Trapped nerve in shoulder treatment

This article will help you to educate yourself on the symptoms, causes and treatment of this painful condition.A trapped nerve is also known as a pinched nerve. It means that the nerve is being squeezed by either the bone or muscle or even the tendons and ligaments. When this happens to a person the nerve will become swollen and the host of the trapped nerve may feel a burning or sharp pain in the body. A lot of things can cause a nerve to become trapped in the shoulder such as lifting objects that are too heavy or in an incorrect posture, sitting incorrectly at your desk can add to the problem as well. People that are overweight will have an excessive amount of tissue build up in the shoulder which will contribute to the nerve becoming pinched.

Symptoms of a Trapped Nerve in the Shoulder

First let us get an understanding of what nerves are in the shoulder, in the cervical vertebrae there are 8 nerves that comes from that vertebrae are numbers C1-8. The nerves C5-C8 are the ones that are most likely to become pinched in the shoulder. Nerves C5 to C8 cause different symptoms depending on which one gets pinched. The C5 nerve will cause swelling and numbness in the muscles around the shoulder and you will experience a sharp pain in the shoulder. The nerve C6 causes the pain to distribute itself down the arm to the thumb. The nerve C7 will give you pain in the forearm and down to the index and middle finger. The nerve C8 will cause the small finger and ring finger to feel the pain.

Treatment for a Trapped Nerve in the Shoulder

A physical examination will say whether a nerve is trapped or not, the GP may ask a series of questions about your history, exercise routine and symptoms experienced. However sometimes you may need to have a MRI and blood may be taken to check for any other underlying problems. If a trapped nerve if causing the pain then usually you will be advised to rest the area completely and to sleep on your back in a straight position to take some of the strain off the shoulder. Also well as sleeping in the correct position you could also try hot or cold packs to give some relief and also the GP may even give you a relaxant for the muscles.