Home Remedies for a Pinched Nerve in the Leg
A pinched nerve in the leg can cause pain, weakness or numbness in the affected extremity 2. Pinched nerves result from overuse, obesity, nerve disorders or injury, according to the Mayo Clinic 2. Once a medical evaluation by a health care professional is complete and a diagnosis of pinched nerve assigned, many simple home remedies provide relief of these symptoms and allow a return to previous functioning 2.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Rest
The Mayo Clinic suggests resting the affected extremity during the daytime as well as during sleep. Frequently, over-use of the appendage is the cause of the pinched nerve 2. Resting the leg gives the tissues time to heal without having to bear body weight. Relaxing in warm water can have an anti-gravity effect as well, allowing tension relief in the surrounding muscles and tendons.
- The Mayo Clinic suggests resting the affected extremity during the daytime as well as during sleep.
- Resting the leg gives the tissues time to heal without having to bear body weight.
Splinting
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Depending on where the pinched nerve is located in the leg, splinting the extremity may be a viable home treatment option 2. Especially in joint areas such as the knees and groin, reducing the amount of flexion allowed in these structures may relieve the pressure on the surrounding nerves. Splinting will also decrease further wear and tear on the affected nerves.
Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Leg nerves are sometimes mechanically pinched due to inflammation within the leg itself. The offending structures, including surrounding muscles, tissues and bones, apply pressure to the affected nerve bundle. An effective home-remedy is over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. These medications, including ibuprofen and acetaminophen, are inexpensive and readily available at commercial drug markets. Use them according to label instructions.
- Leg nerves are sometimes mechanically pinched due to inflammation within the leg itself.
- The offending structures, including surrounding muscles, tissues and bones, apply pressure to the affected nerve bundle.
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References
- MayoClinic.com: Pinched Nerve—Causes
- MedicineNet.com: Pinched Nerve
- Hochman MG, Zilberfarb JL. Nerves in a pinch: imaging of nerve compression syndromes. Radiol Clin North Am. 2004;42(1):221-45. doi:10.1016/S0033-8389(03)00162-3
- NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Pinched nerve information page. Updated March 27, 2019.
- AdventHealth Medical Group. Cauda equina syndrome.
- AAOS OrthoInfo. Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve). Updated June 2015.
- Dimitrova A, Murchison C, Oken B. Acupuncture for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2017;23(3):164-179. doi:10.1089/acm.2016.0155
- Conger A, Cushman DM, Speckman RA, Burnham T, Teramoto M, McCormick ZL. The Effectiveness of Fluoroscopically Guided Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection for the Treatment of Radicular Pain; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Pain Med. 2019 Jun 10. pii: pnz127. doi:10.1093/pm/pnz127 [Epub ahead of print]
- Keating L, Treanor C, Sugrue J, Meldrum D, Bolger C, Doody C. A randomised controlled trial of multimodal physiotherapy versus advice for recent onset, painful cervical radiculopathy - the PACeR trial protocol. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2019 Jun 1;20(1):265. doi:10.1186/s12891-019-2639-4
Writer Bio
As a bachelor's-prepared registered nurse with more than 15 years of diversified experience, Juliet Wilkinson innerves our health-conscious population through expert articles. She is a motivated professional who believes that preventive care is the first step towards health and well-being.