Understanding the types of spinal pinched nerves that you can experience can be helpful when you’re trying to pinpoint the cause of your chronic or acute pain. Neural compressions, commonly known as pinched nerves, are usually just a natural part of aging — the result of deteriorating components that develop in the spaces around your vertebrae, like bone spurs or discs that bulge or herniate.

Such conditions result in smaller spaces for the nerves to occupy, squeezing the nerve tissue and irritating it, which causes pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. A nerve can also become pinched because of a condition known as spondylolisthesis, in which a vertebra slips slightly out of place, usually due to spinal arthritis or disc problems. To learn more about the various types of this condition, read the following article.

Pinched nerves in the upper spine

The location of the pinched nerve can determine the kind of weakness or discomfort you may be experiencing. For instance, the neck, also known as the cervical region of the spine, is a common location for nerve compression.

It moves and twists every time we nod or shake our heads, turn to look at our neighbor when we talk, duck under a low-hanging branch or any other of the many day-to-day experiences that we engage in without a second thought.

A pinched nerve in the neck may cause symptoms in the neck itself, or anywhere in the upper back, shoulders, arms or hands. A pinched nerve in the neck can also cause headaches, and some patients have even experienced dizziness or vertigo.

Pinched nerves in the lower spine

The lumbar region of the spine, known as the lower back, facilitates our ability to crouch down, sit with a friend, take a stroll or do the many other activities that require movement in the lower part of our bodies. This is also the section of the spine that supports most of our body weight, so it is especially vulnerable to degeneration of spinal components.

A pinched nerve here can cause symptoms in areas such as the:

• Lower back
• Hips
• Buttocks
• Legs
• Feet

Contact USA Spine Care to learn more about the various types of spinal pinched nerves and what our dedicated team can do to help relieve your neck and back pain. Our minimally invasive procedures offer a safer and effective alternative to traditional open spine surgery.^

Learn more about USA Spine Care’s pinched nerve procedures

USA Spine Care is the leader in minimally invasive spine surgery and has performed more than 100,000 patient procedures since 2005. By using a small incision that is muscle sparing, our highly skilled surgeons can remove the portion causing compression, allowing you to experience lasting relief from your symptoms. To find out if you are a potential candidate for our outpatient pinched nerve surgery, reach out to our dedicated team today and ask for a free MRI review.*

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