What Are the Causes of a Pinched Nerve?

Nerves are bound groups of neuron fibers responsible for conveying motor and sensory information between the brain and various body parts. Pinched nerves occur when tissue, such as nearby cartilage or tendons, exerts too much pressure on a nerve, causing it to cease functioning properly. Symptoms include reduced feeling in the locations the nerve communicates with (for example, when a foot falls asleep). Other symptoms burning, muscle spasms or weakness, pain, and tingling near the pinched nerve.

Arthritis

• Arthritis is a widespread medical condition in which joints become inflamed, eventually leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. The last can create too much pressure for a neighboring nerve. Osteoarthritis, one of the two most common kinds of arthritis, involves the gradual loss of cartilage around the bones that make up joints, frequently accompanied by the development of bone spurs, bony outgrowths that form to counteract dwindling cartilage. Bone spurs and bones in closer proximity can also compress nerves in the area.

Spinal Conditions

• Pinched nerves can develop anywhere in the body, but when they appear in the lower back, they're usually due to conditions that affect the spine. These most often include a herniated disc (when a disc's soft inner portion breaks through the outer layer), sciatica (pain that travels from the lower back to the buttocks and down the legs due to an irritated sciatic nerve), or lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the areas in the spine where nerves pass through).

Tunnel Syndromes

• The median nerve, which regulates some sensations and movement in the fingers, extends from the forearm, down through the tissue in the wrist, and to the hand. When the carpal tunnel chamber at the bottom of the hand grows too narrow because of swelling or nearby inflamed tendons, the median nerve can become constricted.

  Cubital tunnel syndrome is similar, but it develops on the inner side of the elbow, where the ulnar nerve located immediately next to the so-called funny bone may be susceptible to pressure from repeated movements involving the area, as well as prolonged bending or compression of the elbow.

Other Causes

• Additional causes of a pinched nerve may be related to physical traits (for example, excessive weight, poor posture and sustained and repetitious movements of a specific body part can increase the pressure on nerves), heredity (certain families tend to have an increased incidence of the problem), and damage suffered during an accident or while participating in a hobby or sport.

Treatments

• Treating a pinched nerve commonly begins with resting the relevant area and stopping all activities that worsen the constriction. Corticosteroid shots and anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or naproxen can reduce inflammation and pain, while wearing a brace or splint can decrease movement to protect the area from further aggravation.

  Physical therapy is also beneficial for stretching and strengthening muscles near the affected nerve to reduce pressure on it. Surgery, which usually involves removing obstructions that compress the nerve, such as a bone spur, is an additional possibility if the previous approaches don't improve the condition.