Nerves carry signals from your brain throughout every part of your body; these signals move your muscles and allow you to feel what your skin touches and interacts with in the world. Your nerves carry out vital functions with your body, but it’s easy to forget how easily things can go wrong if you don’t take care of them or exert too much stress on
them.
Nerve pain can be caused by a multitude of issues and/or conditions. Typically, you may experience numbness, swelling, soreness, tingling, weakness, or limited range of motion when dealing with any kind of nerve pain in the body. The onset of these symptoms can occur over time or all of a sudden, and the pain associated with them can vary from mild to severe.
How to Help Nerve Pain in Your Upper Arm
Rest your arm and take a break from any activities that stress the area.
Try a compression bandage to help with swelling.
Keep an ice pack on the area for 15-20 minutes a few times a day.
Try physical therapy in the case of chronic nerve conditions.
Use over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or NSAIDs.
Consider a chiropractor for professional help.
Implement stretching exercises for the affected area.
How to Help Nerve Pain in Your Upper Back
Take over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or NSAIDs.
Resting the affected area and avoiding strenuous activities.
Keeping an ice pack or a heating pad on the area.
Try massage therapy.
Perform gentle stretching exercises that target the area.
Maintain good posture.
What’s the Difference Between Nerve Pain, Bone Pain, and Muscle Pain?
All pain hurts, but there are differences in the kind of pain and symptoms you’ll experience depending on what’s being affected. Nerve pain can either be mild or due to a chronic condition, and muscle pain usually occurs after physical exertion. However, bone pain is not as common and warrants a trip to your family doctor to check for bone cancer or another serious condition.
Nerve pain is typically associated with:
Tingling, pins and needles, burning, sharp sensations, numbness.
Tends to be chronic.
Typically occurs in arms, hands, legs, and feet.
More often affects chemotherapy, diabetic, and orthopedic patients.
Bone pain is typically associated with:
Tenderness in the bone.
Escalating pain that becomes constant.
Swelling, inflammation, or bruising.
An inability to move the affected area.
Muscle pain is typically associated with:
Tenderness, throbbing, stiffness.
Pain in muscles and joints.
Usually caused by injury or inflammation.
Typically, short-term pain.
More often affects athletes, fitness enthusiasts, or people with non-ergonomic computer setups.
What Happens if You Have Nerve Pain While Pregnant?
The last thing you want to experience is nerve pain on top of all your other pregnancy symptoms. Unfortunately, though, it’s quite common to experience an episode of nerve pain during pregnancy. As your hormones change to prepare for childbirth, such as relaxing your ligaments and widening your hips, there’s an increased risk of pinching or irritating your nerves.
To help ease this pain, try these methods:
Applying heat to the affected area.
Wear a pregnancy girdle.
Get a sciatica massage.
Try pregnancy-safe stretches.
Nervous System Diagram
