At some point in life, you may have to deal with the pain caused by a pinched nerve. When searching for relief, people often wonder, “Can a chiropractor help a pinched nerve?”.
It’s normal for those dealing with the shooting pain of a pinched nerve to fear that they may need surgery to correct the issue and relieve pain.
However, our chiropractors offer a variety of non-invasive treatments that can help you recover and find relief from pinched nerve pain.
In this blog post, we’ll outline how chiropractic treatments can help patients recover from a pinched nerve. First, let’s cover the basics and start by answering what exactly a pinched nerve is.
What is a Pinched Nerve?
We’ve all heard talk of pinched nerves. But many people don’t fully understand what it actually means. If that’s you, don’t worry.
A pinched nerve has pressure on it from the surrounding tissue, compromising its ability to function properly. When this happens to nerves exiting your spine and other parts of your body, you may experience pain, stiffness, tingling, and numbness. Time and rest may be enough to help you heal.
Think you may have a pinched nerve? Here are some of the symptoms you may be experiencing.
Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve
Damage from a pinched nerve can range from minor to severe and may cause temporary or long-term health concerns. The sooner you can receive a proper diagnosis and start treatment, the quicker you’ll find relief and quicken the healing process.
Below is a list of common symptoms that may help you discover if your pain and discomfort stem from a pinched nerve.
- Shooting sensations
- Numbness, tingling, feeling of pins and needles
- Sharp pain
- Decreased sensation/feeling in certain parts of your body
- Muscle weakness affecting only one side of the body
If these symptoms sound familiar to you, don’t worry! It is totally possible to recover from a pinched nerve without any surgery. A chiropractic treatment plan is an example of a non-invasive therapy that people suffering from pinched nerves can pursue to alleviate pain and heal the affected area.
But before we get into how chiropractors help pinched nerves, let’s wrap up this section by discussing what causes a pinched nerve.
What Causes a Pinched Nerve?
A pinched nerve can be caused by a wide range of physical events or even emotional distress. Swollen tissues, cartilage, and even bone can contribute to your pinched nerve. Below are the factors that most commonly contribute to the development of a pinched nerve:
- Athletics or other hobbies where a muscle is overused
- Weight-related issues
- Traumatic injury from sports
- Injury caused by a motor vehicle accident
- The development of rheumatoid arthritis
- Repetitive motion
- Holding your body in one position for too long
Finally, let’s get into how chiropractors can help provide relief from a pinched nerve.
Dr. Jeanett Tapia working with a patient experiencing a pinched nerve at Intouch Chiropractic San Diego, CA
How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help a Pinched Nerve
In the following sections, read about the different ways an experienced chiropractor can help with your pinched nerve.
And if you are in the San Diego, CA area, contact the experienced team at Intouch Chiropractic to learn about how you can begin a treatment plan. Our chiropractors use a variety of manual therapy methods to adjust and align your spine. This promotes healing.
Chiropractic adjustments have the ability to release a pinched nerve, addressing the root cause of your pain. These spinal adjustments can assist in recovery without requiring medications or costly invasive treatments.
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of a pinched nerve and hope to avoid surgery, an experienced chiropractor will have a variety of methods to help.
Here are two non-invasive methods we commonly use to treat pinched nerves:
Can a Chiropractor Help with a Pinched Nerve in Your Neck or Lower Back?
Yes! Chiropractic care involving spinal manipulation has been proven to improve function in people with acute low back pain, which is possibly the most common type of back pain. Our chiropractic methods are targeted to treat both upper and lower back pain as well as the neck or cervical spine.
You may experience headaches, and leg or arm pain in addition to back and neck pain. Whether your pain stems from a recent injury or pain you’ve been managing for years, an experienced chiropractor can diagnose the problem and set you on the path to healing.
Can a Chiropractor Help Nerve Pain?
Many people suffering from a pinched nerve will experience what feels like their foot or arm is “falling asleep” and have a pins and needles feeling. This feeling is technically a pinched nerve and can be concerning and difficult to resolve.
Where pinched nerves are concerned, chiropractic care is one of the best options to prevent future problems and relieve your pain. When adjustments are performed, the goal is to get rid of nerve interference that is causing health issues and is preventing the body from optimal performance.
Chiropractors, like Dr. Young and Dr. Tapia at Intouch Chiropractic in San Diego, understand the nervous system extremely well. We’re equipped to make an accurate diagnosis with a discussion based on your symptoms and history accompanied by a current evaluation.
Can Medication Help with Pinched Nerves?
When you’re experiencing pain and symptoms as a result of a pinched nerve, you will understandably want to find relief as quickly as possible. You may be tempted to seek relief through pain medication.
While medication can certainly help you cope with your symptoms in the short term, it’s merely a band-aid solution and doesn’t address the actual problem within your body. Your nerve will continue to be pinched and your condition could get worse if left untreated.
This could lead to more serious problems down the road, including paralysis. Our chiropractors can perform adjustments that will return your joints, bones, and muscles back into their proper placements, relieving the pressure on your nerve.
Chiropractic Treatments and Pinched Nerves in Conclusion
Chiropractic care is one of the best ways to correct and care for a pinched nerve. While chiropractic adjustments are the main method used to treat a pinched nerve, they are also able to use a wide range of treatment methods if deemed necessary.
If you live in the greater San Diego area and are seeking out an experienced chiropractic clinic, click here to schedule an appointment. Our team has years of experience when it comes to finding the root of your pain and setting you on the path to healing.
