When to Get Help for a Pinched Nerve

When to Get Help for a Pinched Nerve

We’re getting into fall, which means the advent of warm drinks, cozy clothes, beautiful foliage, and crisp air. It also means lots of leaves, and thousands of Americans will be raking them, into piles, jumping in the piles, and then eventually realizing they need to bag the leaves up or put them in the yard waste bin.

Unfortunately, if you get enough leaves in one place, they get very heavy. Many people will hurt their backs this fall by raking with bad form, hauling bags of leaves or yard waste bins incorrectly, or maybe just landing a jump badly in a leaf pile. If they are lucky, they may have a pulled muscle that resolves in a week or so. However, if they aren’t lucky, they may slip a disc or speed up the already-advanced degeneration of their spine. Either way, their nerves will be affected, and they may even pinch one.

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When You Pinch a Nerve, You Know It

Nerves do not like being pinched. As the creators of sensation in our bodies, when they get pinched, the result is severe pain that is impossible to ignore. The pain may come and go, only showing up when you unknowingly adopt a certain posture, resulting in flashes of debilitating agony. Anyone with a pinched nerve wants it resolved as soon as possible, and we do not blame them.

If you’ve got a pinched nerve, the first thing to do is rest, take an anti-inflammatory, and apply ice or heat. The pain will tend to fade away. However, many people are dismayed to experience the pain’s return. The pain is often worse, creating a situation that can be very discouraging. The issue here is that pinched nerves can be come chronic conditions, ruining people’s ability to live their lives to the full.

Don’t Let a Pinched Nerve Become a Permanent Companion

Many people fail to understand that their back issues can be treated, and as a result, they wait until the issues get complex and expensive to resolve. If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is time to give us a call.

• Unexpected weakness.
  • It is normal for pinched nerve pain to make it difficult to stand, walk, move your arms, or turn your head. However, if these actions stop being difficult and become impossible instead, it’s time to get help. Even if the actions are only momentarily impossible, you’re still facing a serious situation and you need to take action.
• Stubborn pain.
  • Simple nerve pain resolves on its own with a few simple home remedies like we mentioned above. If your discomfort persists longer than a few days, your body is trying to tell you that something serious is going on. Contact us, and we can determine if the situation is serious and prevent the possibility of chronic pain, a condition that too often leads to depression.
• Intensifying pain.
  • As we said, home remedies generally reduce your pain levels. If it remains the same like we mentioned above, something serious is going on. If the pain gets worse, chances are good that your spine needs professional treatment.
• Numbness.
  • Any time you experience pain paired with numbness or loss of sensation, you need to get medical attention immediately. A pinched nerve will be very painful, and even though numbness might seem like a blessed relief, loss of sensation can actually indicate a deeper problem. Don’t ignore it!
• No bladder control.
  • Losing control of your bladder or bowels indicates damage that requires immediate attention. If you cannot control your bowels or bladder, we recommend you get to an emergency room.

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Let Us Help

Fall leads to winter, which means we put our rakes away and get out snow shovels instead. Either way, our backs are at serious risk.  At the Spine INA, we do what we do because we understand how integral spine health is to your quality of life. When your back isn’t working right, even the most basic daily activities can become ordeals. Our passion for providing relief to a wide range of different spinal conditions has made us a trusted team for people suffering from back pain. Even if you aren’t sure your pain is treatable, contact us for back pain treatment in New Jersey.