“As you walk, you gently stretch the nerve through its range of motion,” says Dr. Morrow. Walking can also increase blood circulation to the damaged nerve, which may facilitate healing and reduce pain.
The body repairs itself during sleep, so giving it more time to do so may help reduce symptoms quicker. In many cases, resting the affected area and getting extra sleep is enough to allow the pinched nerve to heal on its own. While treating a pinched nerve, it is also important not to overuse the nerve.
While you want to remain physically active, stop any movement that causes pain intensity to spike. For a pinched nerve in the neck, you may be told to use a cervical collar for a brief period of time, as well as a cervical pillow while you sleep.
Exercise can go a long way toward taking the pain out of a pinched nerve in the neck. By strengthening and stretching the right muscles, your posture may change to help relieve pain, your movement becomes freer, and more space is created for a pinched or irritated nerve to move.
In most situations, a pinched nerve may last anywhere from a few days to a few months in severe scenarios. The best thing you can do to possibly reduce the time you're experiencing the pinched nerve issue is to seek the appropriate medical care as soon as possible.
Pinched nerve pain starts to dull
When a nerve is compressed or pinched, this disrupts the healthy functioning of the nerve. As you heal from a pinched nerve, the pain will weaken and may feel more like a dull, throbbing pain that occurs less often.
Will a pinched nerve go away on its own? How long does it take? Yes, most will with time (normally four to six weeks). You can improve symptoms with rest and pain medications such as naproxen, ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
If a nerve is pinched for only a short time, there's usually no permanent damage. Once the pressure is relieved, nerve function returns to normal. However, if the pressure continues, chronic pain and permanent nerve damage can occur.
While anxiety cannot lead to nerve damage that causes pain, it can actually intensify nerve pain caused by injury or accidental nerve damage.
For example, a deep tissue massage is not something you should be getting to help with a pinched nerve. This can make the pain worse, so stick to soft, gentle styles of massage. Ultimately, massages are a wonderful way to fully relax if you are stressed because of work or personal problems.
The natural curvature of the spine supports the weight of our body evenly. The longer one sits, the more strenuous it becomes for the body. If you suffer with nerve pain, sitting for long periods of time is slowly damaging the nerves over time.
Elevate Your Legs: If your pinched nerve is located in the back, elevating your legs will help release pressure from the spine.
If the pressure on the nerve isn't relieved in a short amount of time, the nerve damage may become permanent, causing chronic pain and muscle weakness. One example of progressive nerve damage is cauda equina syndrome, a severe complication of pinched nerves at the base of the spinal cord.
Pinched nerves can last from a few days to about a month, depending on how you treat it. It is typically a temporary condition that you can treat on your own, but it's important to not ignore long-lasting or acute pain as it could be the sign of a bigger problem.
Recovery is a slow process, and the biggest thing you can do to regain nerve sensation and function is to move consistently. You may experience tingling feelings and possibly sensations similar to electrical shock, which is a good sign of having new sensitive nerves.
To achieve full recovery, the nerve must undergo three main processes: Wallerian degeneration (the clearing process of the distal stump), axonal regeneration, and end-organ reinnervation.
Nerve Pain Progression
Left untreated, nerve damage may worsen over time. It can sometimes start in the nerves farthest from the brain and spinal cord -- like those in the feet and hands.
MRI. MRIs create images using a radiofrequency magnetic field, a technique that clearly shows pinched nerves, disc disease, and inflammation or infections in the spinal tissues. MRI is usually the preferred imaging for pinched nerves.
Luckily, pinched nerves are treatable. A chiropractor from Specific Care Chiropractic can diagnose the cause of your nerve-related symptoms, treat the underlying problem, and help you experience symptom relief. We may use a range of adjustments and secondary treatments tailored to your healthcare needs.
While these traditional treatments can be helpful, they do not fix the root of the problem and may have some potential side effects. This is the reason why people are turning to alternative treatments like acupuncture. Acupuncture is an effective pinched nerve treatment.
Most of the time, a trapped nerve feels like tooth-ache, but running down your arm or leg. Often this is accompanied by neck or back pain, with some limitation of movement. It is also relatively common to experience numbness or pins and needles with a trapped nerve, and some people feel hot or cold sensations.