Trapped nerves and nerve pain can be very distressing, particularly if it’s a chronic condition that you’ve been living with for some time. It can have a serious impact on your mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, anger and depression, so it’s important to address your symptoms as soon as possible, even if they appear mild at first.
Pinched nerves happen when the tissue and muscle that surrounds the nerve presses down on it, which stops it from being able to function as it normally would.
Typical symptoms include tingling, numbness, pain and weakness in affected muscles. These symptoms usually come on gradually and you may find that they come and go, getting worse or better depending on your posture and physical position.
It’s also possible for pinched nerves to affect bodily functions such as bladder and bowel control, as well as sexual function which, again, can be very distressing to experience.
As for possible causes, there are various ways in which trapped nerves can happen. Some health conditions can increase the risk, such as degenerative joint disease and arthritis, while other potential causes include overuse, repetitive movements, physical injuries, weight gain, pregnancy, cancer and hypothyroidism.
The good news is that there’s a lot that can be done to treat pinched nerves successfully and going to see a physiotherapist can make a significant difference to how you’re feeling.
It’s important to find out where the nerve is trapped so that the specific area of the body can be worked on to remove the restrictions and allow free movement of the nerve once again.
Your physio can carry out a range of different tests to pinpoint which nerve is affected and where it’s being pinched. Once the problem has been identified, various techniques can be employed to address the situation, everything from traction to aid decompression, mobilisation work, acupuncture, intramuscular stimulation and so on.
If you’d like to find out more about pinched nerves and how they can be treated with physio, get in touch with the Clear Physio team today.