Is it a pinched nerve? My neck is killing me!

Have you been told your neck or back pain was caused by a pinched nerve?  Have you heard a friend describe this issue or concerned you may be at risk?  Fear not--this description is often not accurate and not likely.

A "pinched nerve" refers to the space just next to the spine, where spinal nerves exit from the spinal cord and travel towards fingers, toes, and all the organs of the body.  If you've had pain anywhere from your neck to your fingertips, or low back down to your toes--you may have worried it could be a pinched nerve.  The space provided in the low back is more than enough for the nerves to fit through.  In fact, the space can often degenerate more than 50% and still have no symptoms!  The space in the neck is sufficient for the nerves to travel through even with inflammation.

In the chiropractic world, a pinched nerve is often described as the "garden hose theory", similar to a hose losing water pressure when it is kinked or someone is stepping on it.  This theory has no proper scientific evidence and should be disregarded as an explanation for treatment.

So if it's not likely a pinched nerve, what causes such pain?

The evidence points to irritation, adhesion, and perception.  Yes, just as the brain is powerful enough to let a grandmother lift a car to save her child or a football star finish a game on a broken ankle--your brain is powerful enough to misinterpret irritating signals as significant pain.  That means something can hurt really badly but not be very dangerous.  Our brains have an imperfect ability to perceive the level of danger.  As I remind my wife, the drive to skydiving is far more dangerous than actually jumping out of the plane.  Yet our brains have decided that the skydiving is more intense than anything else, just as irritation to a nerve--not a pinched nerve--can be more intense than other insults.

Adhesions are like cob webbing around tissue and can create tension instead of smooth, easy gliding.  Improper growth of connective tissue can create these stubborn changes, specific manual therapy can quickly eliminate these problems.  This leads to a more fluid tissue motion, whether it's muscle, nerve, tendon, ligament, or fascia.  Treating a "pinched nerve" should be focused on direct manual therapy and exercises that calm, release, and gently move the area.  This is the best way to avoid surgery, speed healing, and return to feeling normal.  Find a chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, or physician who is focused on helping you move again, without relying on drugs to numb it or surgery to cut it.