A pinched nerve can feel just like this!
If you’ve ever had a pinched nerve in your neck, back or shoulder, you know it can hurt… a lot!! And it can come out of nowhere. One minute you’re feeling great, and the next you can’t turn your head, or bend over to put on your shoes.
A pinched nerve can occur after a whiplash injury, or from sleeping or moving the wrong way. Sometimes even from a bulging disc.
Regardless of the cause, Dr. McGahey can help you find relief for your pinched nerve pain. Chiropractic treatment, when combined with other therapies like Active Release and McKenzie therapy, can stop nerve pain fast. In fact, most of Dr. McGahey’s patients start to feel relief on the first visit.
Pinched Nerve Symptoms
The most common pinched nerve symptom? You guessed it, pain! But a pinched nerve can cause other, equally uncomfortable symptoms. You may have numbness or tingling in your neck, back, arms or legs. If your nerve is pinched long enough, you may develop muscle weakness.
Where you feel symptoms really depends on where your pinched nerve is. A pinched nerve in the neck usually causes neck pain and stiffness. But it can also cause a neck headache, as well as symptoms down your arms. A pinched nerve in the lower back can cause lower back pain and stiffness, as well as symptoms down your leg.
Common Causes Of A Pinched Nerve
There are many causes of a pinched nerve. And all of them hurt!
Most of your nerves run from your spine and out into your body. A pinched nerve occurs when there is pressure on a nerve at some point along its length. It can happen near the spine, but can also happen at other points in the body.
Successfully treating a pinched nerve means matching the cause with the right type of therapy. Below you’ll find the most common causes of pinched nerves, as well as your best options for relief.
1. Pinched Nerve From A Joint Or Soft Tissue Injury
Most pinched nerves are a combination of joint and soft tissue problems. Most daily activities – working, exercising, sitting, standing, playing – put stress on your spine. Over time, that can make your muscles and joints stiff. Then one day you move the wrong way (or sleep wrong), and boom! You have a pinched nerve.
In this case, chiropractic may be your best option. Chiropractors are joint experts, and this type of problem is what we deal with every day. Restoring normal motion and alignment to the affected joints, and stretching the surrounding muscles is key to a quick recovery in this case.
2. Pinched Nerve From A Overuse/Repetitive Strain Injury
This is a common cause of pinched nerve in people that perform repetitive movements. Distance running, typing or assembly work are all examples. These activities cause wear and tear on your muscles. As you continue these activities, scar tissue can build up and cause pinching. Sciatica is a common complaint with this type of pinched nerve.
For this type of soft tissue injury, nothing works better than Active Release therapy. ART is considered the Gold Standard for soft tissue injury treatment. This treatment gets results fast, and that means you get back to activity more quickly. It’s even better when combined with chiropractic.
3. Pinched Nerve From A Bulging Disc
A bulging disc can be a painful experience. It happens when the shock absorbers between your joints start to bulge outward. That bulge can press on nearby nerves, causing pain. And that pain can spread, sometimes into your arms and legs. This type of pinched nerve can happen from trauma like a whiplash injury, or from simply bending or moving wrong.
For a disc bulge or disc pain, McKenzie therapy may be your best option. This is a specialty therapy specifically for disc injuries, and it works very well. The best part is, you can continue this therapy at home so you don’t have to wait for your next visit for relief. Chiropractic and Active Release can help to take pressure off the nerve and speed healing.
4. Pinched Nerve From Poor Posture
This is more common in people who use a computer and mouse, play video games, or sit at a desk all day. Sitting for hours bent at the waist, head forward, arms and knees bent, and forearms on the desk is hard on your body. All that bending can cause compression of nerves, and pain, numbness and tingling. Think carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow.
Although the pinched nerve causes pain, the real issue is poor posture. A good strategy here includes restoring spinal alignment, stretching out tight muscles, and creating an exercise program to improve posture. Poor posture doesn’t always hurt, but it will catch up with you eventually.
5. Pinched Nerve From Arthritis
Arthritis is a common finding as we age, and can sometimes lead to a pinched nerve. As arthritis worsens, your bones can start to irritate nerves and cause pinching. This usually happens in the spine, with the lower neck and lower back most common.
Arthritis is what it is. You can’t reverse it, but you can certainly get some relief. Chiropractive, Active Release, stretching, and McKenzie exercises can all help. The goal here is to improve flexibility, which can help take stress off your joints and ease pain. Without the side effects of pain medication.
Pinched Nerve Pain – Treatment Options Give You The Best Chance For Relief
Don’t settle for the same pinched nerve treatment as everyone else!
All pinched nerves are not created equal. They all hurt, but can come from a number of different causes. So it doesn’t make sense to treat them all the same. Your care should be specific to your problem, otherwise it probably won’t be successful. You need options!
A combination of treatments is usually the best approach for a pinched nerve. This can make for a faster recovery, less pain, and less time spent running to appointments. It also means getting back to the activities you enjoy faster, even if it’s just being able to sleep at night.
Tired Of Pinched Nerve Pain?
If you’re suffering from a pinched nerve, Dr. McGahey can help. He’s been helping people with pinched nerve pain since 1998, and chances are he can help you too. Chiropractic is covered by insurance, and he’s a preferred provider with most plans.
So What Are You Waiting For? Get Help Now!
No referral is necessary. Just call or click to schedule an appointment with Dr. McGahey. We’ll discuss your injury or condition and create a strategy to help you get out of pain fast. So what are you waiting for? We can see you today!