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When a nerve root is pinched, the compression may impede the blood supply to the nerve, making it give off abnormal signals (a tingling or pins-and-needles sensation), called paresthesia.
When felt in the extremities - the arms and legs, this condition is sometimes referred to as "falling asleep," which can be considered a temporary neuropathy. The pressure temporarily deforms the nerve interrupting its normal function. Movement relieves the compression and restores the blood supply, allowing the nerve function to resume and causing the sensation to stop.
When the pressure remains for a sufficiently long enough period of time, however, longer lasting or permanent damage may occur. Prolonged nerve compression may lead to scarring around the nerve. Fibrosis is the medical term used to describe this type of scarring. Nerves normally move with body movements. The formation of fibrous tissue around a nerve can prevent the nerve from moving properly, possibly causing painful tugs on the nerve and impede its recovery rate.
Paresthesia - A sensation, such as pricking, tingling or creeping on the skin, usually associated with injury or irritation of a nerve or nerve root.
Neuropathy - An abnormality of the nervous system, especially one affecting the spinal nerves.
Fibrosis - Scarring or the activation of fibrocytes, cells that produce fibrous tissue as a reparative process in reaction to wounds in the skin or deeper tissue. |
Tingling in the extremities, among other symptoms, for example, may occur when an intervertebral disc herniates – when the annulus fibrosus (tough, outer ring) of the disc tears and the nucleus pulposus (soft, jelly-like center) squeezes out and places pressure on neural structures, such as nerve roots or the spinal cord.
Bony outgrowths, called bone spurs or osteophytes, which form when the joints of the spine calcify, may also cause these symptoms. Stenosis involves a gradual narrowing of the spinal canal. This narrowing happens as a result of degeneration of both the facet joints and the intervertebral discs. The bone spurs, which develop because of the excessive load on the intervertebral disc, grow into the spinal canal. The facet joints also enlarge as they become arthritic, which contributes to a decrease in the space available for the nerve roots.
In some cases, the nerve compression is allowed to persist in hopes that it will resolve naturally on its own. Other, more severe, cases may require surgical treatment, however. Decompression involves the surgical removal of any material that places undue pressure on neural tissue, such as the spinal cord, nerve roots, and cauda equina. Spinal surgeons perform a variety of procedures to achieve neural decompression. Selection of the optimal surgical procedure depends on patient pathology (the structural and functional changes that led to the patient's neurological dysfunction), the level or levels of the spine affected, the patient's medical history, and the surgeon's training.
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| Published: March 17, 2005 |
Updated: March 17, 2005 |
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