Pinched Nerve
(Nerve Entrapment or Nerve Compression)

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Medical Author: Jason C. Eck, DO, MS
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction to pinched nerve
• What causes a pinched nerve?
• Pinched nerve in the neck or lower back
• Pinched nerve in the wrist or elbow
• Other causes of pinched nerve
• What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve?
• How is a pinched nerve diagnosed?
• How is a pinched nerve treated?
• What is a patent's prognosis for a pinched nerve?
• Pinched Nerve At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Pinched Nerve - Describe Your Experience
• Find a local Neurologist in your town

Featured pinched nerve patient discussions on experience "I have a pinched nerve in my neck; this causes stiffness in my neck and numbness on my right hand and fingers. I go to my therapist 2 or 3 times a week and after a session of therapy I feel relieved, but it lasts only for a short time. Is there a cure for it or a specific medication I can take?" "Had surgery I had surgery for disk in neck L4 L5 metal cage bone graph. Never been the same since. Terrible neck pain from a few years ago finally 6 months ago it left. Now my arms to my fingers are numb and burning and I can't sleep. Muscle ache and cramping in my arms are a daily thing. I wear braces on wrists when I sleep. I have been to a pain clinic and had shots in my neck. I don't like to be drugged up all the time. I have been on most of the drugs that they have for this, but now I take nothing. I would rather know what's causing it. I have had shingles 3 times on my side arm and face." "I have problems with Sciatica at times. I have found that sitting on an ice pack for about 45 minutes to and hour and taking some ibuprofen (anti inflammatory) literally takes all the pain away. Nothing else seemed to help, including prescriptions. Just ice and Motrin did the trick for me. Stretches help give more instant relief, but the ice and ibuprofen takes the pain away completely." Read All Comments on Pinched Nerve » Top Searched Pinched Nerve Terms: neck, shoulder, lower back, arm, surgery, sciatic nerve, spinal fusion, dizziness Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, or treatment. See the disclaimer at the bottom of the comments page.

Introduction to pinched nerve

Nerves are like electrical cords that carry information from the brain to the rest of the body and vice-versa. They are distributed throughout the entire body.

• Motor (efferent) nerves carry information from the brain out to the body. This allows the brain to send commands to the various organs of the body. For example, these commands are sent to the muscles causing them to contract and move, or sends information to the heart to either beat faster or slower.
  
  
• Sensory (afferent) nerves send information from the body back to the brain for processing, including information about pain, touch, taste, temperature, or other sensations.

The information travels along the nerve by an electrochemical signal, much like information traveling along an electrical cord. When a nerve is pinched, the signal is interrupted somewhere along its path.

What causes a pinched nerve?

A pinched nerve is caused when a nerve is somehow damaged or injured by direct pressure or compression and is unable to properly conduct its signal. There are many potential causes for a pinched nerve, depending on the location of the nerve.

Pinched nerve in the neck or lower back

A pinched nerve in the neck or lower back can be caused by a herniated disc, arthritis, bone spurs, or spinal stenosis.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal through which the nerves pass with the spine. A pinched nerve in the lower back or buttock can compress the sciatic nerve, which can cause sciatica.

Pinched Nerve - Describe Your Experience

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

Please describe your experience with a Pinched Nerve.

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