Pinched nerve risk factors

Although typically not a life threatening condition, a pinched nerve can be painful enough that knowing the risk factors and how to prevent a pinched nerve, if possible, is well worth your time. A pinched nerve occurs when an abnormality in the spinal anatomy, whether it be a herniated disc, bulging disc, or bone spurs, extrudes into the spinal canal and compresses the surrounding spinal nerves. And because nerve roots exiting the spinal column form a network throughout the entire body, it’s possible for a pinched nerve in the lower back to present symptoms that travel as far as the toes.

The following factors may increase your risk of experiencing a pinched nerve:

• Posture. Poor posture adds pressure to your spine and nerves.
• Gender. Women are three times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, possibly due to having smaller carpal tunnels.
• Bone spurs. Trauma or a condition that causes bone thickening, such as osteoarthritis, can cause bone spurs. Bone spurs can stiffen the spine as well as narrow the space where your nerves travel, pinching nerves.
• Rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis can compress nerves, especially in your joints.
• Overuse. Jobs or hobbies that require repetitive hand, wrist or shoulder movements, such as assembly line work, increase your likelihood of a pinched nerve.
• Obesity. Excess weight can add pressure to nerves.
• Pregnancy. Water and weight gain associated with pregnancy can swell nerve pathways, compressing your nerves.
• Heredity. Some people appear to be genetically predisposed to conditions that lead to pinched nerves.

Preventable and Non-preventable Risk Factors

Neural compression in the spine can have a variety of causes, not all of which can be anticipated and averted with simple lifestyle changes.

• Preventable – by exercising and managing your weight, you can take extra pressure off of the spinal anatomy, while still keeping surrounding muscles and bones strong. Always practicing good posture also helps keep your spine aligned and your weight distributed evenly across all spinal regions. Smoking wreaks havoc on your spine — not only does nicotine inhibit circulation, but it saps the nutrients from your intervertebral discs, while also interfering with heart and lung function.
• Non-preventable – leading causes of pinched nerves are degenerative diseases (degenerative disc disease and facet disease), which can occur as a natural part of aging. Some people are also born with genetic predispositions to pinched nerves, such as scoliosis, lordosis, or Paget’s disease. Certain pre-natal conditions, like spinal muscular atrophy, can also cause the spinal canal to be abnormally narrow, which greatly increases the risk of neural compression.