Pinched Nerve Relief

Pinched Nerve Relief at San Pedro Chiropractic Clinic

Our nervous system is designed to send signals efficiently throughout our body. That is why we can walk, run, type on computers, make dinner at home, virtually any physical act. It all comes from a thought in our brain, and that signal goes almost immediately to our muscles to act out whatever we need to do, pretty amazing right? Everything works pretty well until we experience a pinched nerve and this message is irritated or cut off, leading to pain, tingling, or weakness in many cases. We’re using “pinched nerve” in a pretty general form here, in healthcare it is typically called a “radiculopathy” if it’s coming from the spine, or a “neuropathy” as a general nerve irritation or injury. Some common causes of a pinched nerve are:

• Trauma / Injury
• Spinal degeneration / Osteoarthritis
• Herniated disc
• Tight muscles or spasms
• Other neurological conditions

What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve?

Symptoms of pinched nerve vary depending on where the nerve is irritated. For example, a pinch nerve in the neck may cause tingling in your shoulder or arm, whereas carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by numbness or tingling in the hand, caused by compression of the median nerve. Some common symptoms of a pinched nerves are:

• Sharp pain
• Burning pain
• Numbness or tingling
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of coordination

Do you have a pinched nerve?

Having yourself checked is always the best way for you to find out. Proper diagnosis is best performed by a health professional, with a detailed health history, examination, and possibly imaging studies. Your doctor will likely ask you:

• How did your pain start?
• Did you encounter neck trauma?
• Where do you feel pain? Is it consistent? Did the region change since the pain started?
• What makes the pain worse? Or what relieves the pain for a brief time?

Pinched Nerve Treatment

Our treatment typically involves three components:

• Chiropractic Manipulation – This is called an “adjustment” and helps improve your overall spinal or joint function, while also improving your alignment. With neuropathy, our goal is to take pressure off the irritated nerve.
• Massage Therapy – Tight muscles putting pressure on our nerves can cause a lot of problems. Our therapists work to loosen up the muscles so the nerve can glide freely without extra pressure.
• Therapeutic Exercise – Based on our exam and findings, we recommend the appropriate stretches and exercises to take pressure off your nerves.

Our doctors are happy to help, please call us at (310) 548-5656 or send us a message from our contact page to book an appointment right here in San Pedro.