PINCHED NERVES

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 disrupts the nerve's function, causing pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.

A pinched nerve can occur anywhere in your body. A herniated disk in your lower spine, for example, may put pressure on a nerve root, causing pain that radiates down the back of your leg (sciatica). 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 the effects of a pinched nerve within a few days or weeks. Sometimes, surgery is necessary to relieve pain from a pinched nerve.

Symptoms

Pinched nerve signs and symptoms include:

• Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve.
• Sharp or burning pain, which may radiate outward.
• When the pinched nerve comes from the spinal cord, coughing or sneezing may aggravate the pain.
• Tingling, "pins and needles" sensations (paresthesia).
• Muscle weakness or twitching in the affected area.
• Frequent feeling that a foot or hand has "fallen asleep."

The problems related to a pinched nerve may be worse when you're sleeping.

When to see a chiropractor?

See your doctor if the signs and symptoms of a pinched nerve last for several days and don't respond to self-care measures, such as rest and over-the-counter pain relievers.

Causes

A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure (compression) is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues. 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, muscle or tendons may be the culprits. In the case of carpal tunnel syndrome, a variety of tissues may be responsible for compression of the carpal tunnel's median nerve, including swollen tendon sheaths within the tunnel, enlarged bone that narrows the tunnel, or a thickened and degenerated ligament.

A number of conditions may cause tissue to compress a nerve or nerves. Injury, poor posture, osteoarthritis, stress from repetitive job, hobby or sports activities, and obesity are common causes of nerve pressure.

This pressure causes inflammation of the nerve and disrupts the nerve's function. If a nerve is pinched for only a short time, there's typically no permanent damage. Once the pressure is relieved, nerve function returns to normal.

If your pain persists more than a couple of days, make an appointment with the doctors at the DeCrescenzo Chiropractic. After more specifically diagnosing the cause of your pinched nerve, the experienced doctors at DeCrescenzo Chiropractic will be able to develop a treatment plan.

Get started today at DeCrescenzo Chiropractic!