Patrick J. McDaid, M.D.

Every nerve has a specific job. That job may be to help a muscle move, transmit sensation back to your spinal cord and brain, or both. As nerves leave the spine, they will course through the body and are vulnerable to compression or entrapment anywhere along its course. The nerves can be chronically compressed or trapped by acute injuries, causing swelling (such as a sprain or fracture). Peripheral nerve compression occurs when a nerve is squeezed or compacted, typically at a