Patient: Doc, I think I have a pinched nerve in my neck. I don’t have neck pain, but my arm is tingling and it feels like my hand keeps going to sleep.
Doctor B: It may be a pinched nerve, do you recall straining your neck or upper back recently?
Patient: Well, I think I was sleeping in a strange position last night. I know because I woke up in the middle of the night because my hand was numb.
Doctor B: Sounds like you strained something which is putting pressure on some nerves. This can cause pain, numbness, weakness, even burning; it all depends on which fibers in the nerve root we are putting pressure on. Also, nerves communicate to our blood vessels as well, so pressure can interfere with adequate blood flow.
Patient: What can I do to get rid of my neck problem?
Doctor B: Sleep with the cervical traction neck pillow - this will help keep you in a good position and help correct your neck posture.
Right now, try using some neck traction, like the TracCollar , which will stretch out the neck, opening up the holes on the side of the vertebrae where nerve roots exit off of the spinal cord. Here is Dr. B showing how to use the neck traction collar:
Doctor B: It may be a pinched nerve, do you recall straining your neck or upper back recently?
Patient: Well, I think I was sleeping in a strange position last night. I know because I woke up in the middle of the night because my hand was numb.
Doctor B: Sounds like you strained something which is putting pressure on some nerves. This can cause pain, numbness, weakness, even burning; it all depends on which fibers in the nerve root we are putting pressure on. Also, nerves communicate to our blood vessels as well, so pressure can interfere with adequate blood flow.
Patient: What can I do to get rid of my neck problem?
Doctor B: Sleep with the cervical traction neck pillow - this will help keep you in a good position and help correct your neck posture.
Right now, try using some neck traction, like the TracCollar , which will stretch out the neck, opening up the holes on the side of the vertebrae where nerve roots exit off of the spinal cord. Here is Dr. B showing how to use the neck traction collar: