Does a Pinched Nerve Resolve on Its Own?

Perhaps certain movements lead to shooting pain in your lower back that extends down into your leg. Or, you’re unable to turn your neck because the movement results in extreme discomfort. These are the results of a pinched nerve in your spine, which can hijack your life.

If you hope the pinched nerve will resolve on its own, allowing you to move without cringing, that depends upon the source of your nerve compression.

In this month’s blog post, Dr. Amanda Fernandez, Dr. Peter Fernandez, and the rest of the team at Sunshine Spine and Pain Specialists, PLLC, take a closer look at pinched nerves and the best ways to find relief.

A word about pinched nerves

Your peripheral nervous system is incredibly vast, and nerves can be pinched or compressed just about anywhere. Since we specialize in the spine, we will focus on pinched nerves in your back and neck rather than one in your wrist (think carpal tunnel syndrome).

Your spine supports your entire body and acts as the primary passageway connecting your central and peripheral nervous systems. From your spinal cord, 31 pairs of nerve roots exit your spine:

• 8 in your neck (cervical spine)
• 12 in your mid back (thoracic spine)
• 5 in your lower back (lumbar spine)
• 5 in your sacrum
• 1 in your coccyx

If any of these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, it can lead to pain and other symptoms, such as numbness and tingling. Compressed nerves usually occur in your lower back and neck — the two areas of your spine that utilize the most movement.

Behind the pinched nerve

Now, let’s examine whether pinched nerves resolve on their own. The answer depends on what’s pinching the nerve in the first place.

For example, if you have a herniated disc, it means that a piece of the disc material has escaped its space and irritating a nearby nerve root. In most cases, the disc will heal, and the nerve compression issue will resolve.

Consider sciatica, which is one of the most common nerve compression issues — it affects up to 40% of people.

However, if you’re dealing with a degenerative issue, such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, or degenerative disc disease, a pinched nerve may become a chronic problem that will worsen.

So, to answer the question about whether a pinched nerve will resolve on its own, it’s difficult to say until we can correctly identify what’s behind your nerve compression.

Getting help for your pinched nerve

If we find that your pinched nerve is temporary, we can provide some medications and exercises that will help keep you comfortable and speed up your recovery.

If a degenerative issue is causing your pinched nerve, we may need to get more aggressive about freeing your nerves, such as through our innovative Vertiflex® procedure.

The bottom line is that it’s important to see us if you have a pinched nerve so that we can determine which approach is best for your pain relief and freedom of movement.

For experienced and skilled care of your pinched nerve, please contact our Sarasota, Florida, office to schedule a consultation. Call 941-867-7463 or use our online booking request form.