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Can Sitting at a Computer for Too Long Cause a Pinched Nerve?

Sitting for too long at your desk can cause a variety of back and arm problems, including a pinched nerve. The natural inward curve of your lower back can straighten or curve outward when you sit and work on your computer, increasing the pressure on your spinal discs. The increased pressure can, over time, cause the discs to deteriorate and protrude abnormally -- which is often called a herniated or ruptured disc. When that happens, the ruptured disc can pinch nerves as the spine flexes.

  1. Lumbar Discs

    • The spine is one of the areas of the body most vulnerable to the stresses of sitting at a computer. The spine consists of 33 vertebral bones. Pads of spongy cartilage, called lumbar discs, separate the vertebrae and maintain the correct vertical spacing between them. Reverse curvature of the spine puts two or three times more pressure on the discs than if you were standing.

    Radiculopathy

    • The scientific name for a pinched nerve caused by a herniated disc is radiculopathy. Typical symptoms of radiculopathy include shooting pains down the leg. Another condition, called spinal stenosis, can be caused by narrowing of the nerve opening around the spiral cord. This results in symptoms similar to a pinched nerve.

    Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    • Computer users typically don't just sit at a computer. They perform repetitive hand movements, such as typing on the keyboard or clicking the mouse. If they go on too long, these movements can pinch the nerve that runs through the carpal ligaments in the wrist. This, in turn, can cause a nerve disorder known as carpal tunnel syndrome that is characterized by numbness, pain and tingling in the fingers.

    Cervical Discs

    • Degeneration of the cervical discs in the neck can also cause a pinched nerve. Symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck are similar to those of carpal tunnel syndrome. But numbness, pain or tingling typically starts in the neck and may travel to the shoulder, arm and fingers, depending on how severely the nerve is pinched.

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