Prevention Is Key With Pinched Nerves

People who are overweight or elderly commonly battle very painful nerve complications with pinched nerves. Pinched nerves can also be caused by vitamin deficiencies or blunt force trauma, and they can do significant damage when left untreated. Even worse, for some people, they may end up being chronic, and prevention becomes vital.

What Is It?

First, it is important to know what a pinched nerve is because knowledge is the best form of prevention. A pinched nerve is nothing more than a nerve that is irritated due to being compressed by pressure. This can happen anywhere on your body but is common in joints and the back. You likely know the feeling of a compressed nerve if you have ever suffered numbness or tingling when you bang your elbow.

Causes

As mentioned above, a pinched nerve is one that is compressed. Therefore, some of the most common causes of pinched nerves are a herniated disc, sports injuries, poor posture, obesity, or repetitive movement. All of the causes are due to your joints becoming weak and unable to keep your nerves protected. Unfortunately, this also means that people who have jobs that require them to sit for extended periods of time may be more likely to develop pinched nerves from poor posture.

Symptoms of Pinched Nerves

In addition to the tingling sensation, pinched nerves cause a lot of pain and weakness in the area. People often complain about feeling a pressure or notice swelling surrounding the damaged area. Others will have different symptoms based on where the nerve is in the body. For pinched nerves in the neck area, the symptoms will mimic carpal tunnel syndrome. You will experience pain, just as when you are using your wrists and fingers, and it may even prevent some movement. However, if your pinched nerve is in your back, you will have more pain when you are walking and may even have pain in your chest depending on which way it radiates.

Prevention is key when it comes to pinched nerves. Treatment is often just taking pain relievers and occasionally a steroid shot to help reduce the inflammation. Surgery is only an option if it is scar tissue or bone fragments that are compressing the nerve. Losing weight and making sure you consume a lot of food that contain collagen are two of the best ways to prevent chronic nerve damage. Finally, make sure you are consuming food that is fresh and not processed. This will help suppress your appetite, while giving your body the proper nutrients to naturally detoxify, act as anti-inflammatories, and protect joints.

Contact a company like Beltline Chiropractic to learn more.

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