Dealing with a Pinched Nerve
A pinched nerve can occur in any part of the body due to excessive pressure applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues that result in pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. For example too much pressure applied on a nerve in the wrist can lead to pain and numbness in hand and fingers, as a result weaken the patients grip strength. By not exerting too much and giving enough rest to the affected area, most people recover from the pain quickly.
Pain, numbness, tingling feeling (like a torture with a pin or needle), and weakness of the muscles along the path of the nerve (affected wrist and back weakening the muscle in hands and legs) are considered to be the common pinched nerve symptoms. When a nerve in the cervical region of the spine is pinched, it is known as pinched nerve in neck. This can lead to shoulder pain, numbness, biceps and wrist pain, weakness radiates down the arm to the middle finger, and at times resulting in hand dysfunction.
When a pinched nerve causes pain in the back side that radiates down the leg, is known as pinched nerve in back. Apart from the usual home treatments, releasing endorphins by stretching the affected part can help reduce the pain. If the lower back is hurting, laying in a bed with the knees up towards the chest can help decrease the pain. In women, pregnancy can cause the swelling of the muscles and in turn other symptoms of pinched nerves.
By applying ice or hot pack (using them alternatively) and ointments can reduce pain in the beginning. Limiting excessive usage of the affected part is advisable until the pinched nerve is relaxed. Doctors may prescribe mild pain killers initially to see how the pain goes off. If the pain is too much to bear, epidural or cortisone injections are recommended as the best pinched nerve treatment. At rare instances, surgery is suggested to get relieved from the symptoms.
In a severe pain and serious conditions occur due to a pinched nerve, laser procedures such as Percutaneous Endoscopic Disectomy (removal of bulging disc material), Foraminotomy (relieving pressure on the nerves) and Laminotomy (relieving pressure off the spinal canal to increase the space for the neural tissue) are suggested to release the affected nerve and correct the problem. Like any other medical condition, it is very important to analyze the cause and the severity of symptoms before deciding the mode of treatment.
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Tags: pinch nerve, pinched nerve, pinched nerve neck, pinched sciatic nerve