Pinched Nerve

[LAS42]

Can a pinched nerve be fixed?  I have sharp pain in my left hip.  It is not constant; but, my left foot is numb and tingling as is my left calf.  It has been this way about a week and seems to be getting worse.  I could not shift the gears on my 4-wheeler yesterday with my left foot.  I know it is a pinched nerve, but I can't afford any long term pain therapy.  Also, even if there was a drug strong enough to get rid of the pain, I am quite sure I would not be able to function at school and work if I took any.  

Can it be fixed or should I be prepared to just live with it as is?

Thank you

[Cleveland Clinic]

thanks for the email. You should start by seeing your Primary Care Physician and you may need a referral to a neurologist or neurosurgeon. Lower extremity pain and tingling are common problems. Sometimes the pain comes from the hip and sometimes it is the back itself. Most patients that develop these symptoms have the symptoms resolve with conservative treatment (phyical therapy, anti inflammatories). Other end up having steroid injections and others surgery. A good history and exam will help localize the problem and treatment can start. If the symptoms progress then imaging studies such as an MRI are reasonable. get in to see your PCP first. GS

[mike1105]

you need to see a neurologist. If it is ideed a pinched nerve, it should be evident to the neurologist thru testing and imaging. There are also minimally invasive surgical options available these days. Do not let it wait----nerve issues can become permanent even if the compression is relieved if you wait to long.

[doug one]

a mri  scan will determine the extent of your back problem. I have just had the spinal surgery needed to clear the problem identical to you.the pain has gone but i still suffer from the damaged nerves from leaving it to long. Also weakness of the thigh muscles .Any advice to help with these post op problems would be appreciated.

[ade2007]

I was diagnosed with occulta spina bifida and experienced extreme lower back pain for many years. At one point I was on four different pain medications, two of which were very strong and I still managed to cope and function to a reasonably normal level. I was given a TENS machine which helped enormously as a medication-free alterative to pain management. It was an invaluble thing that I could wear whilst out and about. I was reffered to a pain management clinic - they assessed the situation and told me that nerves were being affected by the occulta spina bifida. They off-lisenced prescribed for the pain I was in. I took capsules for epilepsy which did help with the pain to certain degree. Essentially, its whether you can function without the need for long-term pain relief. Pysiotherapy helped me greatly in realising that my lifestyle affects the pain levels. Pilates were also suggested to me. I hope some of this information is of help to you.

[richedie]

Sorry to hear about your pinched nerve. I am wondering if I have the same problem. I am in the process of testing for Ankylosing Spondylitis since having back problems and some suspicious blood work. So, I am waiting two months now to see this very popular Rheumatology specialist in my area.

In the meantime I notice my pinky and ring finger, along with part of me left hand start to feel pins and needles quite often similar to when your hand falls a sleep or has the blood restricted. I am wondering if this is a pinched nerve since I really notice it when I lay on my left side and bend hard at the elbow or bend my wrist inward. I am trying to pinpoint when I feel it most but this just started this past week. So, now I am wondering if this is tied to my possible Spondilitis condition or something totally different such as a pinch nerve. Maybe the Ulner(sp) nerve.

I am worried.

I hope you make out well in your situation.

-Rich

[mike1105]

ich-- sounds like ulnar nerve involvement. I would see a hand specialist. I had this for 18 months and it is a bout 90 percent gone. Mine was from an over stretch during exercise. yours may be o a chronic condition where the nerve is constantly being irritated-- there are surgeries for this-- but the first step will be to wear an elbow and or wrist splint to keep your from irritating the nerve.

[BigZee]

I just had back surgey on July 26th. I experienced severe pain in my hip and left buttocks with numbness in my left calf and foot. I made an appointment with my neurosurgeon and was immediately scheduled for an MRI. The MRI showed arthritis around the facets and stenosis but didn't show any disc protrusion onto the nerve. i was sent to a pain management center to have steroids and marcaine(numbing agent) onto the nerve root to see if it would reduce the inflamation (inflammation) of the nerve. After months of pain I received about 4 hours of relief until the marcain wore off. My neurosurgeon suggested the possibility of surgery (which I was greatful) to remove a portion of the facet joint and make some room for the nerve root. upon waking up from anesthesia the doctor stated that I had a very large ruptured disk with the material encroaching on the nerve. he was surprised that the MRI never showed this and stated that all of the pain management shots would have never provided long term relief.

[lawman451]

Advil or the generic equivalent is a good anti-inflamatory medication.  over the counter.  I could not function without it.  2400 mg a day!

[Brenda267]

Acouple of months ago I started hurting in my upper arm and shoulder. just in the last couple of weeks it has got worse. I am now feeling a tingle sensation in my fingers also I feel like I lose circulation in my upper arm. I am having trouble sleeping I wake up in the middle of the night hurting. I have trouble lifting anything heavy. it is getting harder just putting on my clothes. about 10 years ago I had surgery for Carple Tunnel. could my Carple Tunnel be coming back or could this be something different. What type of Doctor should I see?

