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What is a Pinched Nerve?

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

If you have ever felt the numbing or tingling sensation of a limb 'falling asleep', you've most likely experienced a pinched nerve. Nerves generally fall into two categories, central and peripheral. The central nerves are located mostly in the spinal column and brain, while peripheral nerves extend to the tips of a person's extremities. If one of these peripheral nerves becomes trapped under a joint or bone spur, the electrical connection below the pinch point becomes blocked. This leads to the numbing sensation we call a pinched nerve.

One of the most common locations for a pinched nerve is the spinal region of the back. This is because many nerves exit the central spinal cord through gaps in the vertebrae. If a degenerative disease or a trauma should cause the disk between two vertebrae to collapse, a condition known as a herniated disk, then any nerve around the disk could become a pinched nerve. The result is often a painful back spasm around the affected area or a numbing sensation in the legs, arms or lower back.

The wrists are a common location for pinched nerves.
The wrists are a common location for pinched nerves.

Another common location for a pinched nerve is in the carpal tunnel area of the wrist. Because all of the nerves leading to and from the hand and fingers must pass through this crowded area, it is not unusual for the bones in the wrist or lower arm to pinch a nerve occasionally. The elbow is another area prone to create a pinched nerve, as are the major joints of the hips, shoulders and ankles. In order to cause the painful tingling or temporary loss of mobility associated with a pinched nerve, the bone must maintain a steady pressure on the nerve long enough to cause injury. This is why it may take several hours for a leg to 'fall asleep' if held in a stressful position.

Pinched nerves in the lower back can cause back spasms.
Pinched nerves in the lower back can cause back spasms.

Treatments for a pinched nerve range from simple rest to surgical procedures. Many people experience full recovery from a pinched nerve within days of the original injury, since the nervous system makes repairs in segments. Others may find relief through cortisone shots, which relieve the pressure around the nerve by causing a beneficial swelling in the joint.

A deep muscle massage may help treat a pinched nerve.
A deep muscle massage may help treat a pinched nerve.

If the pinched nerve is caused by a bone spur or herniated disk, however, a surgical procedure may be in order. The underlying cause of the pinched nerve is usually addressed first, allowing time for the nerve to regrow naturally. Some pinched nerves can indeed die, however, so some people may never fully regain sensation below the pinch point.

Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular TheHealthBoard contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick

A regular TheHealthBoard contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon946606

Don't get out of bed too fast! I did, and guess what? I ended up with a killer pain in my lower back. It's been five days now. The first day I did it I couldn't even move side to side. The day after I could move from side to side. I can't bend still and it really hurts. Just a tip: use a cold pack for 15 minutes, then a hot pack for 15 minutes, take pain killers and drink heaps of water. Seeing a doctor is a must. You can't take a risk! I'm going to see the doctor this week.

anon277066

@anon904: I recently had an angiogram and it was done in my left arm instead of the groin. I experienced pain and weakness in my left arm for weeks. I saw a doctor who did a sonogram and said I had a blocked artery.

A week ago, I had angioplasty done to unblock the artery, but still have tingling and pain in my fore finger and the next finger. It is constant and keeps me up at night. I go for a checkup tomorrow and I only hope that they have a solution to my problem.

anon250018

I was playing rugby four days ago and I got directly hit by an elbow in the forearm. I had muscular pain with finger tingling. I went to accident and emergency where I had an x-ray which revealed no fracture. However my forearm still hurts and I still have a tingling thumb and index finger. It is worse when I stand up straight. Suggestions please?

anon204929

I had this doctor tell that my back was okay and nothing was wrong with it. He was just doing a favor for the insurance company, so they would not have to cover me anymore.

Ethics in the doctor's office is dependent on how much cash the insurance company is willing to shell out. Later on, when I held another doctor's feet to the coal, he decided to halfway tell the truth of what was going on, but always worded things in favor of the insurance company. Unfortunately, they really don't care about a patient. They just want to screw you over!

anon197144

Help! I've had a pain in my right arm for months and its getting increasingly worse. It's like the feeling you get when you step on a prickle -- that aaaagh! cringe worthy pain.

