The sharp, shooting pain. The tingling that won’t stop. The numbness that makes your arm or leg feel like it belongs to someone else. If you’ve ever experienced a pinched nerve, you know just how disruptive it can be. What starts as an annoyance can quickly become a constant companion that affects everything from your sleep to your ability to work.
The good news is that pinched nerves often respond very well to chiropractic care. At Premier Chiropractic Center in Bessemer, Dr. Roshun Glover has helped many patients find relief from pinched nerve symptoms and get back to living without constant discomfort.
What Exactly Is a Pinched Nerve?
A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues. These tissues might be bones, cartilage, muscles, or tendons. When a nerve is compressed, it can’t function properly, leading to pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the area the nerve serves.
The medical term for a pinched nerve is nerve compression or nerve entrapment. While it can happen anywhere in the body, pinched nerves most commonly occur in the spine, where nerves exit between vertebrae, and in areas where nerves pass through narrow spaces, such as the wrist (carpal tunnel) or elbow.
When a nerve is pinched, it sends distress signals that you experience as symptoms. These signals are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and needs attention.
Common Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve
The symptoms you experience depend on which nerve is affected and where the compression is occurring.
Pain is often the first and most noticeable symptom. The pain may be sharp, burning, or aching. It might stay localized to one area or radiate along the path of the nerve. For example, a pinched nerve in the lower back might cause pain that travels down the leg, while a pinched nerve in the neck might send pain into the shoulder, arm, or hand.
Tingling or “pins and needles” sensations are common with nerve compression. You might feel like the affected area has fallen asleep or is being poked by tiny needles. This sensation often comes and goes at first but may become more constant as the compression continues.
Numbness occurs when nerve signals are significantly disrupted. You might notice decreased sensation in certain areas, making it harder to feel touch, temperature, or pain in the affected region.
Muscle weakness can develop if the pinched nerve controls muscle function. You might have difficulty gripping objects, lifting your arm, or walking normally, depending on which nerve is involved.
Symptoms that worsen with certain positions or movements are typical of pinched nerves. You might notice that turning your head, bending forward, or sitting in certain positions makes your symptoms flare up.
What Causes Pinched Nerves?
Understanding what’s causing your nerve compression helps guide effective treatment.
Spinal Misalignment
When vertebrae shift out of their proper position, they can narrow the openings where nerves exit the spine. This is one of the most common causes of pinched nerves and is a primary focus of chiropractic care. Even small misalignments can put enough pressure on a nerve to cause significant symptoms.
Herniated or Bulging Discs
The discs between your vertebrae can bulge or rupture, allowing their inner material to press on nearby nerves. This is a frequent cause of sciatica (pinched nerve in the lower back affecting the leg) and cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve in the neck affecting the arm).
Bone Spurs
As joints age or experience wear and tear, the body sometimes grows extra bone called bone spurs or osteophytes. These bony projections can encroach on the spaces where nerves travel, causing compression.
Repetitive Motions
Doing the same movements over and over can cause tissues to swell and put pressure on nerves. This is common in jobs or activities that involve repetitive hand, wrist, or arm movements.
Poor Posture
Slouching, forward head posture, and other postural problems change the alignment of your spine and can contribute to nerve compression over time.
Injuries
Accidents, falls, or sports injuries can cause sudden misalignments, disc damage, or swelling that leads to nerve compression.
Prolonged Positions
Staying in one position for extended periods, such as sleeping with your arm bent under your head or sitting with your legs crossed, can temporarily compress nerves.
How Chiropractic Care Relieves Pinched Nerves
Chiropractic treatment is particularly well-suited for pinched nerves because it addresses the structural issues that cause nerve compression in the first place.
Spinal Adjustments
The primary way chiropractic care helps pinched nerves is through spinal adjustments. When vertebrae are misaligned and pressing on nerves, gentle, precise adjustments restore proper alignment. This opens up the spaces where nerves exit the spine, relieving compression and allowing the nerve to function normally again.
At Premier Chiropractic Center, Dr. Glover uses techniques that are both effective and comfortable. The Activator Method delivers precise adjustments using a handheld instrument, ideal for targeting specific areas of nerve compression. The Thompson Technique uses a specialized drop table that assists adjustments with minimal force. These gentle approaches can provide significant relief without causing additional discomfort.
Reducing Inflammation
When tissues are inflamed, they take up more space and can compress nearby nerves. Chiropractic adjustments help improve circulation and reduce inflammation in the affected area. As inflammation decreases, pressure on the nerve is relieved and symptoms often improve significantly.
Relieving Muscle Tension
Tight muscles can contribute to nerve compression, and nerve irritation often causes surrounding muscles to spasm in response. This creates a cycle of tension and pain. By restoring proper joint function, chiropractic care helps muscles relax, breaking this cycle and providing relief.
Improving Joint Mobility
Restricted joint movement can contribute to nerve compression by altering the mechanics of the spine. Chiropractic adjustments restore normal motion to joints that have become stuck or restricted, creating more space for nerves and reducing irritation.
Addressing Disc Problems
For pinched nerves caused by disc bulges or herniations, chiropractic care can help by improving spinal alignment and taking pressure off the affected disc. Some techniques, like flexion-distraction, gently decompress the spine to encourage disc material to move away from the nerve.
What to Expect from Treatment
When you visit Premier Chiropractic Center for a pinched nerve, Dr. Glover will begin with a thorough evaluation to identify exactly what’s causing your symptoms.
This evaluation includes detailed questions about your symptoms, such as where you feel pain, when it started, what makes it better or worse, and whether you have numbness, tingling, or weakness. A physical examination assesses your range of motion, reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation. Dr. Glover will also evaluate your spinal alignment and identify areas of restriction or tenderness.
Based on these findings, he’ll explain what he believes is causing your pinched nerve and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Most patients with pinched nerves require a series of visits for optimal results. Early visits focus on reducing pain and relieving the immediate compression. As symptoms improve, treatment shifts toward correcting the underlying issues that led to the nerve compression in the first place.
Many patients notice improvement within the first few visits, though the timeline varies depending on the cause and severity of the nerve compression and how long you’ve been experiencing symptoms.
Tips for Supporting Your Recovery
While chiropractic care addresses the structural causes of your pinched nerve, there are things you can do to support your recovery.
Pay attention to your posture throughout the day. Poor posture is a common contributor to nerve compression, and making improvements can help prevent recurrence.
Avoid positions or activities that worsen your symptoms. If sitting for long periods aggravates your pain, take frequent breaks to stand and move. If certain sleeping positions cause problems, experiment with different arrangements.
Stay gently active. While you should avoid activities that increase your pain, complete rest isn’t usually helpful. Gentle movement keeps tissues healthy and prevents stiffness.
Apply ice to reduce inflammation during acute flare-ups. Heat may feel soothing but can sometimes increase inflammation, so use it cautiously.
Follow any specific recommendations Dr. Glover provides for your situation.
Don’t Wait for It to Get Worse
Pinched nerves sometimes resolve on their own, but many do not, and delaying treatment can lead to worsening symptoms or even permanent nerve damage in severe cases. If you’ve been dealing with symptoms of a pinched nerve for more than a few days, or if your symptoms are severe, it’s wise to seek care.
At Premier Chiropractic Center, Dr. Roshun Glover provides gentle, effective treatment for pinched nerves using techniques that prioritize your comfort while delivering real results. Our Bessemer office serves patients throughout the Birmingham area who are looking for natural solutions to nerve pain.
If a pinched nerve has been disrupting your life, book your appointment today. Relief may be just a few visits away.
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