There may come a time when a person experiences a condition known as a “pinched nerve.” This injury occurs when the tissues near a nerve causes an excessive amount of pressure to be placed on the nerve. In many cases, the cause may be identified as a nerve that has become inflamed or is irritated.
The reason for this condition may be a result of the bones, muscles or joints not being in correct alignment or not moving appropriately. A person with arthritis may experience one from bone spurs. This can happen to people who have a ganglion cyst. A pinched nerve can also occur any place on the body were the nerve is in close proximity to bones, as well as other tissues.
When a person has this condition, the inflammation is interrupting the flow of nutrients to the nerve. It impedes the signals that travel between the brain and nerve. If a pinched nerve is not corrected immediately, it can lead to serious health consequences.
Some of the symptoms associated with experiencing a pinched nerve are numbness and tingling, muscle spasms, radiating pain, muscle weakness and more. Such symptoms have been known to increase when a person is sleeping. In some cases the symptoms will cease after a few days of rest. When this doesn’t work, it’s best to immediately seek medical treatment. Chiropractic care has a very high success rate when treating such a condition.
During a chiropractic examination, many parts of the body will be checked in addition to the affected area. This is because the source of the pinched nerve may originate from a place on the body that is away from the affected area. A person’s overall health will also be taken into consideration. Any conditions that may have contributed to experiencing the pinched nerve will be discussed.
Our goal for your chiropractic care when treating a pinched nerve is to reduce the pressure on the nerve. This will be done by causing the muscles in the area of the inflamed pinched nerve to relax. There are situations where a pinched nerve can be successfully treated with massage and physical therapy. If the cause is determined to be from a joint being out of place, Premier Health Chiropractors will start you on a schedule to perform a series of spinal adjustments.
During a spinal adjustment, our chiropractors will treat the affected area and apply pressure directly to the tissue. This will discharge the tension. The procedure may require our chiropractors to treat many different pressure points. If an injury is severe, the chiropractor may perform additional tests including a nerve conduction velocity study. This test is designed to show any possible nerve damage in the affected area.
Once proper chiropractic care is received, and the pressure is relieved, the affected nerve is able to once again work properly. A pinched nerve that is treated soon after the injury seldom develops complications. If it is left untreated for a long period of time, it could develop complications like permanent nerve damage, chronic pain and more.