It's now happening almost continuously and I've been unable to sleep because of it. Sometimes, it gets numb for about half a minute as well, as though I've slept on it. This happened to me today while I was driving and was really scary because I felt like I had no control of my arm.

I'm 45, exercise every day, eat well and am otherwise very fit and healthy.

Medical doctors just seem to want to get me in and out as quickly as possible, charge me money and refer me to their 'specialist' friends who also don't seem to have a clue! Help!

anon196103

@post 11: I would see your doc and have a test run on your heart.

anon180614

I have had dull, ongoing, chronic pain in my neck and down my left shoulder and down my back for about four years. I tried phys ed, ice, heat, massage etc etc. Finally went to see an acupuncturist and got a lot of relief. I stopped seeing the acupuncturist when I moved. Recently it had got worse and I could barely drive.

I had an MRI - all fine. The orthopedist who treated bursitis on my left shoulder felt I had a trapped nerve in my neck and recommended cortisone injections. I have not done that yet and instead, found a new local acupuncturist. Again, acupuncture has helped me immensely. I am not "cured" but I have found a way without drugs, to get immediate and palpable pain relief. When it gets bad, I schedule an appointment. This works for me and more people should try this alternative treatment, which at its heart, reduces inflammation. I no longer have chronic, never-ending pain which was there all the time. Now and then my neck hurts and that is the signal to make an appointment.

If anyone here has not tried acupuncture, I would highly recommend they do. Many insurance carriers now cover acupuncture. My experience has been if you have a choice of phys ed or acupuncture, try the acupuncture. To start you'd need to do it as often as phys ed which is usually prescribed two or three times a week (I went two times a week for the first month). Phys ed feels nice while they are massaging but left no material benefit for me. Acupuncture definitely did.

Chronic pain is so debilitating, we all know that. It shuts out a lot of whatever else is going on in your life. So, try this. Even if an insurance carrier does not cover it, most practitioners charge about $60 an hour. Its so worth it to get your life back.

anon174522

to anon156183: the 13 year old who keeps falling. i don't know how old this post is, and i don't want to worry you, but I'm currently having a possible pinched nerve investigated by my doctor, physio and chiropractor and both my doctor and the physio said if i ever have weakness or numbness in my legs so bad that i can't stand or i fall i should get checked out ASAP! Make sure you get yourself checked out.

anon173882

I am shocked after reading all these comments and feel really sorry for all the people here. I got lower back pain two years ago and went to numerous doctors trying to get help and answers; however, I encountered with disappointment and frustration. The medical care (knowledge of the doctors) in Canada is completely different from Ukraine and not in good way; I realized that I would never solve my problem here.

One more year and I will come back to Ukraine. It is sad that there are so many people suffering for many years. My suggestions are please don’t be afraid of doing the research about the clinic (institute) in Kiev or in Moscow and arrange the meeting through the phone, and fly over there. You will be surprised how cheap it will be and how knowledgeable doctors are.

I am writing it for all people on this site who are desperate to get help. I was touched by post 21, especially.

anon170010

lately my wrist has been hurting badly. My trainer at college thought i had fractured my scaphoid bone, but x-rays have come back negative. Two weeks ago, I got hit in the jaw playing softball by a runner. Every since then my neck and back have been very sore and I feel as though I cannot sit for long periods of time without my back killing me.

Two days ago, my right thumb started going numb. Last night i found an area right below my thumb on the top of the hand where if I press it, I have no feeling in my thumb. My forearm on the outside and my elbow have also been hurting too. Any ideas?

anon168807

I have had pain in my lower leg a few inches above my ankle to my foot. I have been in pain when i run in gym class or walk down the stairs. I'm 18 and I've tried using ice packs, heating pads, an elastic ankle support (i just starting using the heating pad today and got the ankle support today) and the pain stopped for a little while when i had the ankle support in for a little while, but i didn't want to keep it on too long because the elastic hurts the area it is around. my mom thinks it's a pinched nerve but i just want the pain to go away.

anon168043

@anon147958: I have had the direct opposite findings. I go to pain management routinely and have had pain from the right side of my buttocks and down my entire leg since oct 2010. It is now April and it is very excruciating pain. My pain doctor ordered an MRI and all it showed was a slight disc bulge at L5 but he said nothing showed that would be causing this excruciating pain.

