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Nerve pain and muscle pain are two different things and can be hard to distinguish. Nerve pain can be caused by nerve compression, nerve entrapment, or nerve tension. When a nerve is compressed, it can lead to symptoms such as pins and needles or electric shocks. Certain repetitive actions can cause muscles to build up and press on a nerve, leading to nerve compression. Nerve entrapment occurs when a nerve becomes trapped between other body structures, and nerve tension can be caused by specific positions or postures. Nerve-related pain can feel tingly, tight, heavy, weak, or hot, and it may radiate to other parts of the limb. On the other hand, muscle pain is typically associated with soreness and tightness in the muscles, and it can often be relieved through stretching, walking, or exercising.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pain | Ongoing and constant |
| Cause | Damage to the nerve tissue |
| Diagnosis | Tough to self-diagnose |
| Treatment | Stretching, walking, exercising, eating a healthy diet, INF™ treatment, medication, physical therapy, massage |
| Positions causing tension | Neck and back flexion, hip flexion, leg extension, ankle dorsiflexion, shoulder flexion, arm abduction, wrist and finger extension |
| Sensation | Stretch, tightness, tingling, mild pain, burning, numbness |
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What You'll Learn
Nerve pain vs. muscle pain
Nerve pain and muscle pain are two different conditions that can be differentiated based on their causes, symptoms, and treatments.
Causes
Nerve pain, also known as neuralgia, occurs when there is irritation, inflammation, or some other condition that directly affects the functioning of nervous tissue, resulting in soreness and discomfort. Shingles is an infection caused by the Herpes zoster virus that affects cells along a nerve root, resulting in excruciating pain. A pinched nerve is another common cause of nerve pain, where surrounding tissues put pressure on or irritate nerves, interrupting the nerve's ability to send signals properly.
Muscle pain, on the other hand, is also known as myalgia. It is caused by a problem with the body's muscular tissues, particularly the skeletal muscles attached to the bones. Muscle pain often occurs after using a specific muscle in a particular action and usually feels achy and sore. Dehydration, overuse, or injury can also lead to muscle pain.
Symptoms
The symptoms of nerve pain can include a sharp and burning sensation, tingling, numbness, and weakness. Nerve pain tends to radiate along the nerve's pathway and may not be linked to a specific event. It often affects specific areas such as the neck, back, or limbs. For example, a pinched nerve in the lower back may cause shooting pain down the leg (sciatica) or radiate pain to the shoulders or arms.
Muscle pain, in contrast, is typically felt in the muscle itself and does not radiate. It often presents as soreness or a dull ache and is accompanied by stiffness or tenderness in the affected area. Muscle pain may limit your range of motion but usually improves with rest, ice, and gentle stretching. Unlike nerve pain, muscle pain is less likely to cause tingling or numbness.
Treatment
Treating nerve pain can be more complex than treating muscle pain. While muscle pain often responds well to self-care measures such as rest, ice, stretching, and over-the-counter pain medications, nerve pain may require additional interventions such as physical therapy, nerve blocks, or Intraneural Facilitation (INF™) treatment. Eating a healthy diet, such as vegan or gluten-free, may also help relieve nerve pain.
In summary, nerve pain and muscle pain differ in terms of their underlying causes, the nature and location of the pain, and the treatment approaches. It is important to correctly identify the source of pain as nerve pain or muscle pain to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.
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Diagnosing muscle tightness vs. nerve tension
Muscle pain typically gets worse when you use the affected muscle and feels achy, sore, or tight. It usually starts after a specific event, like a challenging new exercise or a pulled muscle during a sports game. This type of pain improves with light movement and stretching after an initial period of rest and shows improvement within a few days.
On the other hand, nerve pain can be more complex and may feel different from person to person. It often feels tingly, tight, heavy, weak, or hot. Nerve-related pain may also present as numbness, an itchy sensation, or a feeling of water running down the leg. Sometimes, people may describe a sensation of heat or burning, or a feeling of weakness in the affected area. It is important to note that nerve pain can occur in a different part of the body from where the root cause of the pain is. For example, a compressed nerve in the lumbar spine may lead to pain in the buttocks, hip, or leg, rather than low-back pain.
To diagnose whether the sensation you are feeling is muscle tightness or nerve tension, you can try to find the position that causes the discomfort. If you notice a change in sensation when you reduce or add nerve tension to the stretch without adjusting the muscles involved, it is likely nerve tension. Additionally, if your usual stretch routines are not helping and the pain persists, it may be nerve-related.
If you suspect you are experiencing nerve tension, it is important to be cautious when stretching. Nerve glides and nerve tensioners are brief exercises that can help by gently putting the nerve under tension and then relaxing it. These exercises can help improve the nerve's ability to glide and increase its tolerance to tension. However, it is important not to stretch nerves under tension for a long period, as this can aggravate the nerve and make stretching more difficult.
