Pinched nerve in your neck? Is it possible? While never impingement happens in relatively harmless ways on a daily basis, the severity of problem caused by a pinched never can be quite serious indeed. Left unattended and unaddressed, a pinched nerve in some parts of your body can cause permanent loss of function of the affected area and long term pain as well.

Many people experience nerve impingement; it is a common occurrence and increasingly a commonly experienced problem. An impinged nerve condition is present when the nerve no longer functions as a result of being pinched between bone and ligament (or in other ways). Pinched nerve symptoms range from the benign to the severe and include, pain, numbness, tingling and weakness, loss of function. Various issues such as spinal stenosis, sciatica, herniated discs, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow and some types of arthritis are all associated with pinched nerves.

The numerous effects of a pinched nerve can last for a short period of time, in which no serious damage is experienced, or over a longer period of time, in which case, permanent damage can occur that results in chronic pain and weakness. A common non-serious pinched nerve event is felt when we experience a limb “falling asleep.”

Carpal tunnel is one of the most well known forms of pinched nerve, which is a compression of the medial nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. It is often caused by overuse of the affected body arms, typically the hands, wrist and arms.

Sciatica is a classic example of the impinged nerve, and creates pain in the lower back and legs. Tennis elbow is another common manifestation. This results from an injury to the outer elbow that causes pain in the forearm and wrist. Golfer elbow is very similar to this. Ulnar nerve entrapment, another form, is a compression of the ulnar nerve in the arm caused by trauma. There is also tarsal tunnel syndrome, which is a common form of foot pain cause by damage to the tibial nerve. The issue can also be caused by peripheral neuropathy, tumors, scar tissue, inflammation and use of crutches.

Diagnosis of Pinched Nerves

Pinched nerves are diagnosed in a number of ways, including nerve tests conducted by the doctor and various imaging tests, such as X-ray, CT scan, MRI and EMG, which can show the pinched nerve.

Treatment of the issue freeing the nerve of the impingement, and includes rest so that any inflammation around the area has a chance to subside. Corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatories, are given as well. Most symptoms associated with pinched nerves resolve themselves within a few days.

Surgery, however, is sometimes required in more serious cases. This is not unusual for more serious cases of carpal tunnel, when spinal bone spurs are pressing nerves, and when scar tissue is causing the problem.
Treatment plans also can include physical therapy, manipulation therapy, thermotherapy, splints, braces, and simply avoiding the activities that were causing the issue.

Education is also an important part of any good treatment plan for nerve impingement, because many problems are caused by activities that are within our control; computer use being a prime example. That being said, there are some good questions to go over with when talking with your medical professional:

How can I recognize the signs of an impinged nerve?

Are there other possible explanations for the symptoms?

What tests are required and what do those tests show?

What is the precise cause of my impinged nerve?

What can I do different to ensure this no longer happens?

Do I need medication? If so, what are the risks and side effects of those drugs?

Will exercise and/or physical therapy help?

Do I need a splint?

What are all the options for treatment, and how can I best evaluate them?

What will happen if I do not treat the situation?

Are there other sources of information on this condition that you can recommend I read?

What is the typical recovery process like and how long will it take?

How effective is acupuncture for relieving my symptoms?

Research has shown us that recovery from illness and injury is greatly enhanced when the patient is well informed about the cause and treatments of their conditions.

It is important to understand the pinched nerve is sometimes the result of an underlying issue that often must be addressed separately from the treatment of the pinched nerve itself. Many pinched nerves in the back, for example, are caused ultimately by a misalignment of the spine and lack of symmetry between adjoining groups of muscles.

With sciatica for example, longer term relief can be achieved by exercising muscles so that they achieve equal strength and flexibility. This promotes better spinal alignment and will in turn help to ensure that there is not further development of the condition when set into motion a series of adjustments that resulted in sciatica.

Nerve impingement, in one form or another, is experienced very frequently by a large number of people. The severity of its implications range considerably. From the harmless experience of having a limb “fall asleep,” to permanent loss of use of the affected area, to chronic pain, the implications of damage caused by pinching of nerves ranges from the near silly to the life altering.

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