Spinal Compression & Pinched Nerves

What Is Spinal Compression?

Spinal compression occurs when structures in or around the spine — most often a herniated or bulging disc, a bone spur, or a thickened ligament — press against a nerve root or the spinal cord itself. The result is pain that often travels far beyond the site of compression.

A compressed nerve in the lower back may cause pain, tingling, or numbness that runs through the buttock and down the leg (sciatica). A compressed nerve in the neck may cause the same sensations down the arm and into the hand. The location of the symptoms tells us which nerve is involved and where in the spine the compression is happening.

Common Causes

• Herniated or bulging disc — the most common cause; disc material presses directly against a nerve root
• Degenerative disc disease — as discs lose height, the space for nerve roots narrows
• Bone spurs (osteophytes) — bony growths that form in response to joint stress and can encroach on nerve pathways
• Spinal stenosis — narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the cord and nerve roots
• Facet joint hypertrophy — enlarged facet joints can reduce the space available for exiting nerves
• Subluxation — misalignment of vertebrae that creates abnormal pressure on nerve tissue

Symptoms of a Pinched Nerve

Nerve compression symptoms depend on which nerve is involved and how severely it’s compressed. Common presentations include:

• Sharp, shooting, or burning pain that follows a specific path down the arm or leg
• Numbness or tingling in the hands, fingers, feet, or toes
• Weakness in a specific muscle group
• Pain that worsens with certain positions or movements and improves with others
• Neck or back pain that’s secondary to the nerve symptoms

How We Diagnose and Treat Spinal Compression

Accurate diagnosis is essential. The same symptoms can come from different levels of the spine, and the wrong treatment for the wrong level wastes time and money. At Vitality, we don’t guess.

Your new patient exam includes a full orthopedic and neurological examination, postural analysis, and X-rays taken in our office. This tells us exactly what we’re dealing with — the level of compression, the structural state of the disc and surrounding bones, and how the nervous system is being affected.

Depending on what we find, your care plan may include:

• Spinal decompression therapy — to create space and allow the disc to heal
• Chiropractic adjustments — to restore proper spinal alignment and reduce ongoing nerve irritation
• Brain-based neurological care — to address the central nervous system component of chronic nerve pain

A Note on X-Rays

We take initial X-rays at your first visit. As your care progresses, we take follow-up X-rays to document structural changes — not just symptom improvement. This is something most chiropractic offices don’t do, and it’s something we believe every patient deserves: objective evidence of their own results.