Pinched Nerve

What is a Pinched Nerve

A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues — such as bones, cartilage, muscles or tendons. Pressure disrupts the nerve’s function, causing pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.
Pinched nerves can occur at several places in your body.  A herniated / bulging disk or a misaligned bone (vertebra) in your lower back, for example, may put pressure on a nerve root, causing pain that radiates down the back of your leg (sciatica).  A pinched nerve in your wrist can lead to pain and numbness in your hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome).  A pinched nerve in your neck can cause pain, numbness, or tingling into your arm.
With rest and chiropractic treatments, most people recover from a pinched nerve within a few weeks.

Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve

• Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve.
• Sharp, shooting, or burning pain, which may radiate to other parts of the body.
• Tingling or “pins and needles” sensations.
• Muscle weakness or twitching.
• Feeling that the body part has “fallen asleep.”

The problems related to a pinched nerve may be worse when you’re sleeping.

What Causes a Pinched Nerve

A number of conditions may cause tissue to compress a nerve or nerves.  Injury, poor posture, osteoarthritis, stress from repetitive job, hobby or sports activities, and obesity are common contributors to or causes of nerve pressure.
This pressure causes inflammation of the nerve and disrupts the nerve’s function.  If a nerve is pinched for only a short time, there’s typically no permanent damage.  Once the pressure is relieved, nerve function returns to normal.  However, if the pressure continues, chronic pain and permanent nerve damage can occur.

What is the Treatment for a Pinched Nerve

Treatment begins with, first determining the cause of the pinched nerve.  In most cases, pinched nerves in the back and neck are cause by the bones in the spine shifting out of their normal position.  This misalignment causes pressure and irritation on the nerves.  The treatment for this condition is gently restoring the normal alignment and motion of the affected joints by chiropractic adjustments.

Dr. Steven Pierce, a Jacksonville, TX Chiropractor has been treating pinched nerves with gentle chiropractic adjustments for 29 years. Give us a call today to find out how we may help.