I then went to a chiropractor and asked for a standing X-ray, and with my own eyes could see the problem clearly. The bottom three discs were completely compressed together and were pressing against nerves in the spine. I don't understand how an expensive MRI did not show this but an x ray showed it very clearly. The chiro said that x rays show spine and bone structure better and MRI shows problems with muscles and soft tissues better.

So anyway, I went forever without anyone knowing what problem was. I also had a similar situation with my neck and found out from an x ray I also have a compressed disc and a bone spur on the disc. Now today I woke up with bad pain in my upper right arm. Not sure if I slept on it wrong or if now it is a symptom of the problem in my neck. It hurts very much though, to the point of crying and I am also on really strong medications, oxycontin and oxymorphone and am in so much pain all I can do is cry.

The upper right arm pain is kind of scaring me. I'm not sure if related to nerve problem or if could be heart related. Anyone have any ideas? It is just my upper arm muscle area, but it is not muscle pain, it is very strange feeling and hurts a lot.

anon166424

I am 22 years old, I have had my back broken on two different occasions, and also had surgery on the lower back break. Occasionally since the surgery, which helped me a lot, i have bad muscle spasms in my back.

Well, yesterday, one flared up. It's always in my left side which is the weakest. Today i woke up in excruciating pain and my pinky and my ring finger on my left hand are numb. I have been up for three hours now and it's still numb, and the pain in my back-hip area is still there worse than it has been for a while.

Has anyone else had an issue like this? I'm really scared. I am out of town and my doctor practices three hours away. Well actually he is missing. He went to Libya and has not yet returned. So i think I'm kind of screwed either way i go.

anon165720

I have a constant numbness in my back on the right of my shoulder blade leading up to my neck. When my boyfriend presses on my back all I can feel is the pressure, but no feeling at all. Around the numbness there is pain and the more I stretch to get my spine to move the more it eventually makes my spine hurt.

I just feel like my back is constantly in clench mode and I have been to a chiropractor and physical therapist and neither has been able to help. Any suggestions?

tifper9265

On the right side of my body my hip, from the shoulder down to the tips of my fingers and my knee hurts. I was wondering if this could be from a pinched nerve or something with my kidneys. Please help. I don't want to go to the doctor with this if it is something i can fix myself.

anon157776

i m having pain in my head for the last four or five days. what to do now?

anon156183

I'm 13 and I'm kind of worried. i was sitting down on my bed with my laptop, and when i got up immediately fell. my legs felt numb and when i got back to my feet i stretched my legs thinking they were asleep, but when i got back up my legs where shaking like crazy while i was walking downstairs and i fell twice from going downstairs on up. Is this something i should be worried about?

anon156127

I'm 19 and my stepdad after falling asleep on his arm along time he has been having tingling and numbness in his hands and it's very painful. could this be a pinched nerve? and would he need surgery? it's been this way a while now.

anon152349

119662 and those of you with disc problems, search the internet for Dr. Bonati. he is located in Florida, and does miracle work, not the normal 'back surgery.' it is outpatient and you stay awake, not big surgery. He is amazing, his technique is amazing and patented. He has helped several people I know. Please look him up. He is a life saver.

anon147958

To answer post 33 about self diagnosing: I have been to the doctor about my pinched nerve in my lower back. Although he may have generalized what he felt the diagnosis was (correctly), he had me get an xray within his medical center just after my visit with him.

Everything I've found on the internet regarding the proper diagnosis for a pinched nerve says an xray is worthless and an MRI is the best at pinpointing where the nerve is pinched.