[dperry10]

I am currently under treatment for HCV,   to date I have lost 88 lbs, and have alot of excess skin,  in the last 2 wks, I notice when I am laying down and turn over, it feels like someone is poking a hot branding iron to my hip area, and it started on my arm over the weekend, on the same side of my body.  

I have been sayng that once this is all over, I am going to see about donating the extra skin to the burn unit at the hospital.   I am going to make an appointment with a neurologist this week.. maybe I am pinching the nerves ?   Maybe there is a medical condition from this that would be covered under insurance to remove the excess skin..    Has anyone ever heard of this ?  
To:

[Rmejia]

  I have two herniated discs (L4 and L5), I was wondering if anyone has had surgery.  I am contemplating it, but wanted to see if anyone has had or knows someone who has had surgey of this magnitude.  I am concerned of post surgery conditions.  Can anyone give me some insight?


                                                                          Thanks

[butterfly29]

I just had surgery on the 9th of Aug.I had a right hemilaminectomy and medial facetectomy .I had a herniated disk at  L5 -S1.I am having more problems now than I had before .The burning ,stabbing pain in my hip ,lower back and right leg has increased .I go for another mri in 3 weeks hopefully the doctor can find the problem .That being said ,my husband had the same surgery in Jan. and his turned out perfectly .He hasn't had any pain since .We both had the same surgeon ,his turned out great and mine didn't .Good luck with your back.

[poppajohn]

I am having lower back pain, it is burning very bad and also numbness in my left foot. I have DDD in my lower back, digognosed with an MRI could this be the cause of my pain. I was also have recently had a Peptic ulcer with bleeding. Thanks for you help.

[c-amy]

I know this site is not to diagnose, but I was hoping to receive some kind of direction since I don't seem to be getting anywhere at this point. I have had a set of strange symptoms that came on suddenly and have been changing and intensifying daily. Starting last friday I was feeling sensitivity in my right arm. I didn't think much of it since I exercise 3x's a week and thought I may have over did it a bit on my last work out. I seemed to be extremely exhausted, yet I had troubled sleeping. Saturday the pain seemed to have increased some, but still I did nothing even tho I continued to feel run down and again had trouble sleeping. On Sunday morning I was awakened at 3am by an intense pain in my right arm along with muscle weakness. I ignored it for most of the morning waiting for it to ease up thinking I may have just slept wrong. The pain began to travel up my neck to my jaw, and then the right side of my face went numb like you feel when the dentist gives you novocaine for a deep filling. This scared me and I ended up taking a trip to the ER where they did no lab draws but instead a complete MRI that proved to be negative and I was sent home with a dx of a pinched cervical nerve and "perhaps" the early stages of Bell's Palsy. I was given no medication while I was there and was discharged with nothing. The following morning, now Monday, I woke up with severe ear pain, you guessed it, on the right side. Fearing an ear infection I thought I better go in to see my doctor just to be sure. My arm was still weak but the pain was not as severe and my facial numbness seemed to have subsided. I ended up seeing a Nurse Practioner that I had never seen before and explained to her my symptoms from the previous ER visit. She looked in my ear stating it was a little red but nothing to warrent a dose of antibiotics from. She then changed my dx to the "shingles" even tho I had not been running a fever and I have already had the chicken pox's as a child. I was again not given any medications and sent home being told to return in a week or two when a rash appears. Tuesday morning my arm had improved but my earache was still with me and now included a sledge hammer like pain that came and went in the lower right occipital region of my head. This also included a new feeling of pressure or fullness on the right side of my head including my face, yet I had no congestion or sinus drainage. It worsened if I attempted to bend over and pick something up. I have been alternating between Motrin and Tylenol every four hours to try to find some relief, but it doesn't even touch the pain. When I layed down to sleep last night the pain from my head shot down the right side of my body making it feel as tho it was taking the air out of my right lung and ended in my upper thigh. I promptly sat up and used extra pillows to prop my head up to sleep rather than to lay flat. Today, now Wednesday, the sledge hammer and fullness is still present, the ear pain not so bad, but I am having trouble turning my head to the left without causing a shooting pain in my head and I am unable to stick my tongue out all the way (found out while trying to brush my teeth). I am completely exhausted at this point and just can't seem to wake up for nothing. I find myself dozing off every couple of hours while moaning in pain. I am afraid to go back into the doctors or make another trip to the ER and have them essentially tell me to go back home and deal with it. I don't know what to do since I have to go back to work this Friday and the OTC meds are not helping my symptoms any. Is there something else that the doctors should be looking for? Is this just some kind of strange virus (with no fever, sore throat, or congestion) that needs to run it's course? Please help!