eliminate pain from pinched nerve

how do i eliminate pinched nerve causing pain in shoulder, and down my left arm


This discussion is related to Shoulder Pain, Tingly Arm, Pinched Nerve?.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Is the nerve pinched at the spine? The cervical MRI should be able to show the problem.

If it is pinched by a bulging disc, the disc can be repaired or removed. Can you give some more information?

Regards

[ray3245]

no mri yet. no cat scan.  my primary doctor prescribed skelaxin.  i am in the middle of having cataract surgery. one eye last week, second eye next week.                                                                 pain down arm is only during night.  I do not sleep on my arm, only on my back. However, my shoulder is restricted to movements allthe time.  Putting a shirt on is diffucult, movement is limited.   thank you

[Bertie35]

I started with a stiff neck, which moved to my left shoulder and then down my left arm and eventually led to tinkling sensations in my finger tips.  The pain was so excruciating that I went to the hospital emergency and they gave me a shot of morophine, after trying other pain relievers which did nothing.
I started getting chiropractic adjustments twice a day for about 5 days and now after 10 days since the initital onset of pain, I'm much better.  I'm taking pain meds once or twice a day, as opposed to 4 to 5 times previously.  I also am getting daily chiropractic adjustments.

[mark63]

I have been in terrible pain with both should and bicep buring pain and lower back pain with sciatic pain.  I have been taking  muscle relaxers and hydrocodone for six months. Even taking these serious meds do not eliminate my pain...It just reduces it. Obviously I do not want to have chronic pain and be dependent on medication to reduce the pain.  I have a six yr old son and cannot rough house with him like he or I would like. Has anyone been treated successfully through Chiropractic care and physical therapy? Or is surgury the only answer?

[ellie0902]

I have very recently developed a pinched nerve in my shoulder. The pain is unreal - I do not know if I should laugh or cry. I am seeing a chiropractor and it is fantastic. Analgesia does not help nerve pain, only mask it for a very short while.  The problem prevents me from turning my head to the left, looking up/down and lifting anything heavy.  Recently, my whole arm has gone tingly and numb. Sleeping is dreadful. An icepack works wonders though !!!!  will keep you posted.

[JulesDesign]

I am 36 and I have the sore, throbbing, tingly arm sensation plus the stiff neck on occasion.  My worst episode lasted six or more months.  I had an MRI and the Doctor told me I herniated my disk.  Apparently, it is common.
I spent $1500 on Chiropractic care and I find that such care is useless.  I think this condition is too complex for a Chiropractor to resolve.  Surgery was an available option, but the procedure appears to be very invasive; I have opted to live with my chronic pain.  Pain killers help, but not very much.
What is ailing you is not the herniated disk itself, but the nerve that was pinched- likely by your cervical disks.  Once the nerve is pinched, it is damaged, and it takes a long time to heal.  The good news is that nerves are tissue, and often, it will heal- yet slowly and over time.  The bad news is that disk herniation is more or less permanent, and you will always be subject to future nerve pinching episodes subject to your activities.  
To manage your pinched nerve or disk herniation, the trick is twofold:
1.  Find the activities or motions that pinch your nerves.  This discovery can be very elusive, but considering the extremity of the pain, it is well worth the consideration.
2.  To get better faster, stay active.  As mentioned, nerves are tissue, as such, to encourage the healing process, get your blood flowing.  This approach is a natural way to let the body fix itself.  In my case, I started using the cross-trainer machine at the gym, and I noted an expedited recovery.   I will also note that this approach was an improvement over my Chiropractor care.  
My final word
After seeing my Family Physician, Chiropractor, Sports Injury Specialist, Nerve Specialist, and an Orthopaedic Specialist, I do not think that modern medicine really understands the spine column very well or related issues.  
We are all looking for a resolution to this pain, but I offer that we are more or less stuck with this chronic situation for the rest of our lives.  The best approach I suggest is to manage the situation to minimize reoccurrences.  Cold comfort I know, but at least we now know what to expect.

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