How to Treat a Compressed Nerve in the Pelvis

Table of contents:

How to Treat a Compressed Nerve in the Pelvis
How to Treat a Compressed Nerve in the Pelvis
Anonim

A nerve is said to be compressed or pinched when under pressure resulting in pain and discomfort. This article shows you how to relieve symptoms with home care, exercises and medications. Keep reading!

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Home Treatments

Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 1
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 1

Step 1. Follow the PRICE protocol

This term is the English acronym for the words Protection (protection), Rest (rest), Immobilization (immobilization), Compression (compression) and Elevation (elevation). All of these measures allow you to experience relief from pain caused by a pinched nerve and can be done at home.

  • Protection: This means avoiding further damage or injury. You need to protect your pelvis from heat (baths, saunas, hot packs, and so on) and excessive movement.
  • Rest: it is recommended to avoid any activity that could cause other damage to the area for the first 24-72 hours. Try to stay seated or lying down as much as possible.
  • Immobilization: a bandage or splint is usually used to immobilize the area and prevent other injuries.
  • Compression: Prepare a cold pack by wrapping the ice pack in a damp cloth and placing it on the painful area for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours every day. The cold numbs the pain and reduces inflammation.
  • Elevation: To lift your pelvis, place a pillow or two under it so that it is higher than your heart when you are lying down. This posture facilitates blood circulation to the diseased area and promotes its recovery.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 2
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 2

Step 2. Massage the pinched nerve

A gentle massage with warm oil is of great help in relaxing the nerve. You can ask someone to do it for you, or make an appointment with a therapist.

  • A good massage involves long, slow movements that apply constant pressure. This relaxes the muscles, reduces spasms and relieves tension in the nerves. Sometimes a gentle vibration helps in the relaxation process of muscles and nerves.
  • A single massage is not enough to solve the problem of a compressed nerve; it will take a few appointments for the contracted muscle to stop pinching the nerve thus offering you lasting well-being.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 3
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 3

Step 3. Do piriform stretches

This type of exercise stretches the muscles in the hips and lower back, releasing stiffness and pressure on the pelvis.

  • Sit on a chair and put your feet firmly on the ground. If the pain is localized on the left side, place the left ankle above the right knee (vice versa in the opposite case).
  • Make sure that the ankle bone is supported at 2.5-5 cm from the patella, the corresponding knee must hang sideways.
  • Lean forward until you feel the left side of the pelvis and lower back stretch. Hold the position for 10-20 seconds.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 4
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 4

Step 4. Try the hip flexor stretch

This allows you to stretch your pelvis muscles by getting rid of the stiffness and sense of pressure on your hips.

  • Assume the lunge position. The front foot should be approximately 90-120cm from the rear, both knees should be bent 90 °. The rear leg must be the one corresponding to the painful area, since it will be the one that will undergo the greatest lengthening.
  • Rest your back knee on the ground. The front one must be in line with the heel. The body should remain erect and slightly bent forward until you feel the front of the back thigh stretch. Hold for 10-20 seconds and then release.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 5
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 5

Step 5. Try to do some stretches on the outside of the pelvis

Contracture of the external muscles of the hips can put pressure on the nerves and cause pain. This exercise aims at releasing that stiffness and contributes to pain relief.

  • Stand upright. Put the affected leg behind the other. Push the sore side outwards while tilting the torso to the other side.
  • Extend the arm corresponding to the affected part of the pelvis. Lift it above your head and upwards to stretch your side.
  • A good stretch should produce a feeling of "beneficial stretch" along the side of the body affected by the compressed nerve. Hold the position for 10-20 seconds before releasing it.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 6
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 6

Step 6. Proceed with stretching for the buttocks

Stiff butt muscles can also compress underlying nerves causing pain in the pelvis. This exercise helps you relax them and find relief.

  • Lie on the floor with your legs stretched out. Bend the knee corresponding to the painful side and bring it towards the chest.
  • Interlace the fingers under the kneecap and pull the knee towards the chest and slightly outwards towards the shoulder. Stay like that for 10-20 seconds and then release.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 7
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 7

Step 7. Try essential oils

Herbal remedies include lavender, rosemary and thyme essential oils which are great for their calming and relaxing properties.

