A pinched nerve usually heals on its own within a few days and may last up to 12 weeks. Dydyk AM, Khan MZ, Singh P. Radicular Back Pain. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546593/ , Magnus W, Viswanath O, Viswanathan VK, et al. Cervical Radiculopathy. [Updated 2024 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441828/ Pinched nerves in the neck tend to last longer than pinched nerves in the lower back. Dydyk AM, Khan MZ, Singh P. Radicular Back Pain. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546593/ , Magnus W, Viswanath O, Viswanathan VK, et al. Cervical Radiculopathy. [Updated 2024 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441828/
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Pinched nerve due to herniated disc.
A pinched nerve occurs when a nerve root in your neck or back is inflamed or compressed by a herniated disc, a bone spur, spinal degeneration, or other spinal conditions.
This blog explains how long a pinched nerve lasts and the steps you can take to help improve nerve healing and pain.
The exact duration of a pinched nerve in your spine depends on the cause, severity, and location of nerve injury.
Magnus W, Viswanath O, Viswanathan VK, et al. Cervical Radiculopathy. [Updated 2024 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441828/
Alexander CE, Varacallo M. Lumbosacral Radiculopathy. [Updated 2023 Aug 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430837/
In these cases, nerve healing occurs on its own without any specific treatment. Dydyk AM, Khan MZ, Singh P. Radicular Back Pain. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546593/ , Magnus W, Viswanath O, Viswanathan VK, et al. Cervical Radiculopathy. [Updated 2024 Jan 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441828/ However, it is recommended to engage in moderate physical activity and avoid prolonged bed rest. Dydyk AM, Khan MZ, Singh P. Radicular Back Pain. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546593/
If your nerve pain persists beyond 12 weeks, your symptoms may become chronic, and you will likely require some form of medical treatment to manage the symptoms. Dydyk AM, Khan MZ, Singh P. Radicular Back Pain. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546593/
In general, a mildly inflamed nerve root heals faster than a more severely compressed nerve. If a nerve root is persistently compressed, permanent nerve tissue damage and long-term symptoms are possible.
A pinched nerve may also be referred to as an inflamed nerve, compressed nerve, trapped nerve, or nerve impingement – and these terms may be used interchangeably.
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Radicluar pain in the leg is called sciatica and is commonly felt in the low back, thigh, calf, and/or foot.
In the initial stages of certain spinal conditions such as degenerated discs or herniated discs, inflammatory chemicals are released from the injured tissues, which irritate the nerve root and trigger pain signals.
If you have a pinched nerve due to inflammation, you will feel a sharp, stabbing, or burning pain that radiates into your arm or leg based on the location of the nerve. The medical term for this condition is radicular pain and when it occurs in the leg, it’s commonly called sciatica.
Read more about Sciatica Symptoms and Sciatica Causes
If a nerve root in your spine becomes mechanically trapped or compressed by a nearby spinal structure, such as a bulging disc, bone spur, or pulled muscle, its ability to transmit sensory and motor signals gets interrupted.
In these cases, the pinched nerve root causes neurological deficits, such as numbness or weakness, and the clinical description is called radiculopathy. Cervical radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root in the neck is pinched, causing numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arm, whereas lumbar radiculopathy occurs when a nerve in the lower back is pinched and causes numbness, tingling, or weakness in the leg.
Nerve inflammation or compression in the neck (cervical spine) often occurs in the C5-C6 and C6-C7 spinal motion segments, causing impingement of the C6 or C7 nerve roots.
The most common cause for a pinched nerve in the neck is a cervical herniated disc. Sarwan G, De Jesus O. Electrodiagnostic Evaluation of Cervical Radiculopathy. [Updated 2023 Aug 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563152/
Nerve inflammation or compression in the lower back (lumbar spine) usually occurs at the L4-L5 or L5-S1 spinal motion segments, causing impingement of the L4, L5, or S1 nerve roots. Donnally III CJ, Hanna A, Varacallo M. Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease. [Updated 2023 Aug 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448134/
The most common causes for a pinched nerve in the lower back are lumbar herniated discs and spondylosis (spinal degeneration). Dydyk AM, Khan MZ, Singh P. Radicular Back Pain. [Updated 2022 Oct 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546593/
It is rare for a pinched nerve to occur in the thoracic spine (upper back).
