Pinched Nerve

Pinched Nerve
(Nerve Entrapment or Nerve Compression)

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Medical Author: Jason C. Eck, DO, MS
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction to pinched nerve
• What causes a pinched nerve?
• Pinched nerve in the neck or lower back
• Pinched nerve in the wrist or elbow
• Other causes of pinched nerve
• What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve?
• How is a pinched nerve diagnosed?
• How is a pinched nerve treated?
• What is a patent's prognosis for a pinched nerve?
• Pinched Nerve At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Pinched Nerve - Describe Your Experience

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.

Pinched Nerve - Describe Your Experience

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Please describe your experience with a Pinched Nerve.

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