  • Research has shown that these oils have an analgesic and antispasmodic effect, so they are effective in loosening tense nerves and decreasing muscle spasms. As a result, they provide relief from pain caused by a pinched or pinched nerve.
  • You can apply the oils topically during a massage. They are especially effective if you use them before bed.

Part 2 of 3: Medical Treatments

Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 8
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 8

Step 1. Take some pain relievers

The pain caused by a pinched nerve is quite acute and your doctor may recommend pain relievers. Sometimes over-the-counter ones are enough, but your healthcare provider may opt for stronger solutions.

  • Pain relievers block and interfere the painful signals that the nerves lead to the brain. If these signals do not reach the central nervous system, they are not interpreted and pain is not felt.
  • An example of an over-the-counter pain reliever is acetaminophen, prescription ones can be codeine and tramadol.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 9
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 9

Step 2. Try NSAIDs to reduce inflammation

These are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that block the body's chemicals that trigger the inflammatory response. Among these medicines we remember ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin.

  • However, NSAIDs should not be taken in the first 48 hours of damage because they delay healing. In the first two days, inflammation is an organism response to compensate for the injury.
  • NSAIDs can cause gastric problems, so they should be taken after meals.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 10
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 10

Step 3. Steroid injections

This type of treatment reduces both inflammation and swelling, allowing the compressed nerve (precisely due to inflammation) to heal.

Steroid injections should be prescribed and administered by a doctor, possibly also intravenously

Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 11
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 11

Step 4. Ask your doctor to place a brace or pelvic splint on you

In some cases, your doctor recommends that you wear a brace that restricts movement, rests muscles, and relieves the nerve by facilitating healing.

Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 12
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 12

Step 5. Consider surgery

If all of the treatments described so far fail, a surgical procedure may be required to relieve pressure on the nerves.

Part 3 of 3: Identifying a Compressed Nerve

Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 13
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 13

Step 1. Understand what a compressed nerve is

Nerves are tissues that extend outward starting from the brain or spinal cord, they are essential for the transmission of important messages throughout the body. When they are excessively stretched or squeezed in a central area of the body, the symptoms of the compressed nerve in the pelvis are triggered. Since this area is responsible for many body movements, an injury to its nerves causes a lot of pain and discomfort.

Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 14
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 14

Step 2. Identify the symptoms

Here are the most common ones of a compressed nerve:

  • Numbness or tingling: You may feel irritation in the affected area. In the most severe cases, there is a loss of sensitivity.
  • Pain: Radiant or throbbing pain is felt in the area controlled by the affected nerve.
  • "Tingling and stinging": People suffering from pinched nerve complain of the burning sensation of needles in the affected area.
  • Weakness: You are unable to perform any activity when the case is quite severe.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 15
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 15

Step 3. Find out what causes a pinched nerve

For example, it could have developed due to a pressure generated by:

  • Repetitive movements: Overuse of certain parts of the body can pinch a nerve.
  • Maintain a certain position for a long time: a particular and prolonged posture causes compression of the nerve.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 16
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 16

Step 4. Be aware of the risk factors

The chances of suffering from a pinched nerve are greater if the following factors are present:

  • Inheritance: Some individuals are genetically predisposed to this type of problem.
  • Obesity: Excessive body weight puts pressure on the nerves.
  • Osteoarthritis: it is a disease that generates bone spurs which can in turn crush the nerves.
  • Abuse: Frequent and repetitive movements of certain parts of the body increase the chances of a pinched nerve.
  • Posture: Poor posture causes an excessive amount of pressure on the nerves and spinal column.
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 17
Deal with a Pinched Nerve in Your Hip Step 17

Step 5. Know how a pinched nerve is diagnosed

After a series of procedures and tests suggested by the doctor, the diagnosis can be defined. Here's what your healthcare provider might request:

  • Electromyography: during this examination a small needle electrode is inserted into the muscle to measure its electrical activity during contractions and rest.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): used to determine compression at the nerve root. A magnetic field combined with radio waves generates three-dimensional images of the body through a computer.
  • Nerve conduction study: it is performed to stimulate the nerve with a light electrical impulse through patch-like electrodes applied to the skin.

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