Pinched nerve

A pinched nerve can lead to very painful complaints and functional disorders in different parts of the body. Those affected are often massively restricted in their everyday life, especially if it is a chronic course with long-lasting symptoms. If the cause is known, simple, conservative treatment measures can often help. Naturopathy and holistic medicine also offer many therapy options for mild nerve compression. Surgery is only necessary in rare, severe cases. techcrunchpro

Quick overview - pinched nerve

·  What is a pinched nerve? A pinched nerve is a colloquial term for a nerve compression or constriction that can cause various painful complaints and functional disorders. For anatomical reasons, there are certain bottlenecks where nerve entrapment occurs more often than in other areas.

·  Pinched nerve - symptoms The main symptom is neuralgia (nerve pain), which usually occurs locally at the point of constriction and also radiates. In addition to the pain - depending on the severity - there are mainly movement and sensory disorders. thepinkcharm

·  Causes of a pinched nerve: Nerves are often constricted by muscle tension . But other more serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system (for example a herniated disc ) can cause nerve compression. In addition, injuries, tumors and obesity can lead to increased pressure on nerve tracts. themarketinginfo

·  Pinched nerve - what to do? It is important to firsts determine the cause in order to be able to use the correct treatment method. In many cases, conservative and holistic approaches using movement therapies and various muscle relaxation methods can already achieve a cure. Operations are rarely necessary. worldmarketingtips

Definition: pinched nerve

Colloquially, a pinched nerve describes a nerve compression or constriction that can lead to various symptoms and diseases. This general term includes complaints that occur in different parts of the body or originate from different parts of the nervous system.

Peripheral nerves of the extremities are particularly often pinched at certain narrow points, such as in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. Often, symptoms of the spine are also associated with a pinched nerve, which is why there are widespread associations with neck pain , back pain , lumbago and sciatica pain , for example . technologybeam

Common locations of pinched nerves

Nerve compression occurs more often in certain parts of the body than in others. These are areas in which different nerve tracts run through certain anatomical constrictions and can be more narrowed there than in other parts of the body.

In the spinal canal of the spine, degenerations and diseases of the spine ( e.g. herniated disc or spinal canal stenosis) can lead to painful compressions of the spinal nerves or the spinal cord. Problems that span the lower back, buttocks, and legs are often related to a pinched sciatic nerve . A well-known condition in the upper part of the spine is the so-called cervical spine syndrome . Pain that emanates from here can extend into the shoulders and arms or trigger headaches (back of the head) .

In addition, the so-called lateral femoral cutaneous nerve , which arises from the spinal cord at the level of the lumbar spine and runs to the thigh, can also be narrowed under the inguinal ligament. The symptoms caused by this are referred to as Bernhardt-Roth syndrome (Meralgia paraesthetica) or inguinal tunnel syndrome.

In the limb area, for example, the ulnar groove (elbow) and the carpal tunnel (wrist / wrist) represent narrow passages, which can lead to ulnar groove syndrome ( cubital tunnel syndrome ) or carpal tunnel syndrome . The tarsal tunnel (inside of the ankle) is also such a vulnerable structure ( tarsal tunnel syndrome ). These complaints belong to the so-called bottleneck syndromes, among others.

Symptoms of pinched nerves

The neurological symptoms are very diverse and primarily depend on which nerve is severely affected in which area.

In general, however, nerve compression leads to so-called neuralgia (nerve pain) or neuropathic pain.

The pain occurs in the affected nerve regions, but also radiates to other areas of the body (supply area of ​​the affected nerves) or occurs as projected pain in other parts of the body. According to the frequent localizations (see above), those affected often complain of stabbing or burning pain in the back, neck and shoulder area as well as in the head, arms / hands or legs / feet.

In addition to the pain, there are also often sensory disorders or sensory disorders in the limbs, such as tingling and numbness . Movement impairments can also be part of the symptoms, and in more severe cases even paralysis and regression of muscle tissue.

