What is a Trapped Nerve?
A trapped nerve, also know as a pinched nerve, nerve compression or nerve entrapment, refers to a nerve that is being pressed on by other structures, such as spinal discs, muscles, or bony formations. It may not always cause symptoms, and some people may live for long periods of time with a pinched nerve, without even knowing they suffer from this issue.
When it does cause symptoms, the primary problem it causes is that of pain in the nearby region where the nerve has become trapped.
What Causes a Trapped Nerve in the Hip?
Various nerve roots pass through the hips, with some of the most notable ones being the sciatic nerve, the femoral nerve, the pudendal nerve, and the obturator nerve.
The sciatic nerve in particular is prone to nerve damage or pinching, and it is the one most likely to be affected and become pinched at the hip level due to issues such as tight muscles (especially tight hip flexors), piriformis syndrome, pregnancy, excessive body weight, as well as prolonged periods of inactivity. This then leads to sciatica, also referred to as sciatic pain, which can run from the lumbar spine down through the hips, and even legs.
However, in some cases, either of the nerves mentioned above can become affected by spinal compression at the level of the lower spine, since that is where they all branch down from. In other words, these nerves can become pinched at the lower back level but lead to pain that is felt at the hip level.
Symptoms
The most common symptom that someone with a pinched nerve in the hip can experience is pain. Pinched nerve pain can either manifest locally in the groin or hip region, or it can spread to the lower back, thigh, or even further down the leg.
In cases where the pinched nerve occurs in the lower back, it can cause referred pain that is felt in all the aforementioned parts of the body.
Some people may experience severe pain, and as a result of this, other symptoms such as weakness in the legs or walking difficulties can occur.
How to Treat a Trapped Nerve in the Hip
Before you treat this type of pain through various home remedies or other methods, it is important to get a diagnosis and determine the correct cause of the pain, as nerve pain in the hips can sometimes be mistaken for hip joint pain or other conditions, which require different treatments.
However, if the cause is known to be due to nerve pinching, there are a few solutions to consider.
In some cases, a nerve that has become trapped doesn’t always necessitate treatment and there is a chance that it will heal on its own. When it doesn’t heal on its own, or if you simply want to speed up recovery, there are a combination of lifestyle changes and activities that can be helpful.
Some examples include:
- Staying active through activities such as walking. Keeping yourself active will also help to keep your spine in shape and help prevent compression of the spine, and ultimately compression of the nerve roots.
- Getting to or maintaining a healthy weight. As excess weight can press down on nerves in the back and hips, it is highly important to reduce the weight that is placed on these nerves as much as possible.
- Various types of gentle stretches of the back, hips and legs, such as piriformis stretches, hamstring stretches, or general hip stretches.
- Performing Backrack exercises to decompress your spine and free any trapped nerve.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Device
Benefits of Spinal Decompression Therapy with the Backrack
The unique shape of the Backrack device mirrors the natural curvature of the spine. It is equipped with two wooden nodules on each one of its rows. These nodules help massage the spine as you perform a specific set of exercises that target the lower region of the back as well as the hips.
Because these nodules exert pressure on specific points of the spine, and can target its deeper structures, it can re-create the space between vertebrae so that any trapped nerve becomes free again. When a nerve is no longer pinched, the pain, along with any other symptoms it was causing, shall subside.
Author: Spinal Backrack
