| A pinched nerve typically causes sharp, burning, or electric pain that travels along the nerve’s path — down an arm (from the neck) or down a leg (from the low back) — often with numbness, tingling, or weakness. Unlike a muscle ache, the pain follows a line rather than staying in one spot, and it can be triggered by certain positions. |
Medically reviewed by Kanwarpaul Grewal, DO — Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, UCSF Complex Spine & Deformity Fellowship. Reviewed July 2026.
Neck vs low back
A pinched nerve in the neck sends symptoms into the shoulder, arm, or hand; in the low back, into the buttock, leg, or foot. The specific pattern tells us which nerve root is involved.
When to be seen
Weakness, worsening numbness, or symptoms affecting both sides deserve prompt evaluation; bladder/bowel changes are an emergency.
Sources: AAOS OrthoInfo — Cervical and Lumbar Radiculopathy; NASS guidelines.
Same-week consults across Long Island & Queens — (516) 743-9450
OrthoInfo (AAOS)
- Low Back Pain — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/low- back-pain - Sciatica — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ sciatica - Herniated Disk in the Lower Back — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ herniated-disk-in-the-lower- back/ - Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve) — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ cervical-radiculopathy- pinched-nerve/ - Lumbar Spinal Stenosis — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ lumbar-spinal-stenosis/ - Spinal Fusion — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/spinal-fusion/ - Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/minimally- invasive-spine-surgery/ - Meniscus Tears — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ meniscus-tears/ - Meniscus Repair — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/meniscus-repair/ - Arthritis of the Knee — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ arthritis-of-the-knee/ - Rotator Cuff Tears (Surgical Options) — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/rotator-cuff- tears-surgical-treatment- options/ - ACL Injuries — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ anterior-cruciate-ligament- acl-injuries/ - ACL Injury: Does It Require Surgery? — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/acl-injury-does- it-require-surgery/ - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/diseases–conditions/ carpal-tunnel-syndrome/ - Total Joint Replacement (overview) — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/total-joint- replacement/ - Total Knee Replacement — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/total-knee- replacement/ - Total Hip Replacement — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
en/treatment/total-hip- replacement/ - OrthoInfo hub — https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/
Society / guideline hubs
- AAOS Clinical Practice Guidelines — https://www.aaos.org/
quality/quality-programs/ clinical-practice-guidelines/ - AAOS — ACL Injuries CPG — https://www.aaos.org/
quality/quality-programs/ anterior-cruciate-ligament- injuries/ - NASS Clinical Guidelines — https://www.spine.org/
Research-Clinical-Care/ Quality-Improvement/Clinical- Guidelines - ACP Guidelines (Low Back Pain) — https://www.acponline.org/
clinical-information/ guidelines - APTA / JOSPT — Low Back Pain CPG — https://www.jospt.org/
- ASIPP — Interventional Pain Guidelines — https://www.asipp.org/
- ASRA Pain Medicine — https://www.asra.com/
- AOSSM — Sports Medicine — https://www.sportsmed.org/
- ASES — Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons — https://www.ases-assn.org/
- AAHKS — Hip & Knee (patient site) — https://hipknee.aahks.org/
- ASSH — HandCare — https://www.assh.org/
handcare/ - SRS — Scoliosis Research Society — https://www.srs.org/
