How Does a Pinched Nerve Lead to Numbness on One Side of the Body?

Our nerves work like telephone wires that send signals from our body to our brain. When a nerve is pinched—often from a bone, muscle, or a disc in the spine pushing on it—it can’t work well. This means the nerve cannot send or receive messages properly. When messages about feeling, like touch or pain, are blocked, the brain might not get the signals it needs. This can lead to numbness in the areas the nerve controls. For example, in cervical radiculopathy, a nerve in the neck is squeezed, and that can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness in one arm or side of the body. The same idea happens when a nerve in your lower back is pinched; you might feel numbness or a "falling asleep" feeling in your leg. Overall, when nerves are squeezed or irritated, the normal flow of messengers is interrupted, and that is why you feel numb on one side.