This is the second (and last) time this doctor will mislead me in order to generate revenue for his medical center and his pharma friends. I had to leave the country for a month and needed some sort of guidance on what to do next. This is my story on why the internet has been very useful for my situation. I'm sure others have their own story.

anon142267

i have a pinched nerve in my lower back caused by a swollen muscle. what kind of doctor do i see who will give me an injection. i have had those shots before and they are the number one treatment.

anon136461

i have lower back pain; it hurts both legs. i am on dilaudid for pain but now it getting where i can't walk. my back surgeon said it could take me up to 20 surgeries. is this true?

anon132234

I am a 21 year old female. In August I lifted a metal shed. Ever since then I have had pain in my lower back into my left buttock area.

If I stand for more then 1 minute straight up I get this tingling feeling in my left leg. Sometimes it feels like someone is burning it off. If I try and walk around and ignore the pain, I notice that I am bent half way over and about in tears due to the intense pain.

I have gone to my doctor and he had said that I have a pinched nerve in my lower back. When I went and saw him again he said I might have a dislocated disk or a fractured disk. He said that I need to get a MRI done to verify this information.

I am starting to feel like this is a waste of my time. I just want it to be fixed so that I can move on in my life. I did as he told me and rested in bed I still do that. The pain is still there. Each day that passes, it seems to get ever worse then the day before. I don't know what I should do. I don't know how messed up my back is really.

My question I have is how can you tell if this is going to be lifetime of pain or a short time? Please answer. I really want to know what to expect.

anon123281

I'm a 16 year old femle. for five days my lower back and left leg have been killing me to the point to where i have to get help to get out of my bed. I can't bend over and it hurts to walk.

anon121507

I am 23 and have experienced nerve pain since I was about 16. I have not had it diagnosed, my symptoms are; it is normally whole sided nerve pain (mostly on my right side, sometimes changes to my left).

It goes from my face, neck, arm, wrist, down whole side of body to the leg. It is a burning, tingling, sharp, ripping type of pain. I don't often experience numbness and have never experienced muscles freeze, or loss of movement or the other normal symptoms of a pinched nerve. The pain can last from six hours to five days. it comes and goes when it wants I do not understand what triggers it.

My vertebrae C3 goes out of alignment easily and my low back (hips area). I had 2nd and 3rd degree burns when I was 2 years old, by climbing into a bath of boiling water. What would this type of nerve pain be diagnosed as? any ideas? any help would be great, I have tried many different natural therapies and osteopaths and chiro's do not get much relief, and pain killers don't help.

anon119662

anon 91328- I have a 17 mm disk bulge at L5-S1 as well which has caused severe sciatica. I have tried several chiropractors, acupuncture and physical therapy. I recently went to a surgeon because this is my last option. He informed me that my disk is bulging in both directions. This could be your problem as well. Another could be your left side is compensating for your right side.

Nonetheless, a pinched nerve is serious and if left untreated can cause permanent damage. It is important to go to a doctor and, if needed, get an mri. I am getting surgery next month to resolve the problem because i don't want to face permanent damage. my disk however is the biggest bulge the doctor has ever seen.

anon109244

I'm a 45 year old women and i had bone fusion surgery and now i have an electrical feeling every day.

i take gabapentin 400 mg four times a day, but i still feel the same way most of the time. When i go out i have to take the pills with me. I told my doctor who did the surgery and he looked at and said to me, "what do you want me to do?" But he wants me to live my life like this. Something is wrong. It feels like someone is shocking me every min. I need help or a blessing.

anon105779

What's with people self diagnosing on the internet? Go and see a doctor, people!

anon101228

Just wondering if I have a pinched nerve? I am an active 33 year old female. My problem is when I am walking, the right side of my shoulder blade area (the tip close to my spine) starts to hurt- not too bad but enough to make me want to push on the area to make it stop.

