Problems with a pinched nerve are quite painful and it is either temporary or go on for quite some time. Almost 85% of the people in the world suffer from back pain with the reasons being quite unclear to some. A pinched nerve is caused by disc issues in the spine or putting too much pressure on the spinal nerve causing excruciating pain.
Dr. Ricardo Lalama is a great chiropractor dealing with the treatment of pinched nerves. The nerves in the body extending from the brain and down under send messages to your body. With the nerves becoming compressed, it often leads to pain.
Too many things contribute to the pinched nerve. Repetitive motions can lead to nerve compression going through narrow spaces traveling through joints without protection from soft tissues. The pinched nerve also happens due to bulging or herniated disc. The chiropractor works towards determining the cause for finding out the solution for addressing the pain.
Some of the ways for treating back pain are listed as under:
Fixing your posture
Bad posture is one of the reasons for pinched nerves. Sitting in awkward positions puts unnecessary stress on many parts of the back and is mostly felt by people working in an office doing desk work all day.
So, fix your posture soon and sit straight when doing your work. Keep the monitor at eye level so you don’t have to look up for hours.
Taking a sudden break
For treating ailments, taking a nice and long break is an effective way of getting rid of it. This helps in giving the joints and muscles a rest with no further intervention. If any part is irritating, then move to the other side.
Get enough sleep as it is also vital for getting relief from a pinched nerve. If possible, try adding more hours of sleep. Your pinched nerve symptoms get reduced after the first night immediately giving your body more time to recover.
Use a workstation
Try replacing desk with workstation as long hours on desks lead to pinched nerves. The workstation has a height where you can keep your laptop and proceed with your work. Workstations help you in improving your posture and also keep your body active all through the day.
If you can’t get a working station at your office, then get up often and take 10-15 minutes to break for a walk outside for inhaling fresh air.
Stretching
Pinched nerves can happen simply due to stretching and pressing of nerves and this only happens when you do the stretches. You don’t have to do yoga or meditation for the same. Just small and occasional stretches are enough for treating pinched nerve. Just keep your stretches light because overdoing can lead to worsening of the condition.
Applying ice and heat
Applying ice to the pinched area can help in reducing all kinds of inflammation and also swelling in the area. It becomes important to reduce inflammation or else there will be more swelling leading to more pain. Apply ice packs lightly on the swollen area for about 15 minutes. Continue it thrice a day.
You can also use a heating pad against the swollen area for about 15 minutes for getting relief. You can continue this for about 4-5 times in a week. After that, take a nice and warm shower.
Consulting chiropractor
Chiropractic is the best way of getting relief from pinched nerves and its something getting popular day by day. Professionals do have an understanding of your body and nerves and know where to apply pressure for getting rid of it. Chiropractor helps in getting relief from tension, pain, and leads to faster recovery.
Treating of pinched nerves using chiropractic services
Drugs help in reducing inflammation but these are not sufficient for addressing problems in the first place. With chiropractic, the chiropractor goes forward in understanding the full body and root cause of pain for restoring full health.
These use spinal cord treatments like giving heat or cold therapy, and all kinds of exercises for helping the body heal faster. The focus should not be only on the pain but management of the entire body.
A recent study on lower back pain
A recent study published in 2018 regarding chiropractic exercises in JAMA open Network took up huge popularity giving pros and cons of treating back pain using chiropractic care.
The research was based on 750 military personnel complaining of back pain. Half of the people used random care while others were used to receiving usual care including 12 chiropractic treatments. They were given 6 weeks of treatment and after that, they have the following recordings:
Reporting of less pain
- More improvement in the functioning of the body
- Reporting of satisfaction while doing chiropractic exercises
- Were in need of less pain medicine
There were no serious side effects reported but only 10% of the personnel receiving chiropractic care complained of adverse effects like stiffness in the muscles or joints. Five percent of people taking casual care also complained of the same.
Symptoms for checking pinched nerves
There are many symptoms associated with pinched nerves. Some of these are:
- Pain in the lower back, legs, or neck
- Numbness or sense of tingling
- Burning sensation
- Weakness caused in the limbs while doing activities
Role of chiropractic care
Most doctors prefer standard care in case of back pains and standard care is including rest, stretching, pain relievers, and heat for getting relief. The only good news with chiropractic care is that people get better within 2 weeks of getting the treatment.
No one knows how good chiropractic care is and how effective it will be on the body. Low back pains cost an estimate of $200 billion a year leading to disability. So, the treatment of back pain must be safe and effective.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing any kind of pain, don’t wait and think whether its pinched nerve or not. Go to a doctor and get the required treatment. Chiropractic care helps in loosening of muscles and increasing blood flow in the pinched area.
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