Life can be sailing along beautifully so much of the time. If our work is fairly satisfying and we are paid a decent wage, then we’ll make our way through the work week and emerge with money for our necessities and for some fun things too. If we have a partner in life, we get the benefit of having caring companionship and love. And after a long week at work, it’s great to enjoy fun weekend activities, have friends over for a backyard barbeque and may even have time to plan a family vacation.
This beautiful tableau of life can come to a screeching halt, though, if you have a pinched nerve. The pain can be debilitating and nearly crippling, and you may find yourself reduced to tears. The pain from a pinched nerve can radiate, and extend through other areas of your body. Life suddenly becomes unbearable. You won’t have any relief at night, either, as the pain may make it nearly impossible to find a comfortable position and be able to sleep.
The Symptoms of Pinched Nerves
One of the key indicators of a pinched nerve is a feeling of tingling or numbness in part of your body. Where these symptoms will occur depends the location of the compromised nerve. A nerve issue in your neck, for instance, can result in symptoms showing up in your arms and hands, or shoulders. Lower back nerve problems can lead to numbness and tingling through your legs and feet.
It’s also likely that you’ll have a lot of pain in the area where the nerve is compressed. You might feel a burning sensation, or “pins and needles”. With some nerve injuries, you may also experience weakness that is exacerbated by certain activities.
How A Chiropractor Can Help Treat a Pinched Nerve
Your chiropractor can offer help for a pinched nerve, and has the experience, training and expertise to offer a variety of treatments to suit your specific issue and condition. In some cases, the nerve issue may be caused by a dysfunction in the joint or misalignment of bone, also known as a subluxation. If so, they can do a chiropractic adjustment that will often provide nearly immediate pain relief.
If there is an injury to one of your spinal discs, chiropractic traction may be the preferred course of treatment. When you elongate the spine through traction, you reduce pressure on the discs. This lets the disc fill with fluid, which in turn takes pressure off the nerves in the spine.
Advanced Chiropractic Treatments Provide an Alternative to Surgery
Nerves can may become irritated as they pass through muscles, resulting in what is called peripheral nerve entrapment. When the nerve is damaged like this it affects the myelin sheaths. Scar tissue develops, and you may develop adhesions between the nerve and sheath. Your chiropractor can use a specialized treatment called Active Release Technique to help with this issue.
Your chiropractic provider may also be able to offer the Butler Spine Program. This leading-edge therapy is non-surgical, and combines laser treatments with a Deep Tissue (Class IV) Laser and spinal decompression.