What is a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles, or tendons. This pressure can cause pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness.

A pinched nerve can occur in many areas throughout the body. For example, a herniated disk in the lower spine may put pressure on a nerve root. This may cause pain that radiates down the back of your leg. Likewise, a pinched nerve in your wrist can lead to pain and numbness in your hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome).

With rest and other conservative treatments, most people recover from a pinched nerve within a few days or weeks. Sometimes, surgery is needed to relieve pain from a pinched nerve.

In some cases, this tissue might be bone or cartilage, such as in the case of a herniated spinal disk that compresses a nerve root. In other cases, muscles or tendons may cause the condition.

pinched-nerve

A pinched nerve in your back?

A number of conditions can cause a pinched nerve in the back, these can include

• A herniated disc: The disks between the vertebrae in the spine can become compressed and bulge, putting pressure on nearby nerves.

• Spinal stenosis: This refers to a narrowing of the spinal column, which puts excess pressure on the nerves around the spinal cord.

• Arthritis: This causes inflammation around joints and bones, which can increase pressure on nerves in the spine.

• Bone spurs: A bone spur is an extra growth of bone, which can form on the spine and compress surrounding nerves, causing reoccurring episodes of pain.

• Spondylolisthesis: This involves a vertebra in the lower spine dislodging and pinching nerves.

• Infection: The vertebrae or disks of the spine can become infected, leading to inflammation and nerve pain

If a nerve is pinched for only a short time, there’s usually no permanent damage. Once the pressure is relieved, nerve function returns to normal. However, if the pressure continues, chronic pain and permanent nerve damage can occur.

Risk Factors

Certain factors make developing back pain more likely:

• Aging: The disks between the vertebrae lose their ability to cushion with age, increasing a person’s risk of a pinched nerve. Spinal stenosis also becomes more likely with age.

• Physical fitness: People who do little exercise or who have weaker abdominal muscles are more likely to develop back pain, possibly from an injury. The same is true for people who are generally inactive but then try intense physical exercise.

• Overweight or obesity: Both place extra strain on the back, making back pain more likely.

• Uneven posture: If the neck, shoulders, spinal column, or hips are out of alignment for prolonged periods, it can place pressure on nerves in the back.

Diagnosis

A Chiropractor may be able to diagnose a pinched nerve with only a physical examination. They may also perform tests to check the person’s reflexes and muscle movement which can help with a diagnosis.

In some cases, the Chiropractor may need further tests to determine the exact location and cause of a pinched nerve.

Tests may include:

• an X-ray, which can show structural problems, such as bone spurs

• refer for an MRI, which can show the condition of the spinal cord, disks, and nerves

• refer for a CT scan to examine the spinal structures

• refer for electromyography, which shows the electrical impulses of muscles

8 Top Warning Signs You Have a Pinched Nerve

Pinched nerves aren’t uncommon, but when they occur, they can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. At Jermyn Chiropractic we help people relieve pain and other symptoms caused by pinched nerves. The first step in getting relief: making sure nerve compression is really to blame. Here are eight of the most common symptoms you might experience if you’ve got a pinched nerve:

1. Pain or burning sensations radiating down your leg

Sciatica is a common type of low back pain that happens when the sciatic nerve gets pinched or compressed where it exits your lower spine (called your lumbar spine). Because branches of the sciatic nerve extend from your lumbar spine through your buttock and all the way down your leg, if the nerve gets compressed or irritated, you can feel pain, burning sensations, or a dull aching anywhere along that nerve pathway.

2. Pain extending from your neck down your arm

Like sciatica, nerve compression in the neck portion of your spine (called your cervical spine) occurs when a nerve in your neck becomes compressed or pinched when it leaves your spine to travel down your arms or into your shoulders. Irritation of a cervical nerve can cause pain and similar symptoms anywhere along the nerve pathway, including your shoulders, the very upper part of your back, your arms, and even your hands.

3. Weakness in legs

When you walk or use your legs in other ways, the nerves in your legs send information at lightning-fast speed to your brain, which in turn stimulates your muscles to react in specific ways. If your sciatic nerve or other nerves in your legs are pinched, it can interfere with those signals. As a result, you might feel weakness in your legs or you might have difficulty performing certain movements (even walking).

4. Reduced grip strength

It might sound a little odd, but your hand nerves play a big role in your ability to grab and hold things. That’s because they provide your brain with a lot of sensory information about things you’re touching so your brain can “tell” your muscles how to react. When a nerve in your cervical vertebrae is irritated or pinched, it may not be able to transmit all that data to your brain. And that means your muscles won’t be able to perform like they should, resulting in poor grip strength, difficulty writing, or performing other small-motor tasks.

5. Numbness

Nerve compression essentially “shuts down” communication between the nerves in your legs, arms, or other areas of your body, so your brain is unable to “feel” in those areas. As a result, you may feel numb in those areas or you may have a complete lack of sensation, like when you sleep with your arm in an unusual position.

6. Pins and needles sensations (paresthesia)

Like numbness, paresthesia (prickly sensations) happens when a nerve is compressed or irritated. The signals between the nerve and the brain aren’t completely blocked, but they’re interfered with just enough to cause these annoying symptoms. Paresthesia is a common early indicator of carpal tunnel syndrome.

7. Bowel or bladder incontinence

Nerves in your back don’t just help you move your legs and feet. They also control your bladder and bowels. When a nerve in your lower back is severely compressed, you might leak urine or bowel movement, or you might have other problems with these functions.

8. Pain that changes when you move position

It’s not uncommon for pain to lessen or worsen when you move your position, but the way it changes can vary based on what’s causing the pain. For many people with sciatica, for instance, pain can lessen when leaning forward from a sitting position, or when lying completely flat on your back. However, if you lie on your side, it often gets worse (which is why it can be so hard to sleep with a pinched nerve in your back).

Get relief for your pain

If you’re experiencing pain or other uncomfortable or unusual symptoms, we can help you get the relief you need to feel better.
We will refer you to the correct medical specialist if you are not a candidate to receive Chiropractic Therapy.