The 37 miles or so of nerve endings that make up the central nervous system are arranged in a fantastically intricate network. These nerves gather up all kinds of information about our body and the environment around us and transmit it to and from the brain. We can perceive sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch through these nerve endings.
The central nervous system also registers painful stimuli, such as the heat of a flame, the prick of a needle, or even discomfort within the body itself, even though many of these feelings are pleasant. These pain reactions offer crucial information about the health of the body, and if you can decipher them, you may use them to aid in the body’s healing.
However, given that so many medical professionals recommend surgery and other intrusive methods to cure your illness, you may be wondering whether a chiropractor can also assist with pinched nerves.
A Pinched Nerve: What Is It?
You know what a pinched nerve feels like if you’ve ever sat at a computer for too long and had a sharp pain in your neck and shoulders. Any location on the body where tissues, including those made of bone, ligaments, or tendons, place pressure on the nerve is referred to as having a pinched nerve.
This excessive pressure irritates the area, which leads to discomfort and function loss. While pinched nerves can happen elsewhere in the body, the spine is where they happen most frequently.
Pinched Nerves and Spinal Architecture
One of the most crucial parts of the human body is the spinal column. The central nervous system of the body is housed in a bony structure made up of 33 vertebrae. This intricate system of nerve endings serves as the body’s information superhighway. The spinal cord serves as the center of communication. To communicate with the brain, every neuron in the body is connected to the hub.
The body’s nerves are not well protected. They are susceptible to a variety of injuries, although they usually recover rapidly with rest or physical treatment. The spinal cord, however, actually passes through the middle of each vertebra. The vertebrae effectively shield the spinal cord by doing so. If the vertebrae are crushed or misplaced, these same structures might cause damage.
Injuries can also come from the discs, which are large slabs of cartilage that divide the vertebrae. These discs act as a cushion between the bones, allowing the spine to bend and twist painlessly. However, if a disc tears, it can put a strain on nerves, discomfort, and painful bone-on-bone contact.
These discs also aid in preserving the intervertebral foramen’s correct spacing. The nerves enter the spinal column through these foramen, which are openings on each side of the bony protrusion on the back of each vertebra.
The foramen narrows as these discs deteriorate, rip, or become compressed, placing pressure on the nerve roots. The most common causes of this wear and strain include injury, aging naturally, and improper posture. Misalignment of the spine can also result from bad posture and accidents. Vertebrae that are stuck in the wrong position might put pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots.
In the wrists and elbows, pinched nerves are also typical. One of the most typical causes of a pinched nerve is carpal tunnel syndrome. Compressed nerves can lose up to 60% of their functioning. If ignored, it might lead to a permanent loss of function.
Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve
The location of the pinched nerve affects the symptoms a patient with that condition encounters. But these are the most typical signs:
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Pain
Additional typical signs can also include:
- a ‘pins and needles’ or scorching feeling
- weakness in the muscles, especially during specific activities
- reduced mobility
What symptoms you feel directly depend on where the pinched nerve is located. The symptoms could just affect the nearby region or spread to other areas of the body.
For instance, a pinched nerve in the cervical spine may not only induce discomfort in the neck but also in the midback and shoulders. In addition to tingling and numbness in one or both hands, a pinched nerve in the neck can also result in a burning sensation in the affected area.
Similar to how sciatica, or a pinched nerve in the lumbar back, can cause tingling and numbness in the feet as well as pain to travel down one or both legs. The middle of the forearm, all the way down to the ring finger, may become tingly and numb in patients who frequently sleep with their elbows bent or who spend a lot of time leaning on their elbows.
Additionally, they could suddenly lose hand strength, especially while moving the wrist.
What Relief Does a Chiropractor Offer for Pinched Nerves?
Depending on the severity of the damage and the patient’s age, different treatments for pinched nerves are advised. Sometimes surgery is necessary to relieve pinched nerves, particularly when there will be a lot of scarring.
But at Primary Health Clinic Chiropractic, we provide chiropractic therapy for pinched nerves using an integrated strategy. For our patients, we are committed to locating the finest non-surgical, minimally invasive options. We will create a treatment plan that is specially tailored to your requirements after talking with doctors from various specialties.
The profession of chiropractic care has several facets. It focuses on bringing the spine back into appropriate alignment so that the body may recover itself. Spinal manipulation is one method chiropractors employ to do this. A chiropractor uses pressure and other treatments during spinal manipulation to unfreeze any vertebrae that are stuck in the wrong position.
Depending on the nature of your ailment, you may need a spinal manipulation and mobilization adjustment, a cervical spine decompression adjustment, a spinal rehabilitation adjustment, or a vibration traction adjustment. Minor alignment issues can sometimes be fixed in only one visit.
Other misalignments are more serious and can call for a more rigorous regimen.
Options for Pinched Nerve Chiropractic Care
Regenerative treatments may be suggested by a chiropractor if tissues or nerves have degenerated as a result of decreased function. By mending injured nerves and tissues, therapies like stem cell treatment aid in function restoration.
Another way a chiropractor might assist with pinched nerves is through physical therapy. Unbalances in the back muscles create or may induce spinal misalignments. While some muscles tighten up and lose flexibility, others get overused. Restoring balance to these muscle groups’ strength and flexibility aids in maintaining normal alignment and preventing re-injury.
Physical therapy concentrates on bolstering supporting muscle groups when it comes to other bodily parts. When doing repeated jobs, addressing posture and form problems might help prevent injuries from recurring.
You may be confident that with our multi-discipline approach to chiropractic therapy for pinched nerves, we will locate the optimal treatment option for your particular situation.
Call Primary Health Clinic Chiropractic at (703) 354-8111 to talk with one of our qualified doctors if you’re curious to learn more about how a chiropractor treats pinched nerves.