Pinched Nerve

The Nerves in the Spinal Cord

The nervous system is a massive web of nerves and specialized cells, called neurons, which serve as communicators helping send signals to and from the brain and body. It allows the human body to feel and function, to act autonomously and appreciate the sensation of being alive. Every action, from making a fist to throwing a football, is processed through the nervous system. And with 7 trillion nerves in the human body, the work of the nervous system is never truly over.

The entire nervous system can be broken down into two structural categories: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS make up all of the sensory nerves that run from the body into the CNS, which is made of the brain and spinal cord. The nerves that stem out from the spinal cord, called spinal nerves, essentially serve as a middle ground between the two components of the nervous system. They branch out and both absorb and feed signals to the rest of the body from the brain.

Not all nerves are equal, and although there are only 31 pairs of spinal nerves in the human body, they are absolutely crucial in keeping the human body running smoothly. Therefore, when one of these nerves succumbs to injury, it can lead to debilitating symptoms that require professional medical help.

What Is a Pinched Nerve?

A “pinched” nerve is simply any nerve under some kind of pressure or force that stems from adjacent organic matter. In layman’s terms, it’s a nerve that doesn’t have enough space to function properly. Before advances in modern technology, many people believed that most cases of pinched nerves happened to the sciatic nerve, as this nerve is the largest in the human body, being formed from multiple spinal nerves in the pelvis that shoot down the leg. We now know that while this nerve can be pinched, most cases stem from pinched spinal nerves, a condition called radiculopathy.

Usually, the source of the pressure comes from compression from damaged surrounding bones or soft tissue. A nerve under enough continual pressure will cause the nerve to malfunction, and this malfunction can be experienced in a variety of ways. It can also stem from actual nerve damage, not simply pressure from other organic matter within the body.

Signs of a Pinched Nerve

Pinched nerves are often tricky to identify without the assistance of a medical professional, because they can be experienced in many different ways. Often times, in the beginning, a pinched nerve can be identified with localized pain. However, the diagnosis can be a bit trickier when there is no discernible, localized discomfort from the nerve under pressure, and, instead, there is pain in areas far removed from the source of the injury. In other words, a patient who complains about discomfort in one area of the body could actually be suffering from an issue involving one or more of the spinal nerves.

The symptoms of a pinched nerve will depend on where the point of pressure is located within the body. For example, if someone has a pinched nerve in their neck they may feel localized pain, but this will often accompany more severe symptoms in other areas such as the upper torso or down the arms and into the fingertips. The locations of where these sensations and symptoms can usually be traced back to the source by a medical professional. For example, pain and numbness in the lower back can usually be attributed to a pinched nerve in the lumbar region of the spine (the lower portion).

If a nerve is left under too much pressure for too long, it has the potential to cause permanent damage. Pain and muscle weakness will gradually continue to increase. There can be a significant loss of reflexes, functionality, and sensation in these affected areas. Sometimes it gets to the point where the damage incapacitates the nerve’s ability to absorb nutrients and the nerve can die off. When these nerve fibers stop working, the area that is affected will have a significant decrease in sensation and functionality — for example, an extremity may become permanently numb, or a particular muscle may never function the same.

Causes of a Pinched Nerve

Many factors can cause a pinched nerve, and this “pinching” process can happen either gradually or suddenly. Sudden pinched nerves can be attributed to bone spurs or herniated discs, which is where the fragment of a disc is pushed into the spinal canal. More gradual causes can be attributed to aging, happening bit by bit as the bones degenerate. For some patients, spinal stenosis (a gradual slendering of the spine) can cause them.

Routine activities, such an elongated period of walking, sitting, or standing with poor posture can also cause pinched nerves. Similarly, prolonged obesity can introduce extraneous weight onto the spine, leading to compression over time. Of course, a pinched nerve can also result from a sudden or extreme back injury, such as from sports collisions or car accidents.

Treatment Options for a Pinched Nerve

It is important to note that unless the pinched nerve is causing a functional disability or is causing chronic pain that disrupts day-to-day life, it does not require immediate treatment. Often times, the human body is so adaptable that it will simply figure out its own way to relieve that pressure itself.

With that being said, if a pinched nerve is only slightly bothersome, there are plenty of at-home remedies to consider, such as extra sleep and rest, adjusting posture, implementing an ergonomic (comfortable) workstation, taking over-the-counter pain-relieving medications, implementing stretching or yoga into a daily routine, receiving massages or physical therapy, regular elevation of the legs, using a splint, applying ice or heating packs to the affected area, or general lifestyle changes. If these home remedies do not work, it’s a good time to talk to your medical provider about slightly more aggressive treatment options.

Sudden pinched nerves can usually be treated without surgery. Your medical provider may prescribe oral pain or non-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, x-ray guided selective nerve root blocks, epidural steroid injections, or a combination of treatments.

However, if symptoms still persist, an orthopedic surgeon can perform surgery to help relieve any lingering symptoms. Today’s technology has allowed for minimally invasive spine surgery with muscle-sparing techniques, often using miniscule, one-inch incision to access the damaged nerve. While the procedure required will vary from person to person, they typically involve the removal of a herniated disc, bone or other tissue that is causing the pressure on the affected nerve. Some surgical procedures that are commonly utilized to treat a pinched nerve include discectomy and fusion, artificial disk replacement (ADR), and laminectomy, foraminotomy, among others.