Eventually, my right arm and down to my fingers start to tingle/numbing feeling- just really annoying. Strange thing is that when I run it doesn't happen? Help me!

anon100291

I have been having horrible pain in my lower back on the left side and down the left leg it hurts really bad. I don't know what it could be.

anon91328

I have been diagnosed with disc bulge in L4-L5 of 2- 3 mm and slight bulge in L5 - S1 too. It started with sciatic pain in my right leg and terrible pain and spasms and toe tingling in my right leg. Now I am starting to experience slight pain and tingling sensation in my left hip. Can disc bulge affect both sides?

lynzcalder8

i have tingling feeling feeling from my right breast, armpit and down the right arm. what may this be?

anon85211

i had some blood taken recently and afterwards my arm was sore, then it began to feel numb, and 'heavy' and sporadically it gets tingly and doesn't seem to be as nimble. does this sound like a pinched nerve, and if so what can i do to fix it? and this may sound silly but I can't die from a pinched nerve can it? I'm kind of freaking out. any advice would be much appreciated! thanks

anon81652

I have had a completely numb arm for the last two weeks, and my mum says that it is nothing.

I have tried ice packs, heat packs, braces, everything that you can think of, but I guess you could liken the pain to being stabbed in the shoulder. It is really affecting what I do, being in year eight and everything, and I don't know what else to do. Shavonne

anon81587

Avoid eating refined sugars and flour and try adding the following to your diet to reduce inflammation.

If you are not regularly eating ginger and turmeric, consider taking these in supplemental form.

Add CoQ10 to your daily regimen: 60-100 milligrams of a soft gel form taken with your largest meal.

If you are prone to metabolic syndrome, take alpha-lipoic acid, 100 to 400 milligrams a day.

anon80763

to 76385-I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had several MRIs and x-rays,showing some bulging in some areas,but nothing major. Fibromyalgia is a term that can be used to describe symptoms of chronic pain and chronic fatigue due to some sort of traumatic injury or illness.

I have tried many different therapies-physical therapy, message therapy, trigger point injections, chiropractors, but nothing has helped and it is now 11 years later.

If that is what you have, try different therapies and pain relievers. Don't ever give up. Take things one day at a time. That is all you can do.

anon77971

I injured my back after taking a spin class at the gym. I feel like I have a pinched nerve right below my left shoulder blade. I barely could get out of bed the day after, but after taking Aleve the pain has calmed down, but I can still feel the twinge of pain. Any suggestions on how long it takes before it heals?

anon76385

I am a computer engineer. i am having pain in the right side of head, neck, below neck, arm, shoulder, lower back, knee and below knee. All my pain is in the right side of body and sometimes I have pain in my right eye also, as well as heaviness in whole right side of body. I can't even write properly with my right hand.

It's been almost two years and all reports were fine except the MRI in which it was written that i have minor disc bulges at c3-c4, c4-c5,c5-c6 level. And one year ago i went for a nerve conduction test in which it was written that one of my nerves is pressed.

I have seen so many doctors but had no relief. Some say i have migraines, some say fibromyalgia, some say slipped disc, some say writers dystonia.

Tell me what is the problem. i have given up now. I am not taking any medications right now.

Sometimes i feel so lonely and depressed and feel like crying. In the past i went through emotional trauma. I have become weak externally as well as internally.

What do i do? I never had an injury and there is no such problem in my family earlier. Whenever i walk for long periods, i get pain in my lower back, buttocks, knees and below the knee. And whenever i sit for a long time in front of computer, i get pain in the right side of my head. My stomach also remains upset most of the time.

Are all these symptoms interrelated or do i have multiple problems and what are those problems?

anon74895

Please offer any suggestions. The pain starts in my left trapezius (swells really bad) radiates down my left arm extensor carpi radialis longus m, then extensor carpi or brachloradialism then down to my hand pad tendon of flexor digitorum superficialis.

My whole arm is always numb and has pins and needles. I have unbelievable pain, throbbing and sometimes feel like a bee is stinging in my ring finger. This has been going on since Dec 19th and I have tried physio, massage and rest and nothing is helping.

I have no strength and I can't take the pain and Tylenol #3 and anti spasm drugs do not even touch the pain.

