It’s no surprise that pinched nerves are a regular complaint at Vital Wellness Center considering the nerves relay information between the brain and body. It also affects nearly 85 of every 100,000 people in America. Our pinched nerve chiropractor, Dr. Foss, has created the following overview to help patients better understand this condition and the many options for care that we offer.
What Is a Pinched Nerve?
Simply put, a pinched nerve is a nerve that has become irritated or compressed. This occurrence can interfere with the signals for movement and sensation between the brain and body. It can also lead to insufficient, missing, or altered sensations. This can include a distorted perception of pain and phantom limb syndrome, a disorder in which an amputee continues to feel sensations from a missing limb. A pinched nerve can also make it a challenge to walk, move the arms and legs, or maintain balance.
How Does a Pinched Nerve Feel?
Although they commonly occur in the lower back and spine, pinched nerves can affect other areas of the body, including the fingers and toes, according to our chiropractor for pinched nerve, Dr. Foss. Irritated nerves frequently cause pain, but chiropractic for pinched nerve patients may also experience tingling, numbness, or burning sensations in these areas. Pinched nerves can also make everyday tasks a challenge to complete.
Common Causes of Pinched Nerves
Because the nerves are located all over the body, pinched nerves can have a variety of different causes and can be referred to as traumas, diseases, or “wear-and-tear” injuries. Our pinched nerve chiropractor, Dr. Foss, usually encounters the following causes at Vital Wellness Center:
- Car accident or sports injury
- Bulging disc
- Rheumatoid or osteoarthritis
- Subluxation
- Poor workplace ergonomics
Symptoms of Pinched Nerves
Pinched nerves can cause issues with movement and sensation due to the fact that nerves convey motor and sensory messages. Sharp or burning pain, “pins-and-needles” tingling, and decreased sensation are some of the most common symptoms patients report to our chiropractor for pinched nerve. Because the nerves relay information throughout the body, these painful messages are carried along the path of the nerves and can potentially cause shooting pain to the limbs, which includes the fingers and toes.
Although nerve-related sensory problems have an impact on our patients’ lives, mobility issues associated with nerve disorders can limit their everyday activities. Pinched nerves result in weakness, but they also produce unbalanced weakness that leads to unhealthy movement compensations. Their minds envision a body that is equal in strength on both sides, although this is not reality, so patients with this type of weakness are at greater risk of injury. Because of this imbalance between reality and perception, excess effort has to be put forth for mobility.
How Chiropractic Works To Alleviate Pinched Nerves
Every patient’s preferences, health goals, and present physical condition is considered before any pinched nerve chiropractic treatment is performed at Vital Wellness Center. Our chiropractor for pinched nerve, Dr. Foss, firmly believes that a patient must participate fully and willingly in order to get the most out of therapy. Every patient receives a thorough evaluation that includes in-depth health interviews to identify behavioral patterns, lifestyle issues, and potential wellness-focused resolutions.
We conduct a chiropractic for pinched nerve examination once the patient is interviewed. This includes testing reflexes, strength, and other physical abilities. Observing how our patients stoop, bend, walk, and carry out other movements helps us better understand how their neurological system is functioning. We may also order diagnostic imaging in order to better see where the nerves are compressed or pinched.
Pinched Nerve Treatment
We devise a pinched nerve treatment plan following our assessment in order to deliver the desired outcome our patients expect. These careful, minimally invasive interventions are created to match our patients’ personal style, habits, and inclinations so they can be easily incorporated into their daily lives.
Spinal Decompression
Because pinched nerve symptoms frequently seem worse at night, many of our patients have suffered from insomnia or restless sleep prior to looking for a “pinched nerve chiropractor near me” and finding Vital Wellness Center. As well as at night, irritated nerves can also cause pain during movement throughout the day, so we work to help our patients feel better as quickly as possible.
Spinal decompression of the neck or back is done by gently stretching the spine in different directions. This hands-on approach carefully relocates any ligaments, muscles, or bones that are compressing against the nerves. This results in diminished pressure and increased range of motion.
Deep Tissue Laser
The goal of deep tissue laser is to target the inflammation that increases nerve pain and irritation. This technique works to stimulate cellular energy production by emitting light energy into the cells thereby fueling tissue repair and calming inflammation. This therapy does not work instantly which disappoints some of our patients. Because deep tissue laser stimulates a naturally-occurring process within the body, we inform our patients that it can take several hours to produce the results they are looking for.
Therapeutic Movement
Afflicted nerves can regain lost function and suffer less pain with gentle exercise, which is an important part of pinched nerve chiropractic treatment. Once Dr. Foss has evaluated a patient’s mobility and devised a long-term care plan, a therapeutic movement program can be developed to help meet these goals. This therapeutic exercise is initially done in our comfortable therapy room under our expert guidance, which ensures that the exercises are done properly and that any needed adjustments to the program can be made in a timely manner.
Strategic Self-Care
Vital Wellness Center can confidently send patients home with a therapeutic exercise program once they can safely and independently complete the exercises in our office. Our experience has shown us that chiropractic for pinched nerve patients are driven to discover and follow through with various at-home, self-care strategies. These can include therapeutic hot or cold applications, rest, and a recommended nutrition plan. Our patients can flourish and benefit from the results of a well-balanced diet including any needed supplements.
Get Relief From Our Pinched Nerve Chiropractor
You are not alone if your pinched nerves cause extreme pain to your joints, muscles and other body parts. We encounter patients with these issues on a daily basis and would love to give you the opportunity to experience easy, pain-free movement. Please give Vital Wellness Center a call to schedule an appointment or to have your questions answered by a pinched nerve chiropractic treatment member of our team.
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