Aging and Pinched Nerves: How are they Linked?

As you age, you may see and feel changes to your body. Some of these changes, like wrinkles, are mostly cosmetic. Others can cause pain and dysfunction. Pinched nerves are more common in people over 50 and can occur because of changes due to aging.

Double-board-certified pain management specialist Glenn Flanagan, MD, can evaluate symptoms to determine whether you have a pinched nerve associated with aging.

At Naples Regenerative Institute in Naples, Florida, he uses the latest pain therapies to reduce nerve pain and support healing.

As you age, your risk of pinched nerves can increase due to age-related conditions and wear-and-tear. Read on to learn more about pinched nerves and aging.

Signs of a pinched nerve

If you’ve never experienced a pinched nerve before, you might not know what signs to look for. Pinched nerves can feel different based on where the compressed nerve is along your spinal column.

When a nerve root is pinched, you might feel symptoms in the area that the nerve travels to. For example, if you pinch a nerve in your lower back, you may feel sharp or dull low back pain along with symptoms in your hip or leg.

A pinched nerve in your spine can cause:

Numbness in your arms or legs
Tingling in your arms or legs
A pins-and-needles sensation
Feeling like your leg or arm is falling asleep
Sciatica (radiating pain from your low back down the back of your leg)

Some of these symptoms may improve with time, and you might not need treatment for a pinched nerve. If they persist or get worse, explore your options with Dr. Flanagan.

How aging contributes to pinched nerves

As you get older, your bones and muscles become more prone to injury. Changes in your spine can lead to spinal injuries and complications that lead to pinched nerves.

The following degenerative conditions are often age-related and can cause spinal changes that pinch nerves:

Osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear arthritis)
Degenerative disc disease and herniated discs
Osteoporosis and spinal fractures
Bone spurs (bony overgrowths)

Pinched nerves can also happen because of inflammation in and around the spine, which expands the tissues and can cause them to press on nerve roots.

Treatment options for pinched nerves

Once Dr. Flanagan confirms that your symptoms are linked to a pinched nerve, he can help you explore your treatment options. He specializes in the latest interventional pain procedures that reduce swelling and promote healing to relieve pressure from the pinched nerve.

Dr. Flanagan creates a comprehensive treatment program based on the cause of your pinched nerve. He might recommend spinal injections, such as cortisone injections to reduce inflammation in a specific section of your spine or nerve block injections to numb a nerve.

Dr. Flanagan also specializes in regenerative treatments like stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to support faster and more complete healing in your spine.