A pinched nerve refers to a certain kind of damage to a nerve or group of nerves. It’s caused when a disc, bone, or muscle places increased pressure on the nerve.
It can lead to feelings of:
- numbness
- tingling
- burning
- pins and needles
A pinched nerve can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica symptoms (a pinched nerve can’t cause a herniated disc, but a herniated disc can pinch a nerve root), and other conditions.
Some pinched nerves will require professional care to treat. If you’re looking for a way to alleviate mild pain at home, here are nine options you can try. Some of them can be done at the same time. What’s important is to find what works best for you.
What Is Surgical Spinal Decompression?
Surgical spinal decompression is another option for treating certain types of back pain. But it is usually used as a last resort. If other measures don’t work, your doctor may suggest surgical spinal decompression for bulging or ruptured disks, bony growths, or other spinal problems. Surgery may help relieve symptoms from pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, including:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness
Are There Different Types of Spinal Decompression Surgery?
Your doctor may suggest one or more types of back surgeries to relieve the pressure in your spine. In addition, you may need spinal fusion to stabilize your spine. The following are the more common types of back surgery:
- Diskectomy: In this procedure, a portion of the disk is removed to relieve pressure on nerves.
- Laminotomy or laminectomy: A surgeon removes a small portion of bone — a section of bony arch or the entire bony arch — to increase the size of the spinal canal and relieve pressure.
- Foraminotomy or foraminectomy: A surgeon removes bone and other tissue to expand the openings for nerve roots.
- Osteophyte removal: During the surgery, bony growths are removed.
- Corpectomy: This procedure involves removing a vertebral body along with disks between the vertebrae.
What Are the Risks of Spinal Decompression Surgery?
As with any surgery, there are risks. These are some of the more common risks associated with spinal decompression surgery:
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Allergic reaction to anesthesia
- Nerve or tissue damage
Another risk of surgery is that it may not improve back pain much. It can be difficult to determine who will benefit from spinal decompression surgery.
Home remedies:
1. Adjust your posture
You may need to change how you’re sitting or standing to relieve pain from a pinched nerve. Find any position that helps you feel better, and spend as much time in that position as you can.
2. Use a standing workstation
Standing workstations are gaining popularity, and for good reason. Mobility and standing throughout your day are crucial to preventing and treating a pinched nerve.
If you have a pinched nerve or want to avoid one, talk with your human resources department about modifying your desk so that you can stand while working. If you can’t get a standing workstation, be sure to get up and take a walk each hour. Roller balls for tight muscles and an hourly stretching program are a good idea if you use a keyboard frequently. (Wrist braces or supports aren’t recommended as an early treatment strategy.)
3. Rest
No matter where you have a pinched nerve, the best thing is usually to rest as long as possible. Avoid the activity that is causing you pain, such as tennis, golf, or texting.
Rest until the symptoms have completely resolved. When you do start moving that part of your body again, pay attention to how it feels. Stop the activity if your pain returns.
4. Splint
If you have carpal tunnel, which is a pinched nerve in the wrist, a splint can help you rest and protect your wrist. This can be especially helpful overnight so that you don’t curl your wrist in a bad position while you’re sleeping.
5. Stretch
Gentle stretches can help relieve the pressure on your nerve and improve your symptoms. Don’t go too deeply into a stretch. If you begin to feel pain or discomfort, ease up on the stretch. Remember that small movements can have a big impact.
6. Apply heat
You can use heat to relax the muscles that might be tight around a pinched nerve. Heat also increases blood flow, which can help the healing process. You can find heating pads in various sizes at a drugstore.
Hold heat directly onto the pinched nerve for 10–15 minutes at a time.
7. Use ice
Ice reduces swelling and inflammation. Wrap a towel around an ice pack and hold it directly onto the pinched nerve for 10–15 minutes.
8. Elevate your legs
For a pinched nerve in your lower back, try elevating your legs with a 90-degree bend in both your hips and knees.
9. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever
If you want to try a pain reliever, you can take over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or aspirin (Bufferin). Follow the instructions on the bottle, and be sure to check with your doctor before taking any new medications.
When need to see a doctor:
If your pain is severe, constant, or keeps returning, you should see a doctor. The doctor may run some tests or ask a lot of questions about your lifestyle to determine what’s causing your pinched nerve.
If the pain, tingling, and numbness doesn’t resolve, it’s important that you see your physician. They may prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory or suggest additional testing, such as an X-ray, to determine exactly where the nerve is pinched. Your doctor may also prescribe physical therapy, which can help to reduce symptoms.
It’s very important that you stop any at-home treatments if they seem to hurt you or make your condition worse. If you have numbness or tingling that isn’t resolving or is getting worse, contact your physician or an orthopedic physical therapist.
See a doctor immediately if you have a pinched nerve that’s:
- affecting your bowel or bladder
- causing a whole limb to be weak or give out
- preventing you from grasping things
- causing you to drop things
If at-home treatments aren’t helping, or if you continually get pinched nerves, your doctor may prescribe prescription painkillers, physical therapy, or even surgery.
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