizure, simply lying down reduces the sensation of electric shock that radiates from your waist to one of your lower limbs. It should be noted that rest should be kept to a minimum as much as possible, and that a rapid resumption of activities will optimize healing.
includes then the acute phase where the pain seems to subside. This stage offers the possibility of doing light exercises. These exercises, no matter how moderate, avoid the phenomenon of muscle loss and stiffness, because the stiffness of the muscles and joints reduces the chances of returning to normal.
Finally, depending on the professional activity carried out, professional medical facilities to career changes Peuvent être recommended. Certain professions are contraindicated to prevent recurrence of pain attacks.
Duration of work stoppage for cruralgia
A crural neuralgia actually entitles you to a work stopping, it will be adapted according to the situation of each patient.
The duration of the stop is to be adapted according to:
The etiology of cruralgia.
response to initial medical treatment.
the age and physical condition of the patient.
the time and means of transport to reach the place of work.
Here are reference work stoppage durations for cruralgiadepending on the type of work performed:
Sedentary work: 02 days
Light physical work: 05 days
Moderate physical work: 03 weeks (21 days)
Heavy physical work: 05 weeks (35 days)
A return to work medical examination may sometimes be necessary to ensure that you are fit to return to your work station and to check whether your position is compatible with your state of health..
Cruralgia, recognized as an occupational disease?
In some cases, a crural neuralgia can be recognized as a occupational disease. This means that you are entitled to certain benefits if your work causes or worsens your condition.
To be recognized as occupational disease, a cruralgia must be caused by a herniated discL2-L3 or L3-L4 or L4-L5, with root involvement of concordant topography.
Indeed, the table 98occupational diseases compensate the chronic conditions of the lumbar spine caused by the handling of heavy loads, subject to 5 year exposure time.
If you think your work may have caused or worsened your cruralgia, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. He will assess your condition and draw up a medical report if necessary. Next, you will need to submit your medical report to your employer. The employer forwards it to the company's medical services.
The Occupational Health Service will assess whether your crural neuralgia is work-related and, where appropriate, will inform the competent authority.
The competent authority will decide whether your crural neuralgia is recognized as a occupational disease.
My name is Mehdi Toufik, I am a general practitioner and French-speaking web editor. As a health professional, I spend my time reading, studying and documenting all the scientific information to extract the essentials. My passion for literature and writing led me to start writing articles on the theme of health and well-being, by offering unique and original articles, pleasant to read.
