Long nerves that come off the mainspinal cordto travel through the body can be affected.
These are known as peripheral nerves.
They can also be part of the central nervous system.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
A herniated disc that puts pressure on the spinal canal is the most common example of a pinched nerve.
It often occurs after an injury or after bending, lifting, pulling, or twisting.
Risk Can Escalate
Some people are more likely to get a pinched nerve than others.
This group includes pregnant people, those whose jobs include repetitive motion, and people who have been injured.
Names and Causes
The medical name for a pinched nerve is cervical radiculopathy."
In addition to a herniated disc, a nerve may become pinched as the discs in the spine age.
As they do, they shorten and begin to bulge.
As the discs become shorter, the vertebrae move closer together.
The disc responds by forming more bone.
These are called bone spurs, which are meant to strengthen the disc.
A pinched nerve has several names, some officially medical and others not.
These include nerve compression, nerve impingement, and nerve entrapment.
It can also be callednerve encroachment,radiculopathyand/orsciatica.
These names dont all mean the same thing, and each is medically correct in certain ways.
For example:
Pinched nerve symptoms can also come from injury, repetitive movement, and arthritis.
Long-term, poor posture habits also add to pinched nerve problems.
Pinched Nerve Symptoms
Symptoms of a pinched nerve include pain and/or electrical sensations.
Meanwhile, a compressed or entrapped nerve may prevent you from functioning fully.
This is why you should see your healthcare provider or physical therapist soon after you notice symptoms.
Radiculopathy causes pain and nerve symptoms because aspinal nerve roottouches something it shouldn’t.
These include a disc, bone spur, or other spinal structure.
Sciatica describes pain and electrical sensations that go down the leg.
Sciatica is used by many people to describe similar conditions, including radiculopathy.
And your function will likely improve quickly, too.
Early treatment is the best way to get the nerve to function properly again.
Treatment for Pinched Nerve
Pinched nerves usually get better without surgery.
Some don’t require any treatment at all.
Common treatmentsoften start with the most conservative first.
Then they become progressively more aggressive, if necessary.
Some common choices includegabapentin,amitriptyline,andduloxetine.
This good outcome is most likely to occur when a patient follows the advice of their healthcare provider.
And still, other treatments may join the mainstream.
One is called neural mobilization, orneurodynamics.
This movement-based therapy helps bring the nerves back to the right position with the structures around them.
In the process, pain and other symptoms gradually fade.
A September 2017 review found that neural mobilization decreased low back pain and disability.
It also increased functioning in people with chronic low back pain.
Prevention
Even the smallest movement in the wrong direction can set off a pinched nerve.
Feelings of weakness, numbness, aches, and electrical sensations might mean a nerve is irritated.
Treatment may include medication, injections, exercise, or physical therapy to help restore full function.
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