Pinched nerves are a common---and painful---medical condition. Pinched nerves normally go away on their own, but in rare cases need the attention of a medical professional.
The Facts
When too much pressure is put on a nerve by surrounding tissues, it can become pinched. Nerve can become pinched by anything from swelling muscles and tissues to slipped discs in your back.
A pinched nerve (or a compressed nerve, as it is sometimes called) can cause anything from pain to numbness. A pinched nerve can happen anywhere in your body.
Identification
It is sometimes hard to tell if you have a pinched nerve, because it can create a variety of different feelings, such as numbness, burning, muscle twitches or a sharp pain in the area where the nerve is located. Many people describe the feeling of a pinched nerve as being like the feeling you get when your arm or leg has "fallen asleep." Often the feelings created by the pinched nerve get worse when you lie down.
Effects
Pinched nerves can be caused by repetitive motion, poor posture and obesity. It is not uncommon for people to have pinched nerves in their spinal cord, which can create a stiff neck or back pain.
Misconceptions
Pinched nerves are sometimes called sciatica, but this is a misconception. The symptoms of sciatica are very similar to a pinched nerve and have the same basic causes, but sciatica refers to issues with a specific nerve that travels down the lower back and through the thigh, calf and foot.
Significance
Most pinched nerves can be taken care of without a trip to the doctor. Rest and relaxation can relieve most of the pain of a pinched nerve. Mild heat can help the pain and reduce swelling.
In more extreme cases, the pinched nerve doesn't go away on its own. You should see a doctor if the symptoms of the pinched nerve last longer than a week. In rare but serious cases, surgery is needed to relieve the pinched nerve. This surgery may be a non-invasive form such as injecting the affected area to reduce the pressure on the nerve, or it may be the more complicated lumbar-decompression surgery. These surgeries are successful 90% of the time and are generally very low risk. After surgery you can expect to return to normal functioning within 1 to 3 weeks.
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