Your doctor has given you a pinched nerve diagnosis as the root cause of the pain, numbness, weakness, tingling and/or other symptoms you’ve been experiencing in your back and neck. The term “pinched nerve,” by its very nature, sounds unpleasant, and the symptoms can certainly be troublesome as well. However, in order to better treat this condition, it helps to first understand its causes.
What is a Pinched Nerve, and how is it Caused?
Nerve compression is another term for a pinched nerve. A Diagnosis of this condition simply means that one of your spinal nerves, or the spinal cord itself, is under pressure. This pressure can be caused by a variety of degenerative spine conditions, such as:
- Bone spurs
- Bulging disc
- Herniated disc
- Spinal stenosis
- Facet disease
These conditions are all largely unavoidable, since they are the natural byproduct of the aging process as normal wear and tear takes its toll on your spinal anatomy. By themselves, none of these conditions guarantee that you will experience any pain or other symptoms. However, it’s when one of these conditions causes a pinched nerve that problems will arise.
Treatment Options
Now that you’ve received a pinched nerve diagnosis and have spoken with your doctor to understand the spinal condition that is causing it, your next likely question will be, “How can I treat it?” The answer is often to try any of a variety of conservative, nonsurgical options that are typically very effective in managing the symptoms of a pinched nerve. From physical therapy and exercise to hot/cold therapy and pain medications, many individuals are able to find relief from their symptoms through these methods.
Alternatives
If you’ve failed to achieve pain relief after weeks or months of conservative treatments, contact Laser Spine Institute today. Our orthopedic experts perform a variety of minimally invasive, endoscopic procedures that are an alternative to open back surgery and have helped tens of thousands of patients rediscover their lives without back and neck pain.
