Nerves send messages from the brain to the body, but when they are pinched by surrounding tissue, they become inflamed and can no longer carry messages. Pinched nerves can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and other sensations, and can be caused by various factors such as injuries, poor posture, and spinal arthritis. Relief can be found through surgery, medication, or hot/cold packs.
Nerves are small, string-like parts of the body that run from the brain to the spine and extremities. They send messages to the skin and muscles. These complex messages from the brain to the arms and legs tell the muscles to move or the skin to feel. When a nerve is pinched, it can cause a variety of symptoms, from pain to pins and needles and cold.
A nerve itself is very similar to a television cable. There are many small wires inside a large casing. Cables carry messages, or tiny electrical impulses, at their ends just like cable carries a picture to a TV. This process must occur for the nerve to remain healthy.
If something causes pinched nerves, the nerves become inflamed and can no longer carry messages. The nerve begins to get sick. If it doesn’t regain its transfer ability, it begins to die. This causes the skin to feel numb and the muscles to weaken.
There are numerous causes for pinched nerves. In general, a pinch occurs when pressure is placed on the nerve by the tissue surrounding it. This tissue can be bone or cartilage, muscle or tendon, or swelling within narrow spaces of nerve envelopes.
Some common causes of pressure on soft tissue nerves are injuries, poor posture, repetitive work, sports, and obesity. A number of pregnant women also experience this ailment as their growing uterus puts extra pressure on their body. This pressure is quickly remedied after birth.
Hard tissue pressure can result from a herniated disc or bone spurs from spinal arthritis. Carpal tunnel in the hand area is another common example of a pinched nerve. Inflammation in the excavated wrist area pinches the nerves that pass through the tunnel and into the hand. The brain stops receiving signals from the hand and numbness is the main symptom.
The most common symptoms of pinched nerves are pain, numbness, tingling, burning, or hot and cold sensations. In the lower back, a pinched nerve feels like numbness running down the leg or even painful muscle spasms. This same sensation can be felt running from the shoulders through the arms in upper body cases.
Pinched nerves can recover without permanent damage if the pressure is relieved. This can happen through surgery, activity switching, medications such as cortisone, and sometimes even through the simple application of hot and cold packs. If the pressure is not relieved, permanent nerve damage and chronic pain can result.
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