What are pinched nerves?

Pinched nerves are one of the most common causes of chronic neck and back pain. A nerve becomes “pinched” when it is placed under pressure from an external source, such as an out of place bone or soft tissue from a herniated disc. This pressure on the nerve can cause it to incorrectly emit a pain signal to the brain causing you to perceive pain in the region that the nerve is pinched. Additionally, a pinched nerve may cause weakness, numbness, or an overall difficulty in controlling the region of the body that the nerve is a responsible for.

The spinal column is a very common place for pinched nerves to occur, and nerves pinched in this region are typically associated with some combination of back, neck, arm, or leg pain, weakness, or tingling.

What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve?

The initial symptoms of a pinched nerve typically include localized pain in the area where a nerve is being pinched. A pinched nerve can also cause pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or spasms to radiate down into the arms or legs.

• When nerves are pinched in the cervical (neck) region of the spine, symptoms can often be felt in the shoulders, biceps, forearms, hands, fingers, and the neck itself.
• When nerves are pinched in the lumbar spine (lower back), symptoms can typically be felt in the back, hips, buttocks, feet, and legs.
• When nerves are pinched in the thoracic spine (middle back), symptoms can typically be felt in the upper or middle back and may radiate into the stomach or chest. Compared to the lumbar and cervical region of the spine, symptomatic pinched nerves are relatively rare in the thoracic region.

What are the root causes of a pinched nerve?

Pinched nerves may be caused in a variety of ways depending on what is causing the nerve to become “pinched”. Some of the most common causes include:

• Herniated Discs
• Spinal Stenosis
• Bone Spurs
• Scoliosis
• Muscle Spasms
• Tumors
• Bulging or Collapsed Discs

What are the treatment options for a pinched nerve?

In many cases, pinched nerves are asymptomatic and do not require treatment. However, if you have persistent symptoms that do not go away or are worsening, medical treatment may be required. Some of the available treatment options your physician may recommend include:

• Physical Therapy
• Muscle Relaxers/Medication
• Anti-Inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
• Spinal Fusions
• RFA (Radiofrequency Ablation)
• Total Disc Replacement (Artificial Discs)

Can you treat my pinched nerve?

Absolutely! Our team of highly trained physicians is standing by to help develop a personalized treatment plan so that you can get back to living a pain free life. Simply fill out the form below and a member of our team will reach out to you to answer any questions that you have and to book your first appointment!