1. Diagnosing and Treating a Pinched
Nerve in Your Neck

2. Just about everyone will experience a pinched nerve in
the neck at some point. This common condition can be
caused by something as relatively minor as sleeping on a
pillow wrong or can also indicate the presence of a
degenerative spine condition that has developed as a
result of years of wear and tear on the neck. If you
continue to experience chronic neck pain or any other
similar symptoms that you think might be a result of
nerve irritation in your cervical spine, it is extremely
important that you visit a doctor to diagnose the problem
and help you develop a treatment regimen that will help
you overcome your discomfort.

3. What is a Pinched Nerve?
The brain communicates with the rest of the body by sending and
receiving motor and sensory signals through a complex infrastructure
of nerves that branch off the spinal cord. The problem is that when
one of these nerves becomes impinged, irritated, or otherwise
constricted, the regular function of that never can be interfered with,
which can lead to symptoms to develop.
One of the difficulties that can arise with diagnosing a pinched nerve is
that the symptoms are often experienced far away from the origin of
the problem. When a nerve root in the spinal column, for instance,
becomes irritated, the symptoms may radiate along the affected nerve
into the extremities. As a result, a pinched nerve in the neck, for
example, can cause tingling in the fingertips. This can cause the
individual to attempt to treat the symptoms in the fingers, while
neglecting the actual cause of the problem in the spinal column.

4. Degenerative Spine Conditions
One of the most common causes of a pinched nerve in the neck is the
development of a degenerative spine condition. As we age, our spinal
anatomy naturally begins to deteriorate as a result of years of wear
and tear on the spinal anatomy. This phenomenon is particularly
common in the neck, where the burden of supporting the weight of
the skull takes its toll. With time, the intervertebral discs that cushion
and support adjacent vertebrae become worn, vertebral facet joints
that connect the vertebrae become arthritic, muscles weaken,
ligaments calcify, and other changes occur. This deterioration is
entirely normal and accounts for some of the minor aches and pains
and the marked loss of flexibility that most of us come to accept as a
normal part of the aging process.
The problem that some individuals run into, however, is that this spinal
degeneration can occasionally advance to the point that a spinal nerve
becomes constricted, which can cause chronic symptoms to develop.

5. Treatment Options
In order to effectively treat a pinched nerve in
the neck, you must first understand the root
cause of the problem. A herniated disc will
require a different course of treatment than
osteoarthritis in the spine, for example, and,
the only way to confidently diagnose the
problem is to seek the attention of a
physician.
Once a diagnosis has been made, the doctor
will work with the patient to develop a
carefully designed treatment regimen that is
intended to alleviate strain from the affected
nerve. More often than not, a combination of
low-impact exercises, stretching techniques,
hot/cold therapy, and nonsteroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs will provide the lasting
relief the patient requires.

6. When Surgery is an Option
While most people will find lasting relief from several
weeks or months of conservative treatment, for a select
segment of the population surgical intervention is
occasionally required to overcome their chronic pain. In
this case, there are several different types of spine
procedures that may be considered, ranging from spinal
fusion surgery to less invasive endoscopic options.
To learn more about what it means to have a pinched
nerve in your neck, speak with your physician or spine
specialist today.