Nerves are small cord-like parts of the body that run from the brain to the spine and reach the extremities. They send messages to the skin and muscles. These complex messages from the brain to the arms and legs tell the muscles to move or the skin to feel sensations. When a nerve becomes pinched, it can cause a variety of symptoms, from pain to tingling to cold.
A nerve itself is much like a television cable. There are a lot of small cables inside a big case. The wires carry messages, or tiny electrical impulses, to the extremities just as the wire carries an image to the television. This process has to happen for the nerve to stay healthy.
If something causes pinched nerves, the nerves become inflamed and can no longer carry messages. The nerve begins to get sick. If he doesn't get his transfer ability back, he starts to die. This makes the skin feel numb and the muscles weak.
There are numerous causes for pinched nerves. In general, pinching occurs when there is pressure applied to the nerve by the surrounding tissue. This tissue can be bone or cartilage, muscles or tendons, or swelling within tight spots on the nerve sheaths.
Some common causes of soft tissue nerve pressure are injuries, poor posture, repetitive work, sports, and obesity. Some pregnant women also experience this ailment as their growing uterus puts extra pressure on their body. This pressure is quickly remedied after birth.
Hard tissue pressure can come from a herniated disc or bone spurs from spinal arthritis. Carpal tunnel in the hand area is another common example of pinched nerves. Inflammation in the tunneled wrist area pinches the nerves that go through the tunnel and into the hand. The brain stops receiving signals from the hand and numbness is the main symptom.
Common symptoms of pinched nerves are pain, numbness, tingling, burning, or hot and cold sensations. In the lower back, a pinched nerve feels like numbness running down the leg or even painful muscle spasms. This same sensation can be felt running from the shoulders through the arms in upper body cases.
Pinched nerves can heal without permanent damage if the pressure is relieved. This can happen through surgery, changes in activity, medications such as cortisone, and sometimes even simply applying hot and cold packs. If the pressure is not relieved, there can be permanent nerve damage and chronic pain.