How Do I Know If I Have A Pinched Nerve?

Many people in Eden Prairie, MN, come to me to help relieve back pain or headaches that often occur because of a pinched nerve. It’s easier to understand how spinal manipulation can help back pain and relieve headaches. It’s more difficult to spot some of the less obvious symptoms of a pinched nerve. Pain and a burning sensation down the leg are the next identifiable symptoms. It occurs when the nerve in the lumbar region is pinched. Like pain down the legs, pain that extends from your neck down your arms is also a recognizable sign of a pinched nerve.

Do your legs feel weak, or are you losing grip strength?

You may have a pinched nerve. If your legs aren’t receiving messages sent by the brain because of a pinched nerve, your muscles won’t be stimulated to walk or move in other ways. A similar situation occurs with the arms and hands. You receive sensory information when you touch anything. In return, your brain identifies what you’re touching and instructs the hands how to respond. The hand muscles won’t perform correctly if the brain doesn’t receive the message or the instructions sent to the hands are limited, interrupted, or missing. It causes difficulty writing, poor grip, and the inability to successfully perform small-motor tasks.

Incontinence or other bladder issues may be caused by a pinched nerve.

If you’ve checked with your primary healthcare specialist to see if you have a bladder infection or other treatable condition and they found nothing, maybe the problem is a pinched nerve. It can cause issues like incontinence and involuntary urinary retention. The signals from the brain don’t arrive to direct the bladder to empty or retain urine. It can limit the feeling to the area, so you don’t realize you need to void.

Do you hobble and almost fall when you stand because your feet fell asleep?

Numbness can be another sign that you have a pinched nerve if it happens frequently. The signals from the extremities or the brain are completely or partially blocked, so the messages don’t flow through or arrive intact. In most cases, they’ve been compressed or irritated enough to cause your feet or hands to fall asleep.

• A pinched nerve can contribute to bowel issues like incontinence or constipation. It can interfere with the signal that helps you control your bowel function. It normally occurs with more severe conditions.
• Does your pain increase or diminish when you change your body position? If you lean forward, does it help the pain? Do you get relief from lying flat on your back but trigger more pain when laying on your side?
• If you’re in chronic pain from a pinched nerve, it can activate the involuntary nervous system. It may cause headaches, vision problems, high blood pressure, chest pain, or an irregular heartbeat.
• At Zen Chiropractic, we’ll help you determine whether your symptoms come from a pinched nerve or another issue. We offer a free 15-minute consultation to help you back on the road to wellness.

For more information, contact Zen Chiropractic!