Pinched nerves can range from being inconvenient and causing some issues with pain and mobility to being chronic, severe, and genuinely affect a person’s quality of life. Pinched nerves sometimes seem to appear out of nowhere after twisting or moving too quickly, lifting heavy objects, physical labor, a back injury, or even just sleeping the wrong way. Whether your pinched nerve is chronic or recent, there is no reason to just endure the pain when relief is available through chiropractic care.
What Causes a Pinched Nerve
The spinal column protects the bundle of nerves that run up and down along your back connecting every part of your body to your brain. It’s the information superhighway for your body. The spinal column is made up of a series of bones called vertebrae separated by rubbery cartilaginous ligaments called discs that act as shock absorbers and hold the vertebrae together. The discs are what allow us to move, bend, and twist. A disc can become temporarily damaged and bulge, called a herniated disc, compressing the nerve root. At other times, the degenerative disc damage is progressive or permanent causing chronic problems with pinched nerves and pain. Sometimes a pinched nerve is caused by the vertebrae being out of alignment.
Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve
Depending on the location of the disc, a herniated disk can cause pain, weakness, or numbness in the arms and legs, not just in the back. Pain can range from sharp to burning and aching to excruciating and can radiate beyond the point where the nerve is pinched. Pain from a pinched nerve can be felt anywhere along the nerve path. Tingling and “pins and needles” in arms, legs, and extremities are also common symptoms of a pinched nerve. Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve is pinched. Fatigue can also be a symptom of pinched nerves.
Treating a Pinched Nerve with Chiropractic Care
The goal of chiropractic care is to decompress and elongate the spine so that the discs have more room which can relieve the pressure of a herniated disc that is pressing on a nerve. This can be accomplished through many different methods including spinal manipulation, traction, and tools such as a Y-strap. A Y-strap is a simple tool that allows a chiropractor to elongate the spine through vertical decompression. The type of treatment used will be determined by many factors including your medical history and the cause of your pinched nerve.
Spinal discs are avascular meaning they have no blood supply. Spinal discs absorb essential nutrients through diffusion on a cellular level. The majority of this nutrient diffusion happens during spinal movement. For this reason, decompression of the spine not only can alleviate the pressure of the disc that is pressing on the nerve root, but it also feeds the discs with healing nutrients they need to heal. Decompression can actually help prevent or reverse long-term degenerative disc damage by alleviating pressure and supplying spinal discs with healing nutrients.
Self-care for Relief of a Pinched Nerve
Besides decompression to relieve the pressure on the pinched nerve, there are other things you can do at home to help alleviate your discomfort. The first is to get extra sleep to give your body time to heal itself. Resting can also decrease strain on your body and alleviate pressure on your spinal column. Use ice immediately after experiencing pain to reduce swelling. Use heat to increase blood flow to the area to promote healing. Lie prone to release pressure on your pinched nerve and elevate your legs.
Long-term Care for a Healthy Spine
Not only does exercise make a difference, but how you exercise is important as well. Consider low impact sports like swimming, stretching, or yoga. Pay attention to your posture and avoid situations where your sitting for long periods of time hunched over or leaning forward putting unnecessary pressure on your neck and spine. Consider using an ergonomic workstation. Avoid rapid movements, especially twisting and bending that can cause damage to your spinal discs. Eat right and make sure you supply your body with the nutrients it needs.
Chiropractic Care at Starkwood Chiropractic
Here at Starkwood Chiropractic, we prefer safe, gentle, and effective methods for the removal of pain based on our expertise with our experience approaches. We help patients who have pinched nerves as well as those who have sustained sports, auto, and work-related injuries as well as relieving migraines, back pain, neck pain, and sciatica. The services we offer include physical modalities, spinal adjustments, soft tissue therapy, exercise and stretching programs as well as nutrition and dietary counseling. We use Physiotherapy, Thompson, Activator, Diversified, Arthrostim, and Physical Therapy in a whole-body, holistic approach that effectively relieves pain rather than masking it with addictive pills and pain relievers. We also use Heritage10 Intersegmental Traction Tables, Zenith HyLo Elevation Tables, Therapeutic Ultrasound and Electric Muscle Stimulation. We work with your physician to take into account your medical history to help create the most effective and safe treatment for your needs. We accept insurance from commonly-used health insurance companies like Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and many others.
Contact Starkwood Chiropractic Today
If you have a pinched nerve, find out today what a chiropractor can do to help you relieve your pain. It is highly recommended, even by some surgeons, to exhaust all non-operative measures before resorting to surgery. Since 1983, Starkwood Chiropractic has been providing chiropractic care in the Portland, Oregon, area. Call us without delay and see how Starkwood Chiropractic can help alleviate your pinched nerve and help you take that first step toward a life with pain. Call us today.