Causes of Pinched Nerves

A pinched nerve can be the painful result of a chronic degeneration of the discs in the spine, or it can be localized elsewhere in the body. When you have a pinched nerve, it can be painful to extend your arms or legs, move your neck or sit for an extended period.

Identification

• A pinched nerve is the pain or discomfort experienced when a nerve is trapped between two bones, or when there is pressure being put on the nerve by some other circumstance. When a nerve is pinched, symptoms include severe pain, a tingling sensation in the outer extremities and numbness. If left untreated, muscles in the area that has gone numb can begin to atrophy.

Spinal Causes

• One of the more common causes of a pinched nerve is a herniated or bulging disc in the spine. This can be the result of trauma to the back, or it can happen over a period of years as the discs degenerate and start to push out of the spine. When a disc herniates, a portion protrudes out of the spine and puts pressure on the nerves in the spinal column. Pain can vary, depending on which part of the spine is affected.

Wrist and Elbow

• Repeated activities using the forearm or wrist, such as typing or playing a musical instrument for many years, can cause a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. As the muscles and tendons in the wrist begin to swell, they put pressure on the median nerve that runs down the wrist. A similar situation can develop in the elbow when the tendons and muscles there swell and put pressure on the ulnar nerve. This is commonly known as tennis elbow.

Arthritis

• Joint diseases, such as arthritis, also can cause a pinched nerve. A person with arthritis has joints that are swollen and stiff. This puts pressure on the nerves surrounding the joint. In some cases, inflammation caused by arthritis can bring on excessive activity in the cells responsible for bone growth. These accelerated cells grow small outcroppings of bone referred to as bone spurs. Bone spurs can sometimes put pressure on the nerves.

Trauma

• You also can get a pinched nerve from a trauma or an injury that causes internal swelling or scar tissue.