Pain Flows Down River

Beavers are amazing creatures. One small beaver can reroute a waterway for an entire area. They direct rivers, create swamps, and can cause a lot of problems for those who need water down river.

In the same way, an irritated or entrapped nerve can cause a lot of problems “down river”. Quite often, patients present with leg pain or arm pain that has nothing to do with their leg or their arm. If there hasn’t been any trauma or direct affect to the arm or leg, commonly, the nerves are causing pain to occur from somewhere else. When you follow that nerve pattern up the chain and back to the source, the problem is found at or near the spine.

The term is called ‘radiculopathy’ but is more commonly known as a pinched nerve. This can be due to parts of the spine that aren’t moving well and causing pressure, a tight muscle that is squeezing the nerve, a disc herniation, or narrowing of the space between the vertebrae. Any form of pressure on the nerves can cause irritation along the pathway. This is why an issue at the low back can cause pain or numbness or tingling in the toes.

The best form of treatment is to solve the issue at the root and to allow the nerve to move better. Depending on the type of pressure that’s causing the problem, it may need hands-on treatment to move a joint or loosen a muscle. Other up-chain issues could need specific nerve tensioning movements or exercises to strengthen and stabilize the spine.

It’s always a good idea to go to a professional to check out if that little tingle, pins and needles, bruised, or tired sensation is at the source or is coming from the root.

Happy moving, no pinching,

Dr. Cole Maranger DC