Symptoms of a Pinched Back Nerve

A pinched nerve can be debilitating, but understanding the symptoms that this painful condition causes can help you tackle the problem right away. It’s imperative that you recognize a pinched nerve at the first sign so you can seek treatment immediately and feel better as soon as possible.

The term pinched nerve describes any damage or obstruction to a nerve or set of nerves. It can occur almost anywhere in the body, but it’s common for a herniated disk in your lower spine to pinch a nerve root.

Your nerves send signals from your brain to parts of your body, causing muscle contractions, directing organ and system performance, and detecting sensations. When a nerve is pinched, these signals may not reach their intended destinations.

Learn more about the symptoms you may experience if you have a pinched nerve in your spine.

Sciatica

The main symptom of sciatica is a shooting pain in the buttock and down the back or side of the leg. A patient experiencing sciatica may also have burning, numbness, or tingling sensations in the foot or down the leg. Severe sciatica can also cause weakness or difficulty controlling movements of the leg or foot.

Radiculitis and Radiculopathy

With a pinched nerve, you may experience symptoms of radiculitis or radiculopathy, or inflammation or irritation of the root of a spinal nerve. Radiculitis occurs when a herniated vertebral disk compresses the nerve root, causing numbness, tingling, the feeling of pins and needles, a burning sensation, and weakness. This pain begins at the spine and radiates down your leg.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

When a patient has lumbar stenosis, the spinal nerve roots in the lower back are compressed, which causes pain in the area of the back where the stenosis occurs. You may also experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms or legs. Symptoms typically increase as you stand straight or lean backward but are less severe when leaning over or bending forward.

Severe symptoms can sometime occur, such as altered sensations around the buttock area, abdominal bloating, and changes to bowel or bladder control.

Treatment

If you find that you’re dealing with any of these symptoms, it’s crucial that you contact a doctor right away. A severely pinched nerve can lead to permanent loss of function, so getting the proper treatment as soon as possible is critical to your health. To recover effectively, your treatment must be specialized to your case.

Your treatment will vary depending on the symptoms that you’re experiencing. The main goal of treating a pinched nerve is alleviating the pressure on the root and reducing any inflammation, so your doctor will provide treatment methods such as spinal manipulation, stretches and exercises, muscle stimulation, ice or heat, or steroid or anesthetic injections.

The physicians at Aligned Medical Group provide specialized treatment to each patient based on their individual symptoms and needs. To schedule an appointment with a physician, click here to contact Aligned Medical Group so you can experience relief soon.

If you’re in need of a chiropractor for your pain, download our eBook Your Total Guide to Finding and Choosing a Chiropractor for helpful tips on how to select the right chiropractor for you.