Last Updated on April 4, 2024
Having a pinched nerve can make everyday living difficult. Even worse is that it can cause unpredictable pain and limit the range of motion. Itās not a type of pain that you can just learn to live with either. Every movement is a jolting reminder that you have a pinched nerve.
But you donāt have to live like that. Chiropractic treatments can help reduce the pain of pinched nerves and help to eliminate the root cause. Any nerve in the body can become a pinched nerve.
A chiropractor can help change your life after you pinch a nerve. Hereās everything you need to know.
Related: Prenatal Chiropractor: What it is and why itās good for you.
What Is A Pinched Nerve?
Your entire body is made up of nerves, from your brain to the tips of your fingers and toes. However, when these nerves sustain damage from compression, it causes a lot of pain. But what actually causes a nerve to become pinched?
Many things can contribute to a nerve being damaged or pinched, and more often than not, repetitive motions are a leading cause. Because repetitive motions strain the joints, those areas that are not as protected tend to become compressed. Another factor in damaged joints is when your repetitive movements put pressure on the discs in your spine.
This can cause a pinch, bulging, or even a herniated disc along your back. A trained chiropractor can help determine the problem and what treatments would be best suited for each individual case.
Are you ready to get back to a normal life? Ready to rid yourself of the pain from a pinched nerve? Inner Gate is Portlands leading chiropractic medicine to help you get back to doing the things you love. Make an appointment with them today.
Some of the Symptoms of Pinched Nerves.
It can be hard to tell for sure if a nerve is pinched, strained, or other damage to the area, but here are just a few symptoms to be aware of.
- Pain throughout the length of the spine
- Intense headaches or migraines that happen often
- Pain going down the arm or leg
- Numbness, tingling, or burning sensation in limbs, or even the fingers and toes
- Neck Pain
- Lower Back Pain
Having a pinched nerve can cause restricted mobility and cause discomfort during day-to-day activities such as sitting or standing. Because an irritated nerve can also cause muscle spasms, this can become even more problematic when people bend or move a certain way. Even sleeping can cause problems on top of the pain.
The body is constantly sending signals through the nerves to internal organs and muscles. When a nerve becomes pinched, those signals cannot transmit or heal themselves. That lack of communication can lead to further health problems.
Related: Chiropractor for TMJ
How did I get a pinched nerve?
Here are a few different ways that you can pinch a nerve.
Misalignment can cause a Pinched Nerve.
A subluxation is a type of misalignment. This is where the vertebra doesnāt line up correctly and compress a nerve. Once the nerve is pinched at a vertebra, many more problems arise. This not only blocks the communication process within the nerves but can also cause other health problems.
Disc Degeneration can cause a Pinched Nerve.
Between each vertebra, there is a piece of cartilage. That cartilage is referred to as a disc, and once they begin to degenerate, it cannot be rebuilt. Stress, overuse, and illness can be all factor into damage for these small bits of cartilage.
Sometimes, when these discs degenerate, the space between the vertebrae exposes a nerve. When the disks move, this pinches the nerve, resulting in damage.
Osteoarthritis can cause a Pinched Nerve.
More commonly known as degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis causes bone spurs to grow. These bone spurs can cause pain to joints. However, sometimes these spurs block the path of nerves and cause the nerve to become pinched.

A Herniated Disc can Cause Pinched Nerves.
A herniated disk can cause numbness, tingling, sharp or shooting pain, often down the arm or leg. When the fibrous outer portion of the disc ruptures. Herniated discs will pinch a nerve when the exposed cartilage pushes against the nerve.
These are the four most common ways that people pinch nerves. However, these are not the only way, and you should visit your doctor or a chiropractor regularly for optimal sprint health.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Pinched Nerves
No matter how the injury happens, having a chiropractic expert can help treat the symptoms that come with the pain and damage to the nerve. Inner Gate has Portland chiropractors offer personalized wellness programs to help treat:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches
How Pinched Nerves are Treated
Taking over-the-counter drugs can help reduce inflammation and pain, but they donāt fix the underlying damage. Having a chiropractor can help to eliminate the cause of the damage and return you to full health. These treatments can be paired with other therapy treatments.
Why Use Chiropractic Therapy for Pinched Nerves?
Having chiropractic care offers a natural, healthy, and conservative way to heal your pinched nerve. Because chiropractic therapy isnāt invasive, it can help you avoid unnecessary surgeries and avoid excessive medications that can lead to addictions.
Utilizing expert knowledge of the body, a chiropractor can help your body naturally adjust and recover.
What About Drugs for Pinched Nerve Pain?
Taking drugs, prescription or over-the-counter can help in some ways, but it shouldnāt be used as a long-term treatment for your pinched nerve. This temporary treatment can lead to further injury and other medical problems.
Here are a few reasons you shouldnāt rely on drugs to treat a pinched nerve:
- Drugs only mask the pain
- You could become addicted to the medication
- Pharmaceutical medication cannot heal the core problem
- Many drugs cause serious side effects
Related: How to Relieve Whiplash Neck Pain Naturally
What You Should Do If You Suffer
A pinched nerve can be painful, but it doesnāt have to lead to surgery. It also doesnāt mean that you should be taking pain medication because that wonāt solve the problem at its root.
The real solution to recovering from nerve pain is to have chiropractic care. This natural solution can help relieve your pinched nerve.
Help reduce your nerve pain by calling Inner Gate and scheduling an appointment to begin your chiropractic care in Portland.