Understanding The Symptoms Of A Pinched Nerve

The symptoms of a pinched nerve can range from mild to severe. Most individuals will experience instances of pinched nerves, but they are minimal and therefore easy to overcome. Indeed, you will find that a pinched nerve can lead to a permanent, long term loss of use of a nerve if the situation is not treated correctly. For this reason, you should take note of what the symptoms of this condition are so that you can seek out help for it as soon as you need to.

The symptoms of a pinched nerve include the following:

1. A sharp, shooting pain that starts in one location and moves outward. For example, many that have a pinched nerve in their shoulder will experience a shooting pain that starts in the shoulder and radiates down the arm or into the back.

2. Numbness or a loss of sensation in the area in which the nerve is located or the area that is supplied by the nerve, which could range from a small to a larger area.

3. A muscle weakness in the affected area is generally evident especially in more chronic conditions. You may also feel less likely to move the area for fear of more pain.

4. Twitching, muscle spasms can also be a symptom of this condition.

5. If you feel like your leg or your arm has fallen asleep, this could be the result of a pinched nerve located in that area of the body.

For those that experience these situations, it's important for you to find the help that you need in relieving the pain. Most doctors will first recommend resting and keeping the area that's affected immobile. From here, physical therapy and then medications are used to improve the area which can include the knee, the arm, back, or shoulders.