Like most people, we tend to ignore our backs and abuse it without even knowing it. We neglect to give it proper care like keeping good posture or taking in enough calcium supplements to keep the bones strong and sturdy…continued below

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…Until we suffer excruciating pain or a somewhat hard-to-ignore unpleasant sensation, that’s about the only time we begin to take notice of our backs. One such condition is pinched nerve in the back.

What Is It?

A pinched nerve in the back, although this may also happen in other parts of the body, is a highly painful condition that usually leaves the person affected unable to do practically anything from the pain and discomfort it brings. What happens is that the nerve can get trapped resulting from either bone spurs, degenerated vertebrae, arthritis, or injury to the lower back.

The symptoms that come with this condition include tingling or ‘pins and needles’ sensation, numbness, irritation, or burning. These are some of the things a person experiences when there is a trapped nerve somewhere in the small of his back. If the condition worsens, or the back has suffered quite enough, the vertebral joints could become swollen and the muscles located on the back can be tensed all throughout. Symptoms involving the leg will be experienced if the affected nerves are those that branch out from the trunk through the hip and legs and all the way to the feet.

Diagnosis

The physician will primarily ask the person about the characteristic of the symptoms such as whether or not there is pain and how severe it is, the sensations felt such as numbness or tingling, and so on. Medical conditions, employment history, and family history as well will also be asked as these are helpful in zeroing down on the type of condition the person is experiencing.

Physical examination will then be carried out. Wherever the affected area is, the doctor will test the muscle tone, strength and sensation of the muscles involved. If the physician thinks that the data he collected is not enough to support a diagnosis, then x-ray, CT scan or an MRI scan might be needed.

Treatment

Treating a pinched nerve in the back is quite simple. Ice and rest, for starters, are what the person has to get first. Medications may also be prescribed by the physician. Anti-inflammatory medication can help to lessen the swelling around the involved nerve. Pain medications may also be prescribed. Physical therapy is also helpful in stretching as well as strengthening certain muscles in the body thus allowing relief from pressure on the affected nerve. Surgery is the last resort if all of the conservative methods mentioned do not provide relief. However, the condition is fairly easy to treat.

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