If you have ever tried to water your garden and the hose becomes kinked, you note that water supply is immediately cut off. Water cannot get past the kink. The same holds true for the pinched nerve. From the point onward of the pinch, the nerve fails to get the nutrients it needs to continue functioning properly. This results in the inability of the nerve to send signals to back to the brain, resulting in numbness. Moreover, continued pinching can cause the nerve to permanently die off, since it cannot exist long without nutrients.

A pinched nerve can result from compression along the many nerves that leave the brain. Nerves wrapped in the brain and wrapped around the spinal cord are called central. Nerves that leave the spinal cord and brain in long, thin fibers are called peripheral. Compression and pinching can occur in either central or peripheral nerves.

Peripheral nerves can become pinched if a person suffers spinal injury, like a herniated disc. This forces the spine to become compressed and may in turn compress one or more nerves. Another common area to get pinched nerve is the wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of improper positioning of the hands that actually pinches off nerves and causes loss of sensation as the tissues around the nerve swell.

Usually, a person with a pinched nerve notes loss in sensation of the affected area and often pain. It is generally not the pinched nerve that causes the pain, but the condition resulting in the pinched nerve. As tissues around the nerve swell, or as a back injury becomes more pronounced, as in a herniated disc, pain can be significant.

Loss in sensation may not occur at the nerve site. So, for example, a pinched nerve in the back might translate to loss in sensation in the arms, legs, hands, or feet. While the back aches from bone spurs or spinal compression, one may also note numbness in one or more of these areas, signifying that a pinched nerve exists.

Treatment of a pinched nerve depends upon the area pinching the nerve. If a slipped disc is clearly in evidence, many opt for spinal surgery to repair or remove the disc. In carpal tunnel injuries, reducing the motion required by the affected wrist may help restore sensation. Sometimes, using ergonomically designed equipment, like vertical keyboards can help reduce pressure on a pinched nerve.

Swelling around an injury may be treated with cortisone injections. As well, people may take anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling. Sometimes a person with a pinched nerve may require physical therapy to help restore function. Function restored depends upon how long the nerve has been pinched. If the condition has existed for years, numbness may persist after repair attempts because the nerve has lost function past its pinched point. Early treatment frequently offers a better chance at restoring full function to a pinched nerve.