Pinched Nerve Symptoms

One of the worst feeling anyone can experience is a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve is when a nerve is either compressed, inflamed or irritated and can cause symptoms such as pins and needles, deep sharp pain. numbness, weakness, and even sweating, dryness and all sorts of sympathetic symptoms. A pinched nerve can cause many types of symptoms, and if left untreated or un-diagnosed, then it can cause severe dysfunction and damage to the body.

Pins and Needles 

Pins and needles is a sign of nerve compression (pinched nerve) usually seen in conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and compartment syndrome. This is due to the nerve signals not arriving at the brain properly which is either disrupted or not transmitting to the brain properly because of compression of the nerve.

Pins and needles is a very painful symptom and is very common at night when sleeping – which wakes people up and the cold weather.

Numbness 

Numbness is a sign when the nerve signal is completely blocked. This is due to direct pressure to the nerve or the nerve has been strained or cut or also there is a lack of blood supply to the nerve. Most commonly seen when sleeping on your arm and you compress the brachial plexus nerve of your arm and it feels numb. It can be easily remedied by moving your arm as much as you can so you get circulation in your arm. Also commonly seen after surgery, back pain, cuts and trauma.

Burning Sensation 

Burning sensation indicates inflammation of the pinched nerve. Usually caused by disease, obstruction, acute and chronic injuries (like back pain), repetitive strain injuries or trauma. The nerve is inflamed and hence irritated which causes the burning sensation. It can treated by anti-inflammatory medications like Panadol. If chronic, then the inflammation of the nerve is longer lasting, and hence harder or longer to treat.

Weakness 

Weakness is a common symptom of a pinched nerve. In the body, there is basically two different types of nerve. Sensory and Motor Nerves. Sensory nerves have a role of sensing and make you feel pain, touch, pressure and location. Motor nerves act to help move muscles. So weakness is caused when you have a pinched motor nerve. So if you can't lift your arm or leg, this means that you have a pinched motor nerve.

Excessive Sweating and Heat 

Sometimes a pinch nerve can increase sweating and heat. This is due to the sympathetic nerves getting pinched. These nerves are responsible for the body to sweat and dilate the blood vessels, which is activated when we are scared, in fear or in danger. Sympathetic nerves originate from the thoracic spine (middle back) and is often where the cause is at. Sometimes it can be caused by injury, especially if the injury has not healed up for a long time. For instance, a compressed disc in the low back that hasn't fully healed up for 5 months can cause excessive sweating and heat around the back and in the legs.

Referred Pain 

A nerve, such as the sciatic nerve, can cause referral pain. That is, the pain can spread from one part of the body to another. This is because nerves run the whole length of the body, and if one nerve is damaged or pinched, it affects the others on the same line or branch. For instance Sciatica can cause pain in the low back, legs and calves.