How to Heal a Pinched Nerve

When a nerve's regular function is disrupted because a muscle, bone or other tissue is in the way, you may feel pain, tingling or numbness in an area of your body. This condition is referred to as a pinched nerve and can be caused by any number of reasons. Healing a pinched nerve depends largely on the cause of the abnormality.

Things You'll Need

• Pain relievers
• Physical therapist
• Surgeon

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Instructions

• 1

  Rest the area that is bothering you as much as you can. Sometimes a pinched nerve is a short-lived problem that will resolve itself. Resting can help encourage the healing process.

• 2

  Use pain relievers to take the edge off the pain. Over-the-counter pain relief medications may be sufficient. Contact your doctor for corticosteroids or prescription pain relief if you are not feeling better.

• 3

  Locate a physical therapist in your area through your insurance company or The Physical Therapists Directory online resource (see Resources). A physical therapist can give you exercises to do that will take the pressure off the area being "pinched."

• 4

  Treat severe cases with surgery. According to the Mayo Clinic, some nerve pain can be eliminated through surgery to remove spurs or repair herniated discs (see Resources).