Shooting Pain

What is shooting pain?

Shooting pain is a symptom of an underlying condition, often a pinched spinal nerve, that typically begins in your neck or back and radiates to your leg or arm. 

This type of pain can feel excruciating, negatively affecting your quality of life in numerous ways when left untreated. If the discomfort fails to respond to conservative treatments, see Dr. Verma at Advanced Spine Care for an evaluation.

What does shooting pain feel like?

Shooting pain may appear as:

• Sharp pain
• Pain traveling from your neck or back to your limbs
• Weakness
• Pins and needles
• Electric shock-like pain
• Stabbing discomfort
• Severe pain
• Burning
• Tingling

You might also experience numbness, muscle weakness, and reduced control in your bowels or bladder. Shooting pain could be mild, moderate, or severe; it may affect just one side of your body. The discomfort often becomes worse when you sneeze, cough, bend, lift, or sit for long periods.

What might cause shooting pain?

Potential causes of shooting pain include:

• Disc herniation or bulging spinal disc
• Degenerative disc disease 
• Sciatica (pinched nerve)
• Scoliosis (abnormal sideways spinal curvature)
• Spinal stenosis (narrowed spinal canal)
• Spondylolisthesis (slipped spinal vertebrae)
• Traumatic injuries
• Stress fractures
• Facet joint arthritis 
• Bone spurs
• Arthritis 

Shooting pain is often a symptom of a pinched nerve stemming from excessive pressure placed on that nerve by surrounding body tissues. 

How is the cause of shooting pain diagnosed?

Dr. Verma diagnoses the cause of shooting pain by discussing your symptoms, reviewing your medical history, and completing a physical exam. He often orders imaging procedures and nerve function tests to pinpoint the exact cause of your discomfort and treat it effectively. 

How is shooting pain treated?

Your shooting pain treatment plan may involve first trying conservative treatments, such as rest, ice or heat packs, bracing, injections, or physical therapy. If those don’t work, Dr. Verma offers minimally invasive spine surgery that takes the pressure off compressed nerves. He may suggest:

• Spinal fusion
• Discectomy 
• Disc replacement
• Laminectomy
• Foraminotomy
• Spinal decompression surgery
• Revision spine surgery
• Other minimally invasive spine surgeries

Dr. Verma specializes in computer-assisted spine surgery to maximize accuracy and precision during spinal procedures. He follows up after surgery to ensure you experience relief from shooting pain. 

To eliminate shooting pain, schedule an evaluation at Advanced Spine Care by phone or request one online today.