What Is a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve — medically referred to as nerve compression — happens when surrounding tissues, such as bones, muscles, cartilage, or tendons, apply excess pressure to a nerve. This interferes with the nerve’s function, leading to common symptoms of pain, tingling, or numbness in your back, neck, or leg. Some may also experience muscle weakness or radiating pain, also known as radiculopathy. 

In the United States, pinched nerves affect approximately 85 out of every 100,00 individuals every year — or about 1% of the population. While pinched nerves can happen in many areas in the body, they most commonly occur in the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions.

What Causes a Pinched Nerve?

When bones, discs, or soft tissues apply too much pressure on a nearby nerve, the result is a pinched nerve. This kind of nerve compression can happen in several ways and for a variety of reasons.

Pinched nerve causes often stem from injuries. Sudden trauma from a car accident or impact during sports or exercise can lead to swelling or misalignment that compresses nearby nerves. In adults over the age of 40, natural wear and tear on the spine can also come into play. Over time, the spine may lose flexibility and cushioning — a process known as age-related spinal degeneration.

Another common cause is a herniated disc, where the soft inner portion of a spinal disk pushes outward and irritates or presses on a nearby nerve. Spinal stenosis — a narrowing of the spinal canal — can also limit space for nerves, leading to increased pressure and discomfort. Conditions that cause inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, can also cause a pinched nerve.

Symptoms of Pinched Nerves

Depending on the location and severity of the compression, pinched nerve symptoms can vary. Many times, the affected nerve sends warning signals to the body, which may begin subtly and worsen over time. Pinched nerve symptoms can feel like:

• Sharp or burning pain
• Dull ache
• Tingling or “pins and needles” feeling
• Pricking or prickling
• Numbness or feeling that a body part is “falling asleep”
• Muscle weakness
• Experiencing sciatica
• Shooting or stabbing pain in the arm, leg, buttock, or shoulder blade

Sharp and burning pains may radiate outward from the source. For example, from the neck down the arm, or from the lower back into the leg. Tingling or “pins and needles” may occur during periods of rest or while doing certain movements. You might notice that certain positions or activities aggravate your symptoms. For instance, sitting for extended periods of time, looking down, or lifting objects. 

Diagnosis and When To See a Specialist

If you think you might be experiencing pinched nerve symptoms, a thorough evaluation by a spine or nerve specialist is the first step toward relief. Diagnosis begins with a review of your medical history and physical examination to assess your reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation.

Your doctor may order additional testing to better understand the root cause and extent of the problem. Blood work may be done to check for conditions like diabetes or thyroid imbalance, which can affect nerve health. Imaging tests, such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or CT scan, may also be used to help visualize the spine and soft tissues. These can reveal disc problems or narrowing that may be contributing to nerve compression.

Nerve conduction studies or electromyography (EMG) can also be used to measure how well electrical signals travel through nerves and muscles, which can help diagnose nerve damage.

Treatment Options for Pinched Nerve Relief

Pinched nerve treatment depends on symptom severity and the underlying causes. At The Spine Pro, Dr. Hooman Melamed focuses on relieving pressure on the nerve while minimizing risk and prioritizing long-term recovery. Most patients improve through a carefully structured, holistic, non-invasive treatment plan, often without the need for surgical intervention.

Over-the-counter medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen or naproxen, can help reduce pain and inflammation. While some physicians may prescribe opioids or muscle relaxers for severe cases, Dr. Melamed takes a more conservative, non-opioid approach. He emphasizes holistic care, emphasizing nutrition and gut health with lifestyle changes, often with a combination of acupuncture, tai chi, yoga, and structured, low-impact exercise programs and physical therapy. 

Additional nonsurgical interventions may include epidural steroid injections to reduce inflammation around the nerve, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy to disrupt pain signals, and spinal decompression therapy, which gently stretches the spine to relieve nerve pressure. Spinal decompression therapy, in particular, has shown strong improvements, with studies reporting success rates between 71% and 89%. A study by Dr. John Leslie of The Mayo Clinic reported a 50% reduction in pain scores and an 88.9% improvement rate after a 6-week decompression protocol.

For patients who do require surgery, Dr. Hooman Melamed specializes in minimally invasive microdecompression techniques and Endoscopic decompression designed to relieve pressure with minimal tissue disruption. Lamina removal procedures, which may be used in severe cases, boast pain relief rates of 85% to 90%, and many patients maintain positive outcomes for up to a decade. However, this procedure is not without risk. As many as 10% to 15% of patients who undergo a laminar removal procedure may need additional surgery due to postoperative complications.

Book an Appointment with Dr. Hooman Melamed

With options ranging from conservative therapies to advanced surgical care, Dr. Hooman Melamed delivers tailored pinched nerve treatment in Beverly Hills, focused on restoring function and relieving pain safely and effectively. Request an appointment online to take the first step toward healing today.