A pinched nerve is caused by an excess of pressure applied to the nerve. It can occur anywhere but is most common in the lower back, caused by a herniated disc. Symptoms may start as mild, and with continued pressure or lack of treatment, they can worsen, limiting activity and even becoming debilitating. For some, symptoms worsen while sleeping. Recognizing the symptoms can provide you with valuable information to aid your doctor in treating you.
Numbness and Tingling
The most common symptom of a pinched nerve is numbness in the affected area. You might also notice decreased sensation or feeling in the area that is managed by the damaged nerve. Pay attention to when you notice the numbness (i.e. after exercising or walking for a period of time) and let your doctor know. Feeling a tingling or the sensation of pins and needles in or around the affected area, is not uncommon.
Muscle Weakness
As symptoms progress, you might notice an increase in muscle weakness or a recurring feeling that your extremities have fallen asleep. In extreme cases, patients experience "dropping" in the limbs, typically a hand or foot. Dropping of a limb is a loss of all sensation and muscle control. Should you experience a dropped limb, notify your doctor immediately because it is typically an indicator of extreme damage to a nerve or an injury to the spinal cord.
Pain
As opposed to losing sensation or feeling, some patients experience pain. The pain may feel sharp, or you may feel a burning sensation, where the pain seems to radiate outward. Over-the-counter medications may help to reduce the pain, but it is still important for you to contact your doctor because the medication will treat only the symptom, not the cause.