Please help and I apologize for my spelling and using tech words but I am looking at a muscle chart trying to explain it. Thank you.

anon66894

I have no idea how else to explain my situation other than to say that the area between my shoulder blades on my back falls asleep all the time. Occasionally, I also have neck pain associated with it. The "asleep mode" takes effect especially when I am folding laundry or typing on my computer...any suggestions? Does it sound like a pinched nerve?

anon65474

For the past two months I have been having terrible pains down the back of my left thigh and calf causing my foot and calf to be numb. I did have a sore back two months ago and I believe this stems from that. It feels like I have a constant cramp and no matter how much I rub it, it won't go away. This is somewhat alarming me and I want to know how I can get rid of the pain.

anon62629

I have a pinched nerve in my hip. Very, very painful. I was given a Ketoralac injection, as well as some Valium. It will be sore for a while.

anon55231

i am 15 years old. I was experiencing pain down my arm a few weeks ago then a tingling sensation which lasted the whole night. i saw a doctor the next day who said it was my nerves in my arm. i never received any medication. now the tingling 'dead' feeling has came back, what is this?

anon53803

well i woke up the other day fine and the same night before i went to bed my left shoulder blade started to hurt. not a sharp pain but dull, but it's day two and it still hurts but i think i just laid on it wrong from the other night and i think i kinked it or pinched it. what do you think?

anon53099

I had a pinched nerve in my neck. it stared out as just a dull pain that went from my neck to my shoulder then by the third day it was hurting and burning.

I have experienced increasing weakness in my right hand and some in my left. I had to get a shot in the ER to help with the pain and relax the muscles, which helped.

I got with my doctor and a test was performed that sent electric currents through my arms to check for where the nerve damage was from and whether it comes from the neck or if it's carpal tunnel.

My arms fall asleep when doing certain tasks. I still haven't gotten my results but every time I got a shock in my right hand my legs kicked up. It doesn't look too great.

chashef

I have numbness on the tip of my index finger on my left hand and pain on my upper lat close to my armpit. I also have pain in my forearm near my elbow when my arm is extended parallel to the ground when standing. Sometimes the pain occurs when I stand in on place with my arms to my side. The pains first occurred when I went for to a brutal message therapist for a muscle pain between my shoulder blades to the left of my vertebrae. The pain has lessened over the last 2 weeks but the numbness in the fingertip is still there and tingling occurs between my thumb and middle finger on the top of my hand when I bend over and pick up something. Do I have a compressed median nerve? What could it be and what should I do about it?

anon35441

For several months now, my 13 year old sister has been complaining of an awful burning pain on her right shoulder. Recently though, the pain has spread to her entire back. The doctors said it was all in her head, but she really isn't the imaginative type. The pain is bad enough that some days she just spends her time crying in her room not able to sleep. A friend of mine told me that it could be a pinched spinal nerve but the doctors keep saying there's nothing wrong with her. So what should I do to help her seeing as how none of the doctors will.

tom100033

I had a spur in my neck that caused pain and tingling in my neck, shoulder and down my left arm. After two surgeries the pain remains. The last few days I have started to experience the same symptoms in my *right* arm and hand.

*What* is Happening? Can this happen where it travels to the right side? Please answer me as soon as possible as I am very very worried about what is happening. I should also note that I had a fusion in my neck (c5-c6) and a small plate was implanted. But why am I having these symptoms on my right side? Thanks so much for any information you can provide me!

skyblue

I am a 37-year-old female. I have had a discomfort in my lower back since 1991. I have been to my doctors and chiropractors in 7 to 8 different states, and all say it is nothing or that I maybe pulled something or lifted something wrong. I even had one tell me that it was all in my head and that I just wanted attention.

For years, I thought that maybe it was all in my head. I have been in pain since the birth of my first daughter, which was 17 years ago. I always believed that the doctor pinched a nerve when giving me that epidural. I finally got an answer, it is a pinched nerve and now I can start to manage the pain as well as start the healing.