If it occurs, the symptoms subside within a few weeks or several months and usually require some form of medical treatment to aid in recovery. Dydyk AM, Ngnitewe Massa R, Mesfin FB. Disc Herniation. [Updated 2023 Jan 16]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441822/ , Fogwe DT, Petrone B, Mesfin FB. Thoracic Discogenic Syndrome. [Updated 2022 Aug 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470388/
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Using an unsupported posture while sitting, standing, and bending causes pinched nerve pain to aggravate.
Pain from a pinched or trapped nerve may worsen if you perform activities that aggravate the underlying cause. For example, bending forward worsens nerve pain from a herniated disc, and bending backward worsens nerve pain from spinal stenosis.
Additionally, everyday activities such as standing, sitting, or walking aggravate pinched nerve pain if a supported spinal posture is not maintained.
See Everyday Activities to Avoid with Herniated Disc
Research also suggests that nicotine use (smoking, vaping, chewing tobacco, etc) affects nerve pain and inflammation. Nicotine disrupts the flow of blood and essential nutrients throughout the body and may flare up nerve pain or slow down its healing. Fiani B, Noblett C, Nanney JM, et al. The Impact of "Vaping" Electronic Cigarettes on Spine Health. Cureus. 2020;12(6):e8907. Published 2020 Jun 29. doi:10.7759/cureus.8907 , Khurana VG. Adverse impact of smoking on the spine and spinal surgery. Surg Neurol Int. 2021;12:118. Published 2021 Mar 24. doi:10.25259/SNI_6_2021
Try these 5 targeted self-care treatments to immediately and effectively calm the burning pain or numbness caused by pinched nerves in your spine:
Derry S, Moore RA, Gaskell H, McIntyre M, Wiffen PJ. Topical NSAIDs for acute musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015;(6). doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007402.pub3
When you use heat or cold packs and topical medication, make sure you target the spinal region where the nerve is affected, such as the neck or lower back – to treat the problem at its origin – rather than focusing on the arm or leg where the pain and symptoms may be more prominent.
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If mild to moderate pain from a pinched nerve does not reduce after a week or so, it is advisable to consult with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
If your pain becomes severe at any point, or you develop new or worsening radiculopathy in the arms or legs, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Delayed treatment increases the risk of complications and long-term nerve damage.
What's a Herniated Disc, Pinched Nerve, Bulging Disc...?
Herniated Disc vs. Degenerative Disc Disease Treatments
Dr. Rob Dickerman is a neurological and spine surgeon at the North Texas Brain and Spine Institute. He has more than 15 years of clinical experience and specializes in spine biomechanics, spinal cord injuries, and brain tumors.
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Study design: A single-center retrospective study.
Objective: To compare the speed of recovery of different sensory symptoms, pain, numbness, and paresthesia, after lumbar nerve root decompression.
Summary of background data: Lumbar radiculopathy is characterized by different sensory symptoms like pain, numbness, and paresthesia, which may resolve at different rates after surgical decompression.
Methods: Eighty-five cases with predominant lumbar radiculopathy treated surgically were reviewed. Oswestry Disability Index score, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores (Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary), and pain drawing at preoperative and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1-year follow-up were reviewed. Recovery rate between different sensory symptoms were compared in all patients, and between the short-term compression (<6 mo) and long-term compression groups.
Results: At baseline, 73 (85.8%) patients had pain, 63 (74.1%) had numbness, and 38 (44.7%) had paresthesia; 28 (32.9%) had all these 3 component of sensory symptoms. Mean pain score improved fastest (55.3% at 6 wk); further resolution until 1 year was slow and not significant compared with each previous visit. Both numbness and paresthesia scores showed a trend of faster recovery during the initial 6-week period (20.5% and 24%, respectively); paresthesia recovery reached a plateau at 3 months postoperatively, but numbness continued a slow recovery until 1-year follow-up. Both Oswestry Disability Index score and Physical Component Summary scores (54.02 ± 1.87 and 26.29 ± 0.93, respectively, at baseline) improved significantly compared with each previous visits at 6 weeks and 3 months postoperatively, but further improvement was insignificant. Mental Component Summary showed a similar trend but smaller improvement. The short-term compression group had faster recovery of pain than the long-term compression group.
Conclusion: In lumbar radiculopathy patients after surgical decompression, pain recovers fastest, in the first 6 weeks postoperatively, followed by paresthesia recovery that plateaus at 3 months postoperatively. Numbness recovers at a slower pace but continues until 1 year.
Level of evidence: 4.
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