General back or neck pain tends to be dull and localized to the area of the strain. A pinched nerve produces sharper sensations that travel. Pain that shoots into the arm from the neck or radiates down the leg from the lower back is characteristic of nerve involvement rather than simple muscular strain.
That distinction matters because the treatment is different. Muscle strain responds to rest and soft-tissue work. A compressed nerve requires the structural cause of the compression to be addressed. Dr. Bronstein at Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic differentiates between the two during the evaluation so the care plan targets the right problem.
