Neurodynamics - Nerve pain myths debunked!
We don't need to sit here and tell you that nerves are all over your body. We don't need to sit here and tell you that nerves come from the spinal cord which connects to the brain. What may surprise you is the way the nerves move inside our body, hence the term: Neurodynamics.
Nerves are actually coiled like the old style telephone cord that attached the handset to the main body of the phone. They coil up and extend depending what movement the particular limb is performing. For example: If you fold your arms, your nerves are going to be coiled up, if you extend your arms outwards, the nerves are stretched out. And it is here that we can start to understand nerve pain. Due to nerve impingement
Imagine our nerves that power our muscles to move are like a hose pipe watering the garden. You know you have enough hosepipe to water the garden, like there is enough nerves in our body, they effectively slide and glide along.
But what happens if the hose pipe gets snagged on a tree, or around the car on the driveway? Or, if someone steps on the house pipe and the water (or the nerve signal) can't get through.
Try as you might, you just can't pull the hose pipe to water the far reaches of the garden. Our nerves are the same, they can get stuck on the tree or stepped on or wrapped around the tires of the car.
Our bones are have many bony prominence's on them, for attachments of muscles and ligaments. Whilst these bony prominence's provide an anchor muscles, they can also be the tree that snags the hose pipe.
When a nerve gets trapped or impinged, we know this as we feel some sort of pain. More commonly, we can feel an altered sensation, typically, pins and needles or numbness. People have also been known to describe "Cold running water" or "burning". What people assume is nerve pain is sharp shooting. Sharp shooting is more likely to be a bony issue or simply muscle over-activity. A common misconception of the signs of nerve impingement is nerve damage. If you have nerve damage, Simply, the muscle group that nerve supplies would not function properly. A classic example of this is foot drop. Where someone lacks the ability to lift their foot during walking. Remember: Nerve impingement is NOT nerve damage! Another common misunderstanding of nerve impingement is that pins and needles of the arm or leg, must be something wrong with the neck or low back, respectively. Not necessarily! Below are two very common bony prominence's or trees that trap the house pipe that can cause nerve pain: Fibula Head
In your shin, as the image highlights, the thin shin bone, (fibula) has the peroneal nerve running under the fibula head. The muscles that turn your foot outwards (eversion) attach here (peroneal longus and brevis)
This can lead to pain, pins and needles or numbness to the outside of the foot and down the outside of the shin.
In this case, there is nothing wrong with the low back. Some simple manual therapy and home exercise and this problem can be completely alleviated.
Coracoid Process
Towards the outside edge of your collar bone (clavicle) is the coracoid process. This is a very important attachment point for the chest muscles (pectoralis minor).
Running in close proximity to this is the brachial plexus. This is a group of nerves that power the lower part of your arm.
This can lead to pain, pins and needles or numbness to the forearm. There would be nothing wrong with your neck. Again, some simple manual therapy and exercises and this again, can be completely resolved. Nerve impingement can come from muscle over-activity too. Nerves do not always have to be snagged on a bony prominence. The muscles in your neck or in your low back can give you nerve impingement and pain too. Neck pain and low back pain, are two very common complaints. Many worry when they have such problems, particularly in the presence of nerve pain and feel something very sinister must be happening. In over 99% of cases, even in the presence of nerve pain, muscle over-activity is the most common cause of nerve pain. We hope this explains what nerve pain is and what is can feel like. More importantly, we hope this explains that nerve pain is nothing to be worried about. It can resolve, often by itself and it is temporary! If you or someone you know has nerve pain, then contact Mike Stamp Physio & Pilates or like and Follow us on our Facebook page.
