Before you launch into treating yourself for a pinched nerve, it’s worth making sure that you have a correct diagnosis – and please note that this article should not be interpreted as qualified medical advice.
Symptoms
A pinched nerve arises when a nerve is placed under unusual stress or pressure due to being trapped, stretched or otherwise ‘deformed’. It can be caused by any number of conditions including accidents or age-related deterioration.
The term ‘pinched nerve’ is often used to describe a range of, at times, severe pains that typically arise in the areas of the upper or lower back, around the upper shoulders, the shoulder blades or neck. The condition may also be associated with sensations such as ‘pins and needles’, numbness, tingling and pain, all often in the limbs.
It is exceptionally important to remember these symptoms may well be attributable to causes other than a pinched nerve. That may be something relatively trivial such as a pulled muscle but it may also indicate a more serious underlying problem.
The first key piece of advice is – don’t self-diagnose. Make sure that you know what’s causing the problem by seeing a physician for a check and confirmation!
Pain Relief
Once you know that you do indeed have a pinched nerve, you’ll probably be very keen to obtain some pain relief as fast as possible – though not everyone suffers severe or constant pain.
Your physician may prescribe both some painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines. Many people find these effective and it is possible to stabilize some conditions of this nature for lengthy periods of time with no further treatment. In fact, you may be able to achieve significant results with ordinary over-the-counter medicines for pain control.
Of course, not everybody responds in the same fashion to painkillers and some may find that they offer only limited relief.
Sometimes heat applied to the affected areas may make a significant difference. A variation on this technique involves occasionally applying a cold compress then following this up with the heat treatment.
For some, the above treatments offer only limited help. Alternatively, some forms of complementary, traditional and alternative medicines claim to be able to help with this sort of pain control is some cases.
These treatments involve things such as meditation, acupuncture, hypnosis and aromatherapy etc. If you are in pain and conventional treatment is failing then they may be worth considering, but do keep in mind that many practitioners of these techniques do not hold formal medical qualifications. These treatments are not necessarily approved of in conventional medicine. They may be controversial and it is important to use only registered practitioners – and preferably by personal reference.
If you continue to suffer severe pain, you should consult your physician again even if you are in the process of taking medicines or following one of the above regimes.
Treatment
Pain is the body’s way of telling us that something’s wrong and in need of attention. Taking drugs or other treatment that only removes the pain does not, in itself, treat the cause.
The good news is that in many cases, a pinched nerve resolves itself and the pain and related symptoms will disappear. Many physicians and specialists may be reluctant to move to further intervention until a certain amount of time has passed – unless the symptoms are very severe and pain control is failing.
Initially they may advise the use of a back or neck support supplemented by hot and cold treatment. This can be backed up by stronger medication and perhaps injections into the affected areas.
In some instances, physiotherapy may be recommended. In a comparatively small number of cases your medical professionals may advise that surgery is required though most will regard this as an option of last resort in most situations.
Once again, complementary medicines may also offer some possibilities of treatment. Chiropractics and shiatsu sometimes appear to achieve results but again it may be advisable to ensure that you only progress through those sorts of treatment regimes in consultation with your physician.
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