Nerves help in sending important messages throughout the body. A pinched nerve is nothing but a type of nerve compression. The pain you feel due to nerve compression is actually a warning signal that the body receives.

Pinched nerve may cause temporary minor or long-lasting severe problems. Hence, the earlier you get diagnosed and treat it, the sooner you will find relief.

There are cases in which you cannot reverse the damage from a pinched nerve.

Symptoms:
Pinched nerve may occur without symptoms. However, there are some common symptoms of compressed nerves or pinched nerve, some of them include:

The person having a compressed nerve might feel pain in the area of compression.

The pain may be radicular, meaning the type of pain that radiates from lower extremity of the body.

Numbness or tingling is another type of a pinched nerve symptom.

The most distinct symptom of a pinched nerve is a burning sensation or feeling of pins and needles being pricked on the affected area.

A general feeling of weakness especially with certain activities.

Treatment Options
The treatment options and the duration of treatment vary from person to person. It also varies depending on the severity and cause of nerve compression.

If the symptoms get severe, consult a doctor. You may need more than one type of treatment which will shrink the swollen tissue around the nerve.

If the pain gets severe by the day, it might get necessary to remove the material that is pressing the nerve. The material might be a scar tissue, disc material, or even a piece of bone.

The treatment options may include NSAID’s (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen etc. that may help reduce the swelling.

Some other oral corticosteroids, Narcotics and steroid injections might help reduce swelling on the affected area and allow inflamed nerves to recover.

Physical therapy will help stretch and strengthen the muscles.
Soft collar or splints allows the muscle to rest for brief period by limiting the motion.

If the condition worsens, surgery might be needed if the above-mentioned treatments do not help ease the condition.

It is necessary that you consult a doctor to find the best approach for treating the symptoms of pinched nerve.