Anthony Summers describes the management of a benign form of lower back pain that is sometimes experienced by men who wear their belts too tight

Many patients present to emergency departments with lower back pain, for which there are several differential diagnoses. One of these is meralgia paresthetica, an obscure and benign condition first described in the late 19th century. Nurse practitioners should familiarise themselves with the symptoms of meralgia paresthetica so that they can make differential diagnoses and offer the relevant management. This article describes the condition, its causes and some conservative management techniques.