A pinched nerve is a fairly common problem, while there is no such diagnosis in the international classification of diseases. This is because the condition never occurs on its own but is always the result of a particular disease, injury, or pathology. That is why for the correct patient treatment, the doctor needs to find out the cause of the pinched nerve.
How Does a Pinched Nerve Manifest Itself?
The pain is usually intense, stabbing, or shooting (like an electric shock) in the neck, lower back, or chest. The sciatica pain can spread to the arm, to the back of the head, along the rib to the chest, often to the region of the heart, or to the leg. Muscle tension leads to a curvature of the spine, on the side of pain, the shoulder, shoulder blade, and thigh rise.
If the correct treatment is not prescribed, the pinched nerve can persist for several weeks and significantly impair the patient’s quality of life.
Causes of a pinched nerve:
– The most common cause is degenerative processes in the spine.
– Herniated disc.
– Constant intense physical activity.
What to Do If a Nerve Is Pinched?
First, it is important to establish the correct diagnosis.
In many cases, simple steps can help treat your symptoms:
- Medicines prescribed by a doctor, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and pain relievers.
- Weight loss, if necessary.
- Physical therapy exercises under the supervision of an instructor and the supervision of a doctor.
Pain in the lower back, leg, and decreased sensitivity are complaints that elderly people address. These symptoms are signs of a pinched sciatica nerve. When do they occur?
Pinched Nerves In Elderly People
Often the causes of pinched nerves in elderly people, among those mentioned above, are natural wear of the body tissues that lead to degeneration of the metabolic processes.
This leads to prolonged pain, the intensity of which gradually increases.
Acute pinching of the sciatic nerve occurs with injuries and awkward movements –– a sharp turn of the body, lifting weights, sometimes when coughing or sneezing. In these cases, the symptoms are due to piriformis spasms and are usually of short duration.
Do not postpone a visit to the doctor if you have:
- Lower back pain. The character can be varied (stabbing, pulling, aching), intensity — from a feeling of heaviness to sharp, unbearable.
- Pain on the back of the thigh.
- Long-term compression of the sciatic nerve leads to a violation of not only motor innervation but also a violation of conduction along the afferent part, which leads to a change in sensitivity.
- Paresthesia is a feeling of numbness.
- Limitation of motor activity.
- Constipation, urinary incontinence.
The Diagnostics of Pinched Nerve
First, it is necessary to establish and, if possible, eliminate the cause of the violations. This is important because signs of pinching of the sciatic nerve can be both a symptom of muscle spasm and a manifestation of neoplasms, including malignant ones.
For diagnostics, in addition to a physical examination, MRI, CT, radiography, and electromyography are used.
How to Treat Pinched Nerve?
In all cases of back pain, consultation with a vertebrologist or neurologist is necessary. Before a visit to the doctor, you can take painkillers if the sciatic nerve is pinched from the NSAID group. However, these are temporary measures that do not cure the pathology.
Each case is individual and requires a professional approach. A course of effective therapy will help you recover quickly!
Acute pinching of the sciatic nerve can go away on its own within 5-7 days. In cases of a chronic course, treatment should be comprehensive and include not only drugs but also underwater traction of the spine, Kinesio taping, and interstitial electrical stimulation. This will not only quickly get rid of pain but also improve the condition of tissues, and reduce swelling and inflammation.