Pinched Nerve In The Back - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment For Pinched Nerve In The Back

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Causes, symptoms and treatment of a pinched nerve in the back

The narrowing of the interdisk space leads to compression of the nerve endings extending from the spinal cord. The pressure exerted by cartilage, tendons, bone and muscle tissue results in a pinched nerve in the back.

This phenomenon, accompanied by severe pain, is mainly experienced by older people. Hard physical work, excess weight - all these factors increase the risk of pinching.

Content:

• Symptoms of a pinched nerve in the back
• Causes of a pinched nerve in the back
• Types of pinched nerve in the back
• Diagnosis and treatment of a pinched nerve in the back

Symptoms of a pinched nerve in the back

The main symptoms of a pinched nerve in the back include:

• Sharp pain. Often, discomfort in the dorsal spine becomes the main and only sign of a pinched nerve in this area. Depending on the localization of pain, different types of the disease are distinguished. The unpleasant sensations of a pinched nerve are noticeable not only in the back. They are often given to the limbs or cervical region. Pain attacks vary in strength and duration. They can last as long as a few minutes or several hours. Even if the discomfort passes after a while without the use of drugs, you should pay attention to it. After all, neglected pinching of the back nerve leads to various complications that negatively affect the work of other tissues and organs in the body.
• Numbness. Feels in the area of pain localization. In some cases, it is accompanied by tingling and sensory loss.
• Impaired blood circulation in the brain. This symptom manifests itself in the form of dizziness, sudden changes in blood pressure. With acute attacks of pinching, hearing and vision impairments are possible, also caused by problems with the blood supply to the brain.
• Muscle spasms. For this reason, patients complain of general limb weakness. Staying at rest for a long time, for example, after sleeping, they experience difficulty in performing the simplest movements. The morning spasm of the muscles of the back and extremities gradually disappears after the patients walk around and do exercises.

• Problems in the work of internal organs. Pinching the autonomic or motor nerve in the back provokes more serious disorders. They manifest themselves in the form of deviations in the work of internal organs and their systems. This situation is dangerous because pain is not felt immediately, therefore pinching can be determined only during examination by a specialist.

Causes of a pinched nerve in the back

The main reasons for a pinched nerve in the back include:

• Muscle strain. A pinched nerve can be the result of increased stress, including heavy lifting. For this reason, pain in the lumbar region is often a concern for hard workers and athletes.
• Back injury. Displacement or subluxation of the vertebra as a violation of their natural position leads to a pinched nerve.
• Osteochondrosis. This disease and its consequences in the form of a herniated disc occurs after microtraumas that appear as a result of unbearable physical exertion, during falls, jumping, and running. The gap between the intervertebral discs is greatly reduced, and the nerves between them are compressed. Often it is the sciatic nerve that suffers for this reason.

• Protrusion. It is the result of the prolapse of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal. The integrity of the annulus fibrosus is not compromised. Protrusion is one of the stages of osteochondrosis, followed by a hernia, which can also cause pinching. As a result of all these processes, the nerves are trapped between the discs.

Types of pinched nerve in the back

Depending on the area of distribution and the nature of pain, the following types are distinguished when the nerve of the back is pinched:

• Lumbodynia. Defined by this term, back discomfort is also known as lumbago. It is characterized by sharp throbbing pain in the lumbar region. A pinched nerve is usually caused by osteochondrosis or intervertebral hernia. The development of such diseases leads to a reduction in the distance between the vertebrae. This is what causes nerve inflammation. Unpleasant sensations are felt with lumbago stronger during movements: turns from side to side, bends in the lower back. The muscles of the back are tense during an attack of pain. The patient's overall mobility is limited.
• Sciatica. Unlike acute pain lumbago with lumbago, sciatica manifests itself in the form of dull aching pain. It is localized in the area of the sciatic nerve. It is one of the largest in the human body and has many branches. Sciatica is associated with pinching of the sciatic nerve. This syndrome can be caused by many reasons, including injuries, tumors and various diseases of the spine. Sciatica is manifested not only by pain, but also by numbness, tingling, and can lead to dysfunctions of the pelvic organs.

Diagnosis and treatment of a pinched nerve in the back

The diagnosis is determined by the doctor based on the patient's complaints after a series of examinations: palpation, X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging. In this case, it is important to identify the cause of the pinched nerve in the back. By eliminating it, you can get rid of the pain.

First of all, treatment is carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, Ibuprofen, Naproxen. They relieve pain syndrome. For acute attacks, corticosteroids are used - steroid drugs. Conservative therapy involves the use of warming ointments and gels, compresses recommended by a doctor.

During the period of remission, when acute pains recede, it is necessary to engage in therapeutic exercises. It can be daily exercises, yoga exercises and even swimming, the main advantage of which is that it does not overload the back. Patients with a pinched nerve are shown therapeutic massage sessions.

A course of 10-15 procedures prevents the occurrence of new attacks of pain. During the massage, blood circulation is restored, tissue nutrition is improved, and nerve compression is eliminated. In rare cases, an operation is required, which is associated with the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment methods. Its specific type is selected depending on the nature of the pinching.

Author of the article: Sokov Andrey Vladimirovich | Neurologist

Education: In 2005 completed an internship at the IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University and received a diploma in Neurology. In 2009, completed postgraduate studies in the specialty "Nervous diseases".