For the longest time, I thought that I was going crazy because no doctor could find anything wrong with me. I became depressed and cried all the time, telling myself that this pain is just in my head.

pickle

I am a 37 year old female. I have had a discomfort in my lower back which I think is a pinched nerve. It has caused my left side to ache and had recently gone into the left side of my back. Aching enough I cannot sleep on that side. It has been sore since the birth of my first daughter 13 years ago. In all my pregnancies the baby pinched a nerve cause great discomfort until birth. I have been to my doctor and chiropractors and all say it's nothing and maybe I pulled something or lifted something. It has hurt for 13 years. I wish somebody could tell me the problem instead of acting as if I am making a big deal out of nothing.

caitlina

About 3 months ago, I was working out with a trainer and she had me doing squats. I felt a pain go through my right butt cheek. Last week, after a run, my right foot started to tingle and has not stopped since. There is no pain, my leg is achy, but there is just tingling all of the time. Do you think I pinched a nerve and if so, what should I do about it?

anon14664

I was told that i have a pinched nerve in my neck it got worse over a three month period and i have finally hit the maximum pain and muscle spasms that i can handle but the bad news is that its been three weeks since i have done that movement and it isn't a whole lot better. How long will it take to better itself. I can't even peel a cucumber without shocks in my neck!!! Why are we so hard on our bodies? We should know better :)

anon14479

My mom has been diagnosed with copd and spondolitu, her bottom vertebrae are also fused together. She is currently experiencing terrible shooting pain up her neck, making her one side of her brain feel numb and it is even confusing her thoughts, it feels like a can of worms sensation in her head. Are any of these conditions connected and what would you recommend? Regards, Sally Stanton

anon13501

I've been to the doctors and they tell me that i do not have pinched nerve. I have the tingling sensation in my arm, but my index finger and my thumb on my right hand is numb. also on my left hand my index finger has no strength. I've had no accident to caused this i just woke up one day and it was like this. I've had an EMG test and it came back normal. I don't know what to do any help?

anon11437

Hi. I was wondering, i am having a lot of pain when i am walking pretty fast, its like all sudden my leg is pinching and the pain is going down my back, down my left butt cheek, and down to my lower calf. So here's the thing, i don't have insurance, so i was wondering what do i do? can you help me?

anon10808

I injured my shoulder while exercising. There was no pain while exercising but after an hour or so it started paining in my lower neck and right shoulder. It was a severe and continuous pain. After 2-3 days the pain started coming down but I started feeling tingling and partial numbness in my right hand thumb. Right hand wrist got substantially weaker and so was the grip of this hand. Its been three weeks since then. A little pain still persists in neck and shoulder which increases when I sleep and decreases when I do exercise that my physiotherapist had suggested. The tingling, numbness and weakness still persist. When I turn my head to the left, the tingling sensation rises very much.

I had this sensation on turning my head to the left for past 3 months but it wasn't continuous and no numbness was there. Also the neck pain started three months back just one day when I woke up. But then went away after sometime. Now it's back after exercising in the gym. What can you suggest here?

anon4606

Yes i have a question when you have a pinched nerve and the pain is shooting down your leg it can go numb...Is it possible for your knee to give out and make you loose your balance banging your knee and scrapping up your elbow in the process.

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    • The wrists are a common location for pinched nerves.
      By: Serenethos
      The wrists are a common location for pinched nerves.
    • Pinched nerves in the lower back can cause back spasms.
      By: mangostock
      Pinched nerves in the lower back can cause back spasms.
    • A deep muscle massage may help treat a pinched nerve.
      By: lunamarina
      A deep muscle massage may help treat a pinched nerve.
    • Typing on a keyboard can be hard on the wrists, possibly aggravating carpal tunnel problems.
      By: StockPhotosArt
      Typing on a keyboard can be hard on the wrists, possibly aggravating carpal tunnel problems.
    • Exercising improperly may strain a muscle and cause a pinched nerve in the lower back.
      By: BlueSkyImages
      Exercising improperly may strain a muscle and cause a pinched nerve in the lower back.
    • A pinched nerve in the wrist may cause difficulties with gripping a toothbrush.
      By: Photographee.eu
      A pinched nerve in the wrist may cause difficulties with gripping a toothbrush.