Introduction
You have work to do and a life to enjoy, but it can be difficult to live normally when you have a pinched nerve. Your pinched nerve is unlikely to go away on its own, so you need to take action now. Thankfully, many treatment options are available to help you live a more comfortable life. Chronic pain and limited mobility can be unbearable, but you don’t have to endure a pinched nerve forever.
So, how do you fix a pinched nerve? If you want to reclaim your comfort and mobility, you need to figure out how to treat a pinched nerve, so you should check out this comprehensive guide on the best pinched nerve treatments to make a more informed decision for your health.
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- What Is a Pinched Nerve?
- What Can Be Done for a Pinched Nerve?
- How To Treat a Pinched Nerve
- Find Relief With the Right Pinched Nerve Treatment
What Is a Pinched Nerve?
Your nerves constantly send messages to your organs and muscles so that you can breathe, move, and do everyday tasks. Under normal circumstances, your nerves carry out their functions without any noticeable sensation. However, bad posture, poor ergonomics, and other factors can shift your bones or cause the tissue around a nerve to swell and rub against your nerve.
This is known as a pinched nerve, and it may lead to the following symptoms:
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Pain
- Muscle weakness
- Oher unpleasant sensations throughout your body
Take the first step in diagnosing the cause of your pain by filling out our free pain assessment form here.
What Can Be Done for a Pinched Nerve?
A pinched nerve will usually get worse without some sort of treatment. Therefore, it’s essential to visit a doctor. Experienced medical professionals know how to treat a pinched nerve, and they’ll come up with the best course of action to ease your symptoms.
While surgery may be necessary in some cases, lifestyle changes or medical devices may be sufficient to solve your problem. However, you’ll never know what your treatment may entail until you receive a diagnosis from an experienced medical professional.
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How To Treat a Pinched Nerve
When you’re trying to figure out how to fix a pinched nerve in your back, you must have some understanding of your treatment options. While you may be tempted to try to treat your pinched nerve on your own, you should visit a doctor for the best results. If you go to a doctor to figure out how to fix a pinched nerve in your shoulder or learn how to fix a pinched nerve in your neck, then they will likely recommend one or more of the following treatments.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Pinched Nerves
1. Rest and Relaxation
Depending on the scope of your problem, a little rest may be sufficient to solve your problem. For example, swelling and tissue damage often happen due to repeated compound movements. By taking some time away from exercise, labor, and other vigorous physical activities, you will give your body the chance to heal. Once your swollen tissues have healed, they will return to their standard size and relieve the pressure on the affected nerve.
2. Ergonomic Equipment and Medical Devices
Poor ergonomics may be the cause of your pinched nerve. Thankfully, a simple piece of equipment may be enough to ease your symptoms. For example, if you have a pinched nerve in your wrist, your doctor may recommend a wrist brace to relieve the pressure on your carpal tunnel. When speaking to your doctor, you should explain the nature of your work to recommend the best piece of equipment for your unique situation.
3. Physical Therapy
Specific stretches and exercises may relieve a lot of the pressure on your pinched nerve. A physical therapist will assess your condition and help you train your core and move more efficiently to don’t irritate your nerve. Every case is different, so your physical therapist will recommend a treatment based on your lifestyle, the location of your pinched nerve, and other relevant factors.
4. Trigger Point Injections
Pinched nerves are often the result of swollen tissue around the nerve. To reduce swelling around a pinched nerve, doctors may inject a mixture of steroids and anesthetics into the muscle tissue around the most painful areas. This treatment can result in quick relief, and you should be able to perform everyday physical activities soon after treatment.
5. Spinal Decompression
If you have a pinched nerve in your back, then there is a good chance that your vertebrae are compressed. To decompress your spine, doctors will put you on a decompression table. The decompression table slowly stretches your spine and encourages better circulation, potentially relieving the pressure on your pinched nerve.
6. Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
Anti-inflammatory drugs can significantly reduce swelling in the tissues around your nerves. Thus, you should feel less pressure around your pinched nerve after taking an anti-inflammatory medication. Many anti-inflammatory drugs are relatively safe to use and might not even require a prescription. However, these drugs may negatively interact with other medicines or exacerbate certain medical conditions, so it’s good to check with your doctor before taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication.
Surgical Treatment Options for Pinched Nerves
1. Artificial Disk Replacement
Your lumbar discs are gel-like cushions that sit between the vertebrae in your spine to prevent friction. However, these disks can quickly become irritated and swell, which may cause them to press against your sciatic nerve. Suppose other treatments fail to relieve the pressure on your sciatic nerve. In that case, a surgeon may have to replace the problematic lumbar disk with an artificial disk, and you can expect a full recovery within three months of this surgery.
2. Spinal Fusion
If you have a painful herniated disk, doctors may opt to fuse two of your vertebrae to stabilize them and relieve pressure on your sciatic nerve. To achieve this, surgeons will take a bone graft and hold it between the two vertebrae with screws, rods, and plates until the vertebrae fuse with the graft. After surgery, you should expect to stay in the hospital for a few days. Moreover, you may have to wear a back brace and receive physical therapy following spinal fusion surgery.
3. Laser Spine Surgery
Laser spine surgery is one of the safest and most convenient surgeries available to individuals who suffer from a pinched nerve in the spine. During this treatment, a surgeon will make a small incision around the problematic area and use a laser to burn away excess bone or tissue to relieve pressure on your sciatic nerve. Surgeons generally perform laser spine surgery as an outpatient procedure. This means that you will likely be able to go home right after your surgery, and you can expect a quick recovery.
Find Relief With the Right Pinched Nerve Treatment
A pinched nerve can be extremely debilitating and cause a ton of agony. Thus, it’s essential to visit a reputable medical team as soon as possible to get the relief that you deserve. The experienced medical professionals at Texas Surgical Hospital know how to treat a pinched nerve, and they can work with you to find the optimal solution to your discomfort.
Life is too short to endure chronic pain, so we encourage you to reach out to Texas Surgical Hospital today to explore your treatment options.