Pinched Nerve in the Back and Neck
Description of a Pinched Nerve
Artwork of an intervertebral disc (blue) that has ruptured, leading to the internal jelly-like material (purple) putting pressure on a nerve (yellow), commonly referred to as a PINCHED NERVE. Intervertebral discs are found in the backbone, forming the cushions between each of the spinal bones (vertebrae) forming the vertebral column. Several of the vertebrae (brown) and discs are seen here, with the spinal cord (top center) running down inside the spine. The spinal cord connects all nerves to the brain, so pressure on a nerve close to the spinal cord can cause pain and paralysis in large areas of the body.
A Pinched nerve is the term for pain or impaired function of a nerve that is under pressure. It happens to nerves that control muscle movements or relay sensations to the brain.
E-mail LSI today
with your questions
The initial symptoms of a pinched nerve may be tingling, numbness, burning sensation or shooting pains down the buttocks and legs or in the neck, shoulders, arms and fingers.
Sometimes the pains and sensations are distant from the point of pressure. For instance, a pinched nerve in the low back may cause pain in the calf as the only symptom. When there is nerve damage from constant pressure, pain and weakness may increase. There may be a loss of reflexes, movement skills, sensation in the affected area, and withering (atrophy) of the affected muscles can occur.
At Laser Spine Institute (LSI), pinched nerves are released through minimally invasive arthroscopic, laser surgery in an outpatient surgical center.
Nerves are extensions from the brain that reach out into the arms or legs to go to the muscles or skin. A nerve is a cell that is microscopic in size, and its
Contact Laser Spine
Institute today!
fibers may run several feet in length toward its destination. A nerve cell that lives in the brain or within the spinal cord is called a central nerve, and a nerve that leaves the spine to go into the arms or legs are called peripheral nerves. These peripheral nerves are actually bundles of millions of nerve fibers that leave the spinal cord and branch to their target muscles to make them move or go to the skin to provide feeling.
Take me to the LSI Home
PageIf a nerve gets "pinched" the flow up and down the inside of the hose is reduced or blocked and the nutrients stop flowing. Eventually the membrane starts to loose its healthy ability to transmit the tiny electrical charges and the nerve fiber may eventually die. When enough fibers stop working, the skin may feel numbness or a muscle may not contract.
Causes of a Pinched Nerve
FREE - MEDICAL REVIEW AND SECOND OPINION
Fax your MRI REPORT to LSI and a qualified member of our staff will call you to discuss your condition(s) and what treatment may be effective. This review is at no cost to you, with no obligation and is kept completely confidential between you and the LSI staff. A personal consultation and/or written evaluation can only be provided if you are examined by a doctor at Laser Spine Institute, at which time there will be an appointment charge.
Common causes of pinched nerves in the spine include herniated discs, bulging discs or degenerative disc disease. Other causes include compression of a nerve at the elbow or wrist, a prolonged cramped posture, arthritis, bone spurs, job injury or a tumor.
Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve
A nerve can be pinched as it leaves the neck or the back by a herniated disc or by bone spurs that form from spinal arthritis.
When one has a pinched nerve in the low back, pain is usually perceived as radiating down the leg. When one has a pinched nerve in the neck, pain emanates from the neck, through the shoulders, down the arms and into the hands.
Muscle spasms in the back commonly accompany pinched nerves and can cause weakness in the arm or leg. The two most common pinched nerves in the lower back are L5 (lumbar 5) and S1 (sacral 1).
Pinched nerves in the lumbar region:
Read real testimonials from
real patients Pinched nerve at L5 - The L5 nerve supplies the nerves to the muscles that Read real testimonials from real patients raise the foot and big toe, and consequently, impingement of this nerve may lead to weakness in these muscles. Numbness for L5 runs over the top of the foot. Pain will be in the lower back running to the hip, down the lateral part of your thigh and calf and to the top of the foot.
Pinched nerve at S1 - Impingement of the S1 nerve can lead to weakness with the large gastronemius muscle in the back of the calf, causing difficulty with foot push off. Numbness for the S1 nerve runs on the outside of the foot. Pain will be in the lower back running to the buttocks, down the back of the thigh and calf to the lateral aspect of the foot (to the little toe).
Pinched nerves at L3, L4 and L5 - The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It starts in the low back at lumbar segment 3 (L3). The sciatic nerve roots run through the bony canal, and at each level in the lower back a pair of nerve roots exits from the spine. The nerve is named for the upper vertebral body that it runs between (for example, the nerve that exits at L4-L5 is named L4). The nerve passing to the next level runs over a weak spot in the disc space, which is the reason discs tend to herniate (extrude) right under the sciatic nerve root and can cause sciatica. The sciatica symptoms (low back pain, leg pain, numbness, tingling, weakness) are different depending on where the pressure on the nerve occurs. For example, a lumbar segment 5 (L5) nerve impingement can cause weakness in extension of the big toe and potentially in the ankle (foot drop).
Pinched nerves in the cervical region:
Click Here to see how you can get your life back in 5 days Pinched nerve at C5 - This can cause shoulder pain, deltoid weakness, and possibly a small area of numbness in the shoulder. On physical exam, a patient's biceps reflex may be diminished.
Pinched nerve at C6 - This can cause weakness in the biceps and wrist extensors, and pain/numbness that runs down the arm to the thumb. On physical exam, the brachioradialis reflex (mid-forearm) may be diminished.
Pinched nerve at C7 - This can cause pain/numbness that runs down the arm to the middle finger. On physical exam, the triceps reflex may be diminished.
Pinched nerve at C8 - This can cause hand dysfunction (this nerve supplies innervation to the small muscles of the hand). Pain/numbness can run to the outside of the hand (little finger) and impair its reflex.
Treatment of Pinched Nerve
Recommended treatment is generally open back surgery, with high risks, hospital stays and lengthy recuperation time.
Read real testimonials
from real patientsLaser Spine Institute (LSI) has a minimally invasive, outpatient surgery, laser-assisted, that can correct the causes of a pinched nerve and leave the patient free of the painful symptoms. These procedures are called Percutaneous Arthroscopic Discectomy, Foraminotomy or Laminotomy.
These laser spine procedures remove the portion of the extruding or herniated disc that is pressing against a nerve causing the sometimes painful symptoms. By removing or shrinking the disc or disc material that is causing the nerve to be impinged with the laser we can decompress the spinal cord or nerve root that is being impinged. At this point excess disc material is removed and the symptoms of a pinched nerve generally disappear.
Once the procedure is complete, the patient (with a companion) is free to go after 1 - 2 hours of monitoring. We generally encourage patients to take a long walk the afternoon or evening of their procedure. The patient then returns the following day for a post-operative visit to get clearance from the doctor to return home.