Nerve Pain Relief
By far the most common condition resulting in lower back pain radiating into the buttock, hip, leg and foot, or neck pain radiating into the shoulder, arm, wrist and hand, is direct physical pressure to the nerve — usually as a result of a herniated or bulging disc. At one time or another, everyone has applied too much pressure to the “funny bone” in their elbow, which is actually the ulnar nerve. The nerve compression disrupts the nerve’s function, causing pain, tingling, numbness or weakness. Too much pressure applied for too long to a nerve along the spine results in similar sensations. Nerve pain resulting from direct physical pressure is called an entrapment neuropathy because the nerve is trapped or pinched by some structure. This term helps to distinguish it from neuropathies resulting from infection or disease.
Other Conditions
At Triangle Disc Care, we offer neurology testing for pinched nerves resulting in back pain or neck pain in Raleigh. Standard neurology testing prior to treatment for a pinched spinal nerve includes motor, sensory and reflex tests often in conjunction with an orthopedic examination. If another nerve disorder is suspected or confirmed, we’ll promptly make the appropriate referral to a Raleigh neurologist or neurosurgeon specializing in that condition.
Causes of a Pinched Nerve
Effective treatment for a pinched nerve depends upon its cause, and the causes can be innumerable. They may be divided into roughly seven categories:
- Direct physical pressure such as from degenerated or herniated discs, osteoarthritic changes, or spinal stenosis
- The toxins of acute infective diseases such as diphtheria, shingles, typhoid fever, malaria, scarlet fever, or septicemia
- Acute or chronic poisoning, most commonly by lead, arsenic, mercury, copper, and phosphorus
- Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, and myasthenia gravis
- Central nervous system disorders such as cerebral palsy (CP), Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Metabolic diseases such as diabetes or alcoholism
- Nutritional deficiency