Pinched Nerve in Neck Treatment

A pinched nerve in the neck can be defined as the compression or stretching of the nerve/nerves found in the inter-vertebral areas of the neck. It may be caused due to a number of reasons such as poor posture, obesity, slipped disc, sports injury, exercise related injury, repetitive stress injury, osteoarthritis, trauma from an accident, neck arthritis and degenerative disc diseases in the elderly. Irrespective of the cause, a pinched nerve in the neck causes immense pain, not only in the neck but in the adjoining areas as well such as arms, shoulders and fingers. That's why, many a time, it is confused as a muscle pain. So, before learning how to relieve a pinched nerve that takes place in the neck, it is important to understand its various symptoms as well.

Pinched Nerve in the Neck Symptoms

Some of the commonly observed symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck are a sharp pain in the neck region which becomes worse when you chew, sneeze, yawn or cough, numbness in the affected region and a sensation of "pins and needles" in the affected area. Sometimes, the pain radiates towards the fingers and hence there might be pain and discomfort in all body areas right from the neck to the shoulders to the arms to the fingers. Headache, back pain, muscle spasms are some of the other symptoms that may be felt due to a pinched nerve in the neck.

How to Fix a Pinched Nerve in the Neck

Hot/Cold Packs
The first thing that you should do with regards to treatment is to apply a hot water bottle or an ice pack on the affected area, for about ten minutes, a number of times in a day. This will help in relieving the pain caused due a pinched nerve.

Painkillers
Another thing that you can do to relieve the pain symptoms is to take pain medicines such as ibuprofen. Of course, as with any other medication, consulting a doctor prior to taking pain killers is recommended.

Ointments
Regular application of pain-relieving ointments on the neck, will bring tremendous relief from the neck pain symptoms. These ointments can be bought over the counter or you may consult a doctor and ask him to suggest a suitable one for your treatment.

Injections
If you are suffering from unbearable pain which refuses to die down, then in order to get relief, you may consider taking cortisone injections or epidural injections. These injections greatly reduce the pain and discomfort caused due to a pinched nerve.

Exercise
You can consult a physiotherapist who would suggest you certain neck exercises to loosen the neck muscles. An easy pinched nerve exercise that you can attempt at home is to rotate your neck clockwise till it reaches the starting position and then slowly rotate it anti-clockwise. Repeat it a few times in a day to get relief from the tightness caused due to a pinched nerve.

Massage
Massage too, like exercises helps in loosening the neck muscles. Ideally, opt for massage by a trained professional. If you are attempting it at home, there are certain precautions that you should follow. Firstly, do not massage the affected area vigorously as it may lead to even more trauma. Secondly, always start massaging the affected area slowly and then build up pressure till you feel that the pinch in the nerve is loosening.

Diet
Another effective home remedy is to take a diet rich in fiber. This is because if you suffer from constipation, it will aggravate the pain symptoms caused by a pinched nerve. So, include lots of high fiber foods in your diet such as apples, apricots, bananas, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, cereals, almonds, flax seeds, lentils, walnuts, peanuts, brown rice, oats and pasta.

As the symptoms may worsen if the affected area is moved often or with a jerk, so avoid activities like lifting heavy objects which strains the muscles. Most of the time, a pinched nerve in the neck will get cured by using the above mentioned treatments within a few days. However, if the condition fails to improve, then the doctor may suggest a minor surgery to correct it as the last resort.