Pinched nerve relief in the neck and back.
A pinched nerve chiropractor in Scottsdale for the shooting pain, tingling and numbness that a nerve produces when something presses on it. Dr. Tracey Ryder finds the pinch point first, then treats it with adjustments, acupuncture and massage.
- In practice since 2003
- Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage in one plan
- Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Road
- 4.9 from 75 Google reviews
What it is
What a chiropractor for a pinched nerve in the neck or back looks for
A pinched nerve is a nerve being compressed or irritated somewhere along its path, most often where it leaves the spine. In the neck that produces pain, tingling or numbness into the shoulder, arm or hand. In the low back it produces the same down the buttock and leg, which is what sciatica is. The pinch usually comes from a disc pressing on the root, a joint that has stopped moving and narrowed the opening, or bony wear that has done the same over years. Muscle can pinch a nerve too, further along its path.
A chiropractor for a pinched nerve in the neck or a chiropractor for a pinched nerve in the back does the same first thing: finds where the pressure is. Nerve tension tests, reflexes, strength and sensation checks tell us which nerve and roughly where. Pinched nerve treatment in Scottsdale at Ryder then restores motion to the segment with gentle adjustments, calms the nerve with acupuncture, and releases the muscle around it with massage.
If you have been searching for a pinched nerve chiropractor near me from Old Town, Tempe or south Scottsdale, the office is on Scottsdale Road between McDowell and Thomas.
- Where it hurts
- Neck into the shoulder, arm or hand; low back into the buttock and leg; sometimes only the limb
- Common causes
- Disc bulge, a stuck spinal joint, bony wear, muscle spasm along the nerve, posture
- What we use
- Gentle adjustments to the segment, acupuncture for the nerve, massage of the muscle around it
- First visit
- History, nerve tests, motion checks, explanation, first treatment when appropriate
What is going on
What actually pinches a nerve
Each spinal nerve leaves through a small opening between two vertebrae, bordered by the disc in front and the facet joint behind. Anything that narrows that opening or swells inside it presses the nerve: a disc bulge, a joint that has stopped moving and become inflamed, a bone spur from years of wear. A nerve under pressure does not just hurt; it misfires, which is why the symptom is often tingling, numbness or weakness in the limb rather than pain at the spine.
Can a chiropractor release a pinched nerve? Not by pulling the nerve free, which is not how it works, but by restoring motion to the segment so the opening is no longer narrowed and the inflammation settles. Acupuncture reduces the nerve's irritability. Massage releases the muscles that have clamped along the nerve's path. The exam tells us which is doing most of the pinching.
Symptoms
What people come in with
A pinched nerve has a recognizable pattern:
- Shooting pain into an arm or leg
- Tingling or pins and needles
- Numbness in part of a hand or foot
- Weakness gripping or lifting the foot
- Pain worse with certain neck or back positions
- A burning line down the limb
- Relief with the arm raised over the head
- Pain worse coughing or sneezing
- Symptoms in one limb only
- Neck or back stiffness alongside
If the leg is the main symptom, the sciatica page goes deeper. If the hand, see carpal tunnel too.
How we treat it
How we treat a pinched nerve
Massage or chiropractor for a pinched nerve? Usually the adjustment addresses the cause and massage clears the path.
Chiropractic
Gentle, specific adjustments to the segment whose narrowed opening is pressing the nerve, matched to how irritated the nerve is. Instrument adjusting for the most sensitive cases.
Acupuncture
Points along the nerve's path and at the spine to reduce the nerve's irritability and the muscle guarding around it.
Massage
Release of the muscles that have clamped along the nerve: scalenes and pecs for an arm, piriformis and glutes for a leg. Massage alone rarely fixes a spinal pinch, but it clears the path.
Your visit
What a first visit for a pinched nerve is like
During the visit
- Where the symptoms run, whether there is numbness or weakness, what positions change them.
- Nerve tension tests, reflexes, strength and sensation checks, motion exam of the spine.
- A plain-language explanation of which nerve and where the pinch is.
- First treatment when appropriate, matched to how irritated the nerve is.
After the visit
- An irritated nerve settles over days to weeks; pain usually improves before numbness does.
- Positions to avoid for now, and one or two movements that take pressure off the nerve.
- A re-check at every visit, and imaging or a referral if weakness progresses.
Causes
What commonly causes it
The things that narrow the space a nerve needs.
Disc bulge or herniation
Presses on the root as it exits.
A stuck spinal joint
Inflames and narrows the opening.
Bony wear
Spurs and narrowing with age.
Forward head posture
Loads the lower neck openings.
Muscle spasm
Scalenes, piriformis, pecs, along the nerve's path.
Repetitive work
Overhead or bent-forward for hours.
When to come in
When to see us, and when to see a doctor first
Good reasons to book
- Pain, tingling or numbness running into an arm or leg.
- Neck or back pain with symptoms in a limb.
- A pinched nerve diagnosed elsewhere that you want treated conservatively.
- Symptoms that change with neck or back position.
- Nerve pain that has not settled in a few days.
See a doctor first if
- Weakness in the limb is getting worse quickly, or you are dropping things.
- You lose control of your bladder or bowel, or have numbness in the groin. This is an emergency.
- Symptoms in both arms or both legs at once.
- Fever, unexplained weight loss or a history of cancer with new nerve pain.
If anything in the exam points to a problem we should not treat, Dr. Tracey will say so and refer you.
Real questions
What people ask about pinched nerves.
Searched in Scottsdale Can a chiropractor release a pinched nerve?
Not by pulling on the nerve, which is not how a pinched nerve works. What an adjustment does is restore motion to the spinal segment whose narrowed opening is pressing the nerve, so the pressure and inflammation come down. Combined with acupuncture for the nerve and massage for the muscle along its path, most pinched nerves settle with conservative care.
Massage or chiropractor for a pinched nerve?
If the pinch is at the spine, which it usually is, the adjustment addresses the cause and massage supports it. If a muscle along the nerve's path is the main culprit, massage does more. The exam tells us; here one plan can use both.
How long does a pinched nerve take to heal?
It varies with what is pinching it and how long it has been irritated. Pain usually improves first; tingling and numbness can lag by weeks. Dr. Tracey sets a short trial of care and re-checks at each visit.
Should I get an MRI?
Not to start. History and exam identify most pinched nerves. Imaging is ordered when weakness is progressing or the plan is not working.
Is it a pinched nerve or carpal tunnel?
Hand tingling can come from either, or both. A pinched nerve in the neck usually comes with neck symptoms and a pattern that follows one nerve root; carpal tunnel affects the thumb side of the hand and is worse at night. The exam sorts it out, and both are treated here.
( Book )
Book a visit for a pinched nerve
Call the office or request an appointment online. Tell us where it hurts and how long it has been going on, and we will set up the right first visit.
- Monday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM to 12 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Thursday
- 2 to 6 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM to 6 PM
- Saturday to Sunday
- Closed
Directions in Google Maps
Prefer to talk? Call (480) 900-5280.