What are pinched nerves?
Nerves are an important component of your body. They allow you to feel and perceive sensations like pain and touch, and they communicate with your muscles to tell them when to flex.
Many of the nerves in your body pass through small spaces and are prone to pinching or compression. Pinched nerves happen when your spine isn’t properly aligned.
Your spine’s misalignment compresses certain nerves near your spine that don’t have much room, placing pressure on the nerve with misplaced muscles, bones, tendons, or ligaments.
It disrupts the nerve’s functioning and can cause pain, numbness, and other bothersome symptoms.
What does a pinched nerve feel like?
Pinched nerves come with a wide range of symptoms. You might feel symptoms in the area of compression or in places where the nerve reaches. Common pinched nerve symptoms include:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Arm or leg pain
- Sciatica pain
- Numbness and tingling
- Muscle weakness
- Trouble sitting or standing for long periods of time
You might feel like your hand, foot, arm, or leg falls asleep frequently. If this happens often, you might have a pinched spinal nerve. The symptoms might get worse when you lay down to go to sleep.
What causes pinched nerves?
Spinal misalignment leading to pinched nerves can develop in many different ways. A pinched nerve can happen because of:
- A neck or back injury
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Herniated discs
- Bone spurs
- Stress from repeated movements
You’re at a higher-than-average risk of getting a pinched nerve if you need to use repeated movements at work or if you need prolonged bed rest to recover from another condition.
How are pinched nerves treated?
Unlike other conditions and injuries, pinched nerves typically don’t improve with rest. Over-the-counter pain medications might improve your pain temporarily, but they don’t provide long-term relief.
Without professional help, pinched nerve symptoms can get worse, and you can get permanent nerve damage.
At 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the team finds out where your pinched nerve is located and creates a nonsurgical treatment plan to relieve the pressure from it. Your treatment might include:
- Chiropractic adjustment
- Spinal decompression
- Massage therapy
- Physical therapy
Treatments like these can help stop you from relying on medications and avoid surgical intervention. You should come to 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation for treatment while your symptoms are still mild to avoid your pinched nerve getting worse.
For more information on pinched nerves and treatments for them, call 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation or book an appointment online today.
