A is caused by bones, muscles or cartilage pressing on the nerve. The pressure causes disruption in the nerve and results in pain, weakness or numbness that may radiate through the entire arm or parts of the arm. Arm pain may be caused by nerve pressure in the arm, wrist or shoulder. Treatment for arm pain caused by a pinched nerve can range from physical therapy to surgery.
Instructions
1. Use ice packs to reduce swelling. Apply an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes three times a day on the painful area of the arm to reduce inflammation and swelling. Rest the arm as much as you can to keep from further aggravating the pinched nerve.
2. Take an over-the-counter medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, to reduce pain and inflammation surrounding the nerve in the arm. Inflammation leads to swelling around the nerve, causing pain to radiate through the arm. Gabapentin may be prescribed by your doctor; take as instructed to relieve pain. Corticosteroid injections are given in the painful area in your arm, relieving pain and inflammation quickly. Take the injections only if pain continues because serious adverse effects may develop from corticosteroid treatments.
3. Wear a support brace on the part of your arm that is painful, such as the elbow or wrist. Braces support and immobilize the area around the pinched nerve, which helps give the nerve time to heal. Braces keep the arm from moving in a certain way that further damages the nerve.
4. Do physical therapy to improve flexibility and strengthen the muscles in the arm. A physical therapist can develop an exercise routine that relieves pressure on the nerve. He may also provide you with ways to use your arm that will not further aggravate the nerve.
5. Ask your doctor about surgery if the pain does not improve with conservative methods. Surgery for a pinched nerve involves determining the cause of the nerve compression and then fixing it. Surgical options include removal of bone spurs that may be pinching the nerve in the arm and removal of tissues surrounding the nerve to relieve compression, as in carpal tunnel surgery.
Tags: pinched nerve, keep from, nerve pressure, pain caused, pain inflammation, painful area