home > diseases, conditions and tests a-z list > pinched nerve article

Pinched Nerve
(Nerve Entrapment or Nerve Compression)

Take the Pain Quiz! Back Pain Myths Slideshow Migraine Symptoms, Triggers & Treatment Slideshow

Medical Author:

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Jason C. Eck, DO, MS

Dr. Eck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Catholic University of America in Biomedical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. Following this he worked as a research engineer conducting spine biomechanics research. He then attended medical school at University of Health Sciences. He is board eligible in orthopaedic surgery.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

View Full Profile

Introduction to pinched nerve

Nerves are like electrical cords that carry information from the brain to the rest of the body and vice-versa. They are distributed throughout the entire body.

• Motor (efferent) nerves carry information from the brain out to the body. This allows the brain to send commands to the various organs of the body. For example, these commands are sent to the muscles causing them to contract and move, or sends information to the heart to either beat faster or slower.
  
  
• Sensory (afferent) nerves send information from the body back to the brain for processing, including information about pain, touch, taste, temperature, or other sensations.

The information travels along the nerve by an electrochemical signal, much like information traveling along an electrical cord. When a nerve is pinched, the signal is interrupted somewhere along its path.

What causes a pinched nerve?

A pinched nerve is caused when a nerve is somehow damaged or injured by direct pressure or compression and is unable to properly conduct its signal. There are many potential causes for a pinched nerve, depending on the location of the nerve.

Pinched nerve in the neck or lower back

A pinched nerve in the neck or lower back can be caused by a herniated disc, arthritis, bone spurs, or spinal stenosis.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal through which the nerves pass with the spine. A pinched nerve in the lower back or buttock can compress the sciatic nerve, which can cause sciatica.