What exactly is a pinched nerve?
A pinched nerve is a nerve inhibited by pressure. When tissues, bones, muscles, tendons, or any other surrounding material puts too much pressure on a nerve, you experience uncomfortable symptoms at the site of pressure, including:
- Burning, aching, or sharp pain
- Tingling, paresthesias, or “pins and needles”
- Weakness
- Numbness
Symptoms range in severity, and they tend to be worse when you’re trying to sleep.
Most often, people experience pinched nerves in areas such as the lower spine or wrist.
What causes a pinched nerve?
Pinched nerves originate with any number of conditions, like:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Obesity
- Injury
- Bone spurs
- Stenosis, or narrowing, of the spinal foramina
The common thread between these conditions is the fact that they compress the nerves, either by swelling the surrounding tissue, or applying undue pressure.
How can you treat a pinched nerve?
To treat your pinched nerve, the team at Polaris Spine & Neurosurgery Center offers a number of options, depending on the location and severity of your pinched nerve. Treatments include:
Epidural steroid injections (ESI)
The team can inject steroids into the spine to relieve pressure and pain caused by spinal nerve pinching. ESIs are used to reduce the inflammation that can cause radicular pain and other sensations. Typically, ESIs aren’t very painful, and you don’t need sedation during your treatment.
You can receive ESIs as your primary treatment, or your physician may recommend that you try ESIs if your condition does not first improve with physical therapy.
Physical therapy
If your nerve pain originates with muscle pressure, physical therapy may be an excellent option for you. During physical therapy, you can learn exercises that stretch and strengthen said muscles, so that they move away from the nerve. Your physical therapist also designs a personalized, at-home exercise program for you, and they may develop modifications to your activities to help you avoid aggravating your affected nerve.
Spinal cord stimulators (SCS)
If you’ve been suffering from chronic pain for over a year, the practice may recommend an SCS. This is especially true if your nerve pain comes from damaged nerves, such as those damaged by disease, arthritis, injury, or surgery complications. SCS are implants that deliver mild electrical currents to your spinal column nerves in order to interrupt pain signals traveling to your brain.
If you believe you’re suffering with one or more pinched nerves or nerve damage, you don’t have to accept chronic pain. If you’re ready for a better solution, reach out to Polaris Spine & Neurosurgery Center today. To schedule your appointment, call or use the online booking tool.
