Pinched Nerve

xtremetris · 24-Oct-07, 05:52 PM

Apparently i have a wierd weakness feeling in my left arm and it makes my hand feel weak.

Can a pinched nerve cause muscle not to grow, or to shrink?

**Todd** · 24-Oct-07, 06:25 PM

Yep, depends on what's going on exactly, but a pinched nerve can definitely make a muscle weak or not grow anymore.

All signals telling your muscles to contract come from your spinal cord, and if a nerve is pinched or being disrupted, then so may the signal coming from your spinal cord.

In the case of muscles, when your brain says (for instance) flex your bicep, a signal is sent through the nerve to your bicep telling it to contract, but if that signal is being pinched off and only a partial signal is getting through...then the muscle will only contract partially..or perhaps not even at all..depending on the disruption going on with the nerve.

xtremetris · 24-Oct-07, 06:36 PM

**** how do i fix this, now im gonna start flipping out!!!!!!!

But they say a sprained/strained neck can cause numbness in the arm and i do have a strained neck...

I still workedout today and everything went fine.. its just theres like a very little pain on the outer head of the tricep and it makes my hand and my ring and pinky finger feel a little wierd, not numb, but like a warm feeling..

**LiftGirl** · 25-Oct-07, 10:52 AM

You'll probably need to check with your doctor on how to fix it.

xtremetris · 25-Oct-07, 11:48 AM

Well the pain starts from the left trapezius and goes down my left tricep to my left forearm and into my hand...

So it cant be a pinched nerve in the arm right??

And whenever i work out it releives the pain

Merrida · 25-Oct-07, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtremetris

Well the pain starts from the left trapezius and goes down my left tricep to my left forearm and into my hand...

So it cant be a pinched nerve in the arm right??

And whenever i work out it releives the pain

Actually what you're describing is a very precise pathway of the C4 dermatone (ie: a pinched nerve in your neck at the C-4 level).

xtremetris · 25-Oct-07, 06:20 PM

can i still work out with this?

**Todd** · 25-Oct-07, 06:27 PM

You can workout sure, but you risk making it worse and perhaps really hurting yourself if you don't get some type of relief from your injury.

Might want to see a chiropractor.

**Todd** · 25-Oct-07, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtremetris

**** how do i fix this, now im gonna start flipping out!!!!!!!

But they say a sprained/strained neck can cause numbness in the arm and i do have a strained neck...

I still workedout today and everything went fine.. its just theres like a very little pain on the outer head of the tricep and it makes my hand and my ring and pinky finger feel a little wierd, not numb, but like a warm feeling..

You see, if you do have a slightly pinched nerve, then that means the signal is not getting to your muscles properly and not allowing them to function (contract fully). When this happens, your other muscles will pick up the slack...as in take more of the load. This could be what's happening...and therefore other muscles (in your forearm for example) are bearing more of the stress while working out because your bicep and/or tricep is not fully operating like it should....and when your forearm muscles start overworking to compensate for what going on, then the tendons within the forearm can become irritated and thus you can easily develop "Golfer's Elbow" (tendonitis of the forearm).

I would work on getting your pinched nerve/strained neck fixed first via a chiropractor, etc...and then give it some rest...the rest should fall into place and heal up.

Merrida · 25-Oct-07, 06:38 PM

Ditto to what Todd said, that is what I do when it happens to me. If you don't correct the "source" of what's causing the irritation, you risk doing damage. Besides, we don't know what's causing the pinch. I've had excellent luck with the right chiropractors in these cases,...they just adjust your cervical vertebrae to release the pinch at its source.

The pain you're feeling is radicular pain, the essence of what tingles or veils from the origin. So while you feel it in your arm, the entrapment sounds like it's coming from your neck region based on your description of symptoms.

Merrida · 25-Oct-07, 06:44 PM

As a side note, you should be aware that there are varying opinions among the medical community with regards to the efficacy of diagnosis and treatment by DC's and DO's, so if you ask your MD about Tx, you'll probably walk away with an Rx. OK? Just FYI....

**.V.** · 25-Oct-07, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrida

so if you ask your MD about Tx, you'll probably walk away with an Rx. OK? Just FYI....

Hmmm, interesting. Mine sends me to the chiro. She has a DO in her office but he doesn't do manipulations anymore. She doesn't know how. So she sends some of her patients to the chiropractor. Hey if it works and avoids narcotic use...it can't be a bad thing.

xtremetris · 25-Oct-07, 09:00 PM

massaging seems to relieve pain

Merrida · 25-Oct-07, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtremetris

massaging seems to relieve pain

You're missing the point.

Merrida · 25-Oct-07, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .V.

Hmmm, interesting. Mine sends me to the chiro. She has a DO in her office but he doesn't do manipulations anymore. She doesn't know how. So she sends some of her patients to the chiropractor. Hey if it works and avoids narcotic use...it can't be a bad thing.

My PCP is a DO, so I don't see a DC. I'm fortunate in that regard.