Vascular compression of nerves, the three most common complications

Every nerve in our body is very important. Without these nerves, we would probably lose our original body sensations. In daily life, due to the influence of many factors, blood vessels will also cause pressure on nerves, thereby causing body pain. So, what are the most common ones?

Sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the largest peripheral nerve in the human body. It starts from the spinal cord in the lumbosacral region, passes through the pelvis, and passes through the greater sciatic foramen to the buttocks, and then goes down along the back of the thigh to the foot. Sciatica, the pain can radiate along the buttocks, posterior femur, lateral calf, dorsum of the foot, etc., and is accompanied by varying degrees of sensory impairment, decreased muscle strength in the lower limbs, and decreased or absent Achilles tendon reflexes. When the big toe is bent backward to the side of the body, reduce the movement of the waist and the affected limb, or press the Huantiao point (the junction of the outer 1/3 and the inner 2/3 of the line connecting the high point of the greater trochanter of the femur to the coccyx). Sciatica is a common disease. The most common is lumbar disc herniation. Others include spinal tuberculosis, arachnoiditis, and intravertebral metastatic cancer. In addition, sacroiliac arthritis and pelvic tumors compressing the nerves can also cause sciatica. Sciatica is pain that occurs in the areas where the sciatic nerve passes (i.e., waist, buttocks, back of thigh, outer side of calf and foot). The pain intensifies when the sciatic nerve is pulled, so the patient's affected lower limb is often flexed to relieve the pain. Sciatica can be treated with B vitamins, Chinese medicine that relaxes muscles and activates blood circulation, as well as acupuncture, physical therapy and other methods, but the fundamental way is to treat the primary disease that causes sciatica, which can be treated with Chinese medicine.

Trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is more common with pain in the second branch, and most patients are between 40 and 50 years old. Patients experience sudden shooting pain on one side of the face, which lasts from a few seconds to more than ten seconds. They describe the pain as burning and unbearable. During attacks, they often rub the painful side of the face with their hands in an attempt to relieve the pain. Due to frequent rubbing, the facial skin becomes rough, and sometimes the eyebrows may fall off. The attacks are intermittent, and the intervals vary in length. In mild cases, the attacks may occur every few days or weeks, with longer intervals. The pain can be triggered by actions such as washing the face, brushing teeth, and eating. Treatment generally involves intramuscular injection of vitamins into the nerves, or surgical resection of the nerves, etc.

Intercostal nerve pain

Intercostal neuralgia can be caused by rib fractures, thoracic metastatic cancer, herpes zoster, etc. If it is caused by herpes zoster, skin damage can be seen in the painful area, with clusters of rashes, and the skin between the rashes is normal. In severe cases, there may be exudation or redness and swelling. Therefore, when treating intercostal neuralgia, the primary lesion should be treated first, and the pain can be treated secondly to relieve local symptoms.