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Nerve damage and causes
Nerve pain and nerve damage can be caused by various factors, and the symptoms can vary depending on the location and type of nerves affected. Nerve pain is often chronic and ongoing, and it can be challenging to diagnose due to its varying nature among individuals.
One of the primary causes of nerve damage is injury or disease affecting the nervous system. This can include conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease, which result in progressive nerve damage. Peripheral nerve entrapment is another common issue, where a nerve becomes trapped or glued to nearby tissue, causing symptoms such as tension, tightness, pain, and numbness.
Substances intentionally or unintentionally ingested can also lead to nerve damage. For example, specific medications like chemotherapy drugs or HIV treatments may cause nerve issues. Chronic alcohol consumption is a frequent culprit, as are toxic substances like lead, arsenic, or mercury. Additionally, a lack of certain nutrients, such as vitamins B6 and B12, can induce nerve pain and damage, manifesting as weakness or burning sensations.
The symptoms of nerve damage can be wide-ranging and depend on the specific nerves involved. Sensory nerves, for instance, transmit information from the skin and muscles to the spinal cord and brain, allowing us to feel pain and other sensations. When these nerves are damaged, it can lead to problems with positional awareness and a wide array of other symptoms.
Diagnosing nerve damage often involves identifying the underlying condition causing the pain. Treatment options may include regulating blood sugar for diabetic patients or prescribing medications to reduce nerve pain, such as antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, or topical creams. Physical therapy is also beneficial for improving symptoms like soreness, stiffness, and pain through massage, stretches, and exercises.
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Peripheral nerve entrapment
Peripheral nerves in the upper extremities are at risk of injury and entrapment due to their superficial nature and length. Nerve entrapment can be caused by trauma, anatomic abnormalities, systemic disease, and entrapment. The extent of the injury can range from mild neurapraxia, where the nerve experiences mild ischemia caused by compression, to severe neurotmesis, where the nerve sustains full-thickness damage and may not fully recover.
In the absence of traumatic injury, initial nerve injury treatment should be conservative and include patient education, relative rest, and activity modification. Physical therapy, yoga, and acupuncture may be helpful, although conclusive evidence is lacking. Surgical options are also available for refractory injuries or entrapment caused by anatomic abnormalities.
Nerve compression syndromes, also known as nerve entrapment, can result from pressure on a peripheral nerve. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common type, with a prevalence of 3% in the general population and 15% in the workforce. Other types include cubital tunnel syndrome, sciatica, ulnar nerve entrapment, pronator teres syndrome, radial tunnel syndrome, suprascapular nerve entrapment, thoracic outlet syndrome, meralgia paresthetica, peroneal nerve compression, and pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome.
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Stretching and nerve tension
When we stretch, it is not just our muscles that are affected; nerves are frequently stretched during movement, and they can be put under tension. This can lead to sensations of pins and needles, or tingling in the hands, fingers, feet and toes. This altered sensation is a good indication that you are experiencing nerve tension. If you continue to stretch when your nerves are under tension, you can increase muscle tone, making you feel tighter and making stretching more difficult.
If you suspect you have nerve tension, it is important to be cautious. Unlike muscles, nerves do not respond well to prolonged stretching. If you continue to stretch when your nerve is under tension, you can aggravate the nerve, making matters worse and even causing injury. If you feel any of these sensations during or after your training session, you should seek advice from a medical professional.
There are specific exercises that can help with nerve tension. Nerve glides are brief exercises that help the nerve to glide back and forth as it should. They put tension on one end of the nerve while relaxing the other, and then reverse. Neural gliding and neural mobilisation techniques have been shown to increase nerve compliance when performed within the nerve's physiological limits.
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Frequently asked questions
Nerve-related pain can feel different from muscle pain and may be tough to diagnose on your own. However, nerve pain doesn't always occur in the part of the body that's the root of the pain. For example, sciatica is a condition in which a nerve is compressed in the low back and causes pain down the leg. If your usual stretch routines aren't helping, this could be a sign of nerve pain.
Nerve-related pain often feels tingly, tight, heavy, weak or hot. It can be hard to describe and may radiate to other parts of the limb, following the path of the nerve.
Nerve pain can be caused by nerve entrapment, when a nerve becomes trapped between other structures of the body. It can also be caused by repetitive actions with the same muscle or muscle group, which can build up and press on a nerve.
Walking, stretching, and exercises such as swimming or cycling can help relieve nerve pain. Eating a healthy diet such as vegan or gluten-free may also help. Deep tissue massage, assisted stretching, and rest can also be effective treatments.
You should not stretch nerves under tension for a long period as this can aggravate the nerve and cause it to increase muscle tone (the sensation of tightness). Nerve glides are brief exercises that can help a nerve glide back and forth without putting it under tension.
