Nerves in your body send signals from the brain to other parts of your body. Sometimes these nerves can become compressed when bones, cartilage and other tissue put pressure on them. This can cause pain, tingling and numbness.
X-rays show spinal bones, while an MRI uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create images of the soft tissues around your spine and other parts of your body. These help physicians diagnose a pinched nerve.
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MRI
MRI is an imaging tool that uses magnetic fields to turn individual water molecules in your body into images of different parts of your body. These images can show your doctor what is causing nerve compression. Your doctor may also order a CT scan or a high-resolution ultrasound to find out more about your condition.
Your doctor will start by asking about your symptoms and conducting a physical exam. He or she will check your spinal alignment, muscle strength and sensations. A blood test may be needed to measure fasting glucose or thyroid levels. A spinal tap (also called a lumbar puncture) will collect cerebrospinal fluid to check for inflammation or infection.
If you have a minor pinched nerve, conservative treatments like rest, medications and physical therapy may help. Your doctor can recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or anti-seizure medicines to relieve pain and reduce swelling around the nerve(s). Physical therapy can teach you exercises and movements to ease pressure on the nerves.
CT Scan
For many people, pinched nerves go away on their own – often within a few days or weeks. Home treatments, including rest, ice packs and over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen, can help to alleviate symptoms.
If these are not effective, a spine doctor may recommend splints for the wrist and hand or cervical collars to limit movement, and may order EMG and nerve conduction studies.
These tests evaluate the electrical activity of your muscles and nerves and let spinal doctors know if there is a problem with the nerves as they travel down the arms or legs.
When non-invasive methods do not improve your symptoms, a surgeon can perform minimally invasive surgery to remove bone spurs, herniated discs or other structures that may be pressing on the nerves. This type of surgery typically has a faster recovery period than traditional open spine surgery.
The Harvard-trained physicians at NJ Spine Specialists offer state-of-the-art, minimally invasive spine surgery techniques customized to each patient’s unique needs.
High-Resolution Ultrasound
When a pinched nerve is not relieved by getting enough sleep, exercising, taking pain relief and using other conservative measures at home, it may be time to visit a doctor. They will perform a physical exam and ask you to identify focused areas of weakness, along with symptoms like numbness or tingling.
Soft disks between the bones of your spine can slip out of place or get damaged, causing nerve compression. This usually happens when a herniated disk puts pressure on the spinal nerves, but it can also happen with bone growths called spurs and aging.
Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of internal structures in the body. It is particularly useful for diagnosing pinched nerves. This technology can show whether a nerve is compressed and if there are other causes of your symptoms, such as arthritis or a tumor. It can also help you decide on the best treatment for your symptoms. This may include painkillers, physical therapy or surgery.
Diagnostic Injections
Many people with a pinched nerve find relief from pain with simple noninvasive treatment, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), naproxen sodium (Aleve) and other nonsteroidal pain relievers. Anti-seizure medicines like gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise) and tricyclic antidepressants such as nortriptyline and amitriptyline may also help with pain caused by a pinched nerve.
If your doctor thinks the pain is caused by a herniated spinal disk, he or she may perform a diagnostic injection of a spinal joint called a discography, selective nerve root block or sacroiliac joint injection.
During these procedures, your doctor will inject a small amount of medication into the area around the nerve that’s painful to identify the source of your pain.
These injections usually cause only slight pain or tingling. There is a risk of having an allergic reaction to the medications used in these injections, including lidocaine, bupivicaine and radiographic dye. But such reactions are rare.