Nerve compression occurs when too much pressure is put on a specific nerve over a period of time. If a nerve is compressed, then it has a poor blood supply that can cause a number of problems, including swelling. Fibrosis of the nerve will usually follow if the pressure is not released. There are several examples of nerve compression syndromes including carpal tunnel, sciatica, and meralgia paresthetica. Treatment for a pinched nerve depends on the severity of the problem along with the symptoms that are displayed.
When a nerve is compressed, the lack of blood supply is known as ischemia. The pressure is usually on the nerve root or peripheral nerve and over time this can lead to fibrosis. This happens when more connective tissue develops in a certain area of the body than is required and can lead to additional problems.
If a patient is suspected of having a compressed nerve, there are several different ways that a medical profession can verify this. This is usually confirmed by testing the function of the nerve to see how well it is conducting signals. Nerve compression will often be immediately obvious when conducting a test drive.
Treatment for a pinched nerve usually begins with exercises and is extended along with other conservative methods to release pressure. However, if significant problems develop from a pinched nerve, then surgery may be required immediately. If more conservative treatment methods fail to make a difference within a reasonable amount of time, then this may also be a cause of surgery.
One of the most common nerve compression syndromes is carpal tunnel. This occurs when a nerve in the wrist becomes compressed, often from excessive use of a computer. Symptoms of the syndrome include numbness and tingling in the hand, including a burning sensation that is often more pronounced at night. Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome begin with improving the way a person sits at a computer, although surgery may be necessary in some severe cases.
There are a number of other nerve compression syndromes that are common. For example, cubital tunnel syndrome occurs when too much pressure is put on a nerve in the elbow and can cause pain in both the wrist and the elbow. Radial tunnel syndrome occurs in a nerve in the proximal forearm and can cause pain on the lateral side of the elbow and forearm.