For example, if the sciatic nerve is pinched , this can not only lead to back pain ( lower back pain ), buttock pain and back thigh pain , but also to sensory and functional disorders in the entire leg.

Compression of the ulnar nerve in the ulnar groove at the elbow is often accompanied by numbness in the fingers (little finger, ring finger) and the palm of the hand. Often a muscle weakness also appears in the corresponding supply area. A pinched nerve in the area of ​​the legs is not infrequently associated with pain in the feet or the soles of the feet .

Causes of Nerve Compression

A common cause of a pinched nerve is hardening of the surrounding muscles ( muscle hardening ), which press directly on a nerve path. This can be due to congenital anatomical impairments or incorrect loading (for example, by lifting too heavily or incorrectly). A (“one-sided”) overload or the constant repetition of certain movements can lead to changes in muscle and other body structures and thereby impair nerve tracts.

Furthermore, nerves can be pinched in the course of an impairment of the skeletal system. This often happens with pinched nerves in the back. In the case of a herniated disc , for example , nerves running through the vertebral canal (spinal canal) are constricted by leaked tissue.

The so-called vertebral gliding ( spondylolisthesis ) can also pinch the nerves in the spinal canal. These and other diseases can occur as part of various degenerative processes in the spine, which are considered to be the main cause of narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal canal stenosis). If there is a vertebral blockage, this usually triggers the aforementioned muscle tension , which is usually easier to treat.

Pinched nerves in the shoulder often occur when the shoulder joint is dislocated (shoulder dislocation). The nerve tracts running here (especially the axillary nerve ) are then pinched off and lead to severe shoulder pain and other complaints in the arms and hands.

Injuries (for example broken bones and hematomas) or tumors can also press on nerve tracts or cause nerves to become trapped. The same applies to external mechanical compressions, for example from clothing that is too tight or tight seat belts. In addition, the weight of a particularly big belly ( overweight or pregnancy) can put enormous pressure on the tissue and, for example, cause nerve compression in the hip and pelvic area.

diagnosis

Sometimes a detailed patient survey on the symptoms that have occurred and a simple clinical examination are sufficient to make a reliable diagnosis. Muscle hardening can usually be determined by specific palpation. The underlying causes for this can often be found in everyday (work) life and exercise habits.

In some case, however, it is not possible to clearly determine whether it is neuropathic pain or other forms of pain (so-called nociceptive pain). There are also so-called mixed forms of pain. In order to determine the correct therapy regimen, it is particularly important to precisely characterize and delimit the pain during the anamnesis. Further neurological examinations also serve to describe the pain more precisely and to find the cause.

If a more serious illness or injury is suspected, further investigations must be undertaken. Imaging methods such as ultrasound, X-rays, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) are often used. Changes to the skeleton and other structures can be made visible.

If there are still doubts, the measurement of the nerve conduction velocity and other further examinations can be arranged.

Treatment: Treat trapped nerves

Due to the different causes of nerve compression, different treatment options are available, which are used individually depending on the disease. Depending on the intensity of the pain that occurs, time-limited drug pain therapy can be a useful addition to the cause-specific treatment.

If nerves are trapped due to hardening of the muscles, certain movement therapies and physiotherapy are often used first. Individual movement and stretching exercises can relax muscles and relieve the pain accordingly. These measures are also effective in terms of prevention. Depending on the need, a short period of rest and rest before the therapeutic measures can be useful. Basically, however: exercise is important!

If the nerve is triggered by impairments in the skeletal system, these must be remedied. A dislocated shoulder can often be adjusted quickly and easily; A severe herniated disc or other diseases of the spine, on the other hand, cannot always be treated conservatively. In some cases - after all conservative options have been exhausted - an operation may then be necessary to relieve those affected from their suffering.

Surgical intervention may also be required for carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome . In the first place and if the symptoms are rather mild, conservative therapy should be used. In many cases, for example, immobilizing the joints in a stretched position using splints is very effective.

If tumors press on tissue structures and nerves, surgical removal is usually necessary. In the case of malignant ulcers or cancer, the combination of surgery, chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy is often the only treatment option.