Birth injuries, dislocations, vertebral fractures, stabs, gunshot wounds, and pressure from tumors can all injure spinal nerves. Suddenly bending the neck, called whiplash, can compress the nerves of the cervical plexuses, causing persistent headache and pain in the neck and skin, which the cervical nerves supply. If a broken or dislocated vertebra severs or damages the phrenic nerves associated with the cervical plexuses, partial or complete paralysis of the diaphragm may result.

Intermittent or constant pain the neck, shoulder, or upper limb may result from prolonged abduction of the upper limb, as in painting or typing. This is due to excessive pressure on the brachial plexus. This condition, called thoracic outlet syndrome, may also result from a congenital skeletal malformation that compresses the plexus during upper limb and shoulder movements.

Degenerative changes may compress an intervertebral disk in the lumbar region, producing a condition called sciatica, causing pain in the lower back and gluteal region that can radiate to the thigh, calf, ankle, and foot. Sciatica is most common in middle-aged people, particularly distance runners. It usually compresses spinal nerve roots between L2 and S1, some of which contain fibers of the sciatic nerve. Rest, drugs, or surgery are used to treat sciatica.

In carpal tunnel syndrome, repeated hand movements, such as typing, inflame the tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel, which is a space between bones in the wrist. The swollen tendons compress the median nerve in the wrist, causing pain to shoot up the upper limb. Surgery or avoiding repetitive hand movements can relieve symptoms.