A pinched nerve occurs when excess pressure is applied to the affected nerve by surrounding tissues such as cartilage, bone, or tendons. A pinched or compressed nerve can be extremely painful.
Pinched Nerves: An Overview
Pinched nerves can affect different parts of the body, including the neck, lower back, arms, hips, and buttocks. A pinched nerve can reduce a person’s mobility and have a significant effect on their quality of life.
Some symptoms of a pinched nerve are numbness, aching, or burning pain that may radiate outwards, muscle weakness, and tingling sensations.
Some common causes of pinched nerves include sports injuries, stress from work that involves repetitive motions, and rheumatoid or wrist arthritis.
If a nerve is compressed for a short time, usually no permanent damage will occur. Once the pain subsides, the affected nerve starts functioning; however, if the pressure continues for too long, chronic pain and permanent nerve damage can occur.
How can a Chiropractor Help?
A trained chiropractor in Santa Rosa can treat pinched nerves. Pinched nerve treatment involves reducing pressure on the compressed nerve. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments to realign the spine and reduce stress.
In many cases, spinal alignments are used in combination with other therapies, such as heat/cold therapy. Your chiropractor may also provide physical therapy, which includes stretching exercises to relieve pressure and tension in the affected area.
Chiropractors use massage therapy to alleviate pain and reduce muscle spasms associated with pinched nerve pain. They may also use machines to help with back pain.
Chiropractic care is safe, drug-free, and non-invasive. It has an excellent safety record. A chiropractor uses gentle adjustments to help your body heal itself. With chiropractic, you won’t have to undergo painful surgeries or take harmful medications.
Remedies for a Pinched Nerve
- Get ample sleep and rest: When you sleep, your body releases hormones that relax muscles, reduce inflammation, and help with healing
- Do stretching exercises: Gentle stretching may relieve pinched nerve pain. Be careful not to overdo it with stretching exercises. If you experience any pain or discomfort while exercising, stop immediately
- Use ice and heat packs: Applying ice and heat packs to the affected area can reduce swelling and inflammation. Hold an ice pack over the impacted area for 15 minutes, three times a day. Heat pads can be applied for an hour, three times a day
- Use an ergonomic workstation: Opt for an ergonomic mouse and keyboard. Raise your computer monitor to your eye level
Are pinched nerves keeping you awake at night? Toth Chiropractic in Santa Rosa can help. Dr. Douglass Toth uses spinal manipulation to treat chronic pain. Once he gets to the root of the problem, Dr. Toth creates a customised treatment plan. To talk to him, call (707) 526-1390.