A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is put on a nerve by the surrounding tissues like the bones, the tendons, the cartilage, or muscles. This pressure disrupts the nerve’s functioning and causes pain, weakness, tingling, or numbness.
A pinched nerve can occur at a number of sites in the body. For example, a herniated disc in the lower spine may put too much pressure on the nerve root, causing pain that radiates down the back of the leg. Similarly, a pinched nerve in the wrist can cause pain and numbness in the hands and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome).
Nerves extend from the brain and the spinal cord, sending important messages throughout the body. When an individual has a pinched nerve, also known as nerve compression, the body may send warning signals like pain. It is important to not ignore these warning signals.
The damage from a pinched nerve may be severe or minor. It may cause long-lasting or temporary problems. The earlier a diagnosis is made and treatment for nerve compression is started, the more quickly one will find relief.
In some cases, the damage from a pinched nerve may not be reversed. But treatment options usually relieve pain and other symptoms associated with a pinched nerve.
Signs and symptoms
With a pinched nerve, sometimes pain may be the only symptoms. Or there may be other symptoms without any pain. Some of the common signs and symptoms associated with a pinched nerve are:
Sometimes, the symptoms may worsen when one tries certain movements, such straining the neck or turning the head.
Causes
As mentioned earlier, a pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure, compression, is applied to a nerve by the surrounding tissues.
In some cases, this tissue may be a cartilage or a bone. For example, in the case of a herniated spinal disc that compresses a nerve root. In other cases, tendons or muscles may cause the condition.
In the case of carpal tunnel syndrome, a variety of different tissues may be responsible for the compression of the carpal tunnel’s median nerve, including enlarging the bone that narrows the tunnel; swollen tendon sheaths within the tunnel; or a thickened and degenerated ligament.
Several conditions may cause the tissue to compress a nerve or nerves, including
Risk factors
The following factors may increase the risk of an individual from suffering from a pinched nerve:
Treatment
The amount of time it takes for the symptoms of pinched nerve to go away vary from one person to another. Depending on the severity and cause of the pinched nerve, the treatment varies.
One may find that simply resting the injured area and by avoiding the activities that tend to worsen the symptoms can be beneficial. In many cases, that’s all that is needed to be done.
If the symptoms persist, it is important to visit the doctor. One may need one or more types of treatments to shrink the swollen tissue around the nerve.
In some severe cases, it may be necessary to remove the material that is compressing the nerve, like:
Treatment options may include:
Prevention
For preventing pinched nerves from occurring as well as re-occurring, it is important to follow certain measures. These measures include: