What causes a pinched nerve and how do you prevent them?

Question

A Q for my hubby. He gets them in his neck and his back all the time and wonders what they are and how to prevent them. Can someone explain?

Answer 1

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica refers to pain experienced along the path of the sciatic nerve - the longest nerve in the body, which runs from the lower back through the pelvis and buttock area, right down to the back of the lower leg. Sciatica is a fairly common form of lower back and leg pain and is due to the sciatic nerve being irritated or compressed. The pain of sciatica varies from an infrequent discomfort to a continuous, excruciating and debilitating pain.

Sciatica is usually experienced as pain that radiates from your lower back to your buttock and down the back of your leg. This pain may be mild or severe and is sometimes felt as a burning sensation or a sharp jolt. Sciatica may be sudden or insidious in onset and worsen over time.

In some people who suffer from sciatic pain it may be accompanied by a numbness or weakness in the leg or foot as well as a feeling of tingling or pins-and-needles in the toes.

What causes Sciatica?

The most common cause of sciatica is pressure on the sciatic nerve from a herniated or slipped vertebral disc (“Pinched nerve”). Between each of the vertebrae in your spine lies a disc of cartilage to act as a cushioning shock-absorber and allow flexibility of the spine. With age and wear-and-tear, these discs may become brittle and compressed - allowing part of the disc to protrude from its normal position within the spinal column and press on the nerve root. This generally happens in people between the ages of 30 and 50.

Other less common causes of sciatica include narrowing of the spinal canal (known as stenosis), spinal tumors, injury and trauma. Various other problems affecting the bones, joints and muscles of the back and pelvis can also cause sciatica though these may not always be easily diagnosed, sometimes leaving the cause of the sciatic pain unknown.

People in their 30’s and 40’s are most likely to develop sciatica, which is uncommon in younger people. Physically demanding occupations which require heavy lifting, driving long hours or twisting the back are all risk factors for developing sciatica.

Depending on the cause, sciatic pain often resolves on its own in approximately six weeks.

Answer 2

On either side of the vertebra, there is a 'hole' through which the nerve emerges. This is called a 'foramen'.
When the spine becomes misaligned, either through injury or muscle tension, the individual vertebrae tip toward each other OR become twisted to the point where this space becomes too narrow and puts pressure on the nerve, causing a 'pinched nerve'. The pain results in swelling of the surrounding tissues and MORE pain, so it's a vicious cycle.
Your hubby should consult a chiropractor and have his neck and upper back aligned on a regular basis. Once a month has done it for me, and sometimes twice a month if I was under much stress.
Your hubby can also learn some neck exercises (the chiropractor should have some free diagrams available) to help prevent the muscle tension that pulls the spine out of whack.

Answer 3

The vertebrae are stacked on top of each other with a rubbery disk in between each vertebra that separates the bones. A pinched nerve can develop if the disks slip out of place or if they have become hardened or compressed. All of the nerves in the body branch off the spine or medulla. In the spine, the nerves emerge from the vertebrae through an openings called foramina.

Pinched nerves can also occur from bone spurs in the foramina, and misalignment of the vertebrae, which places pressure on one side of the spine. Misalignment is usually the cause of pinched nerves that pop up spontaneously, and misalignment in the neck is usually caused by poor posture. This link is an excellent source of info on the topic:

Answer 4

Pinched nerves are common occurances. Nerves exit the spinal column at different levels and sometimes they can become irritated due to poor posture and this can cause them to be hypersensitive.

Poor posture over a period of time can lead to chronic cases that can never be completely healed even if you begin using proper posture techniques.

Many people go to chiropractors to have thier spinal column "adjusted". This "adjustment" is how the doctor repositions specific segments your spinal column so that it is no longer irritating your hypersensitive nerve.

Answer 5

Prime causes of what you call a pinched nerve are old injuries or improper posture. Read "how to repair old injuries..." helium.com-health&fitness/exercise and start practiceing yoga.