What is nerve impingement? Understanding back injury that has put Ben Simmons' NBA career at stake

Ben Simmons is experiencing a nerve impingement on his back, NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Friday. Simmons has missed 15 straight games for the Brooklyn Nets since Feb. 24.

There is no definite date of when he'll be back, but there's a possibility that the Australian star could be out for the rest of the season. As the Nets look for the best course of treatment, let's see how serious nerve impingement is to an athlete.

A pinched nerve can start out small and painful for most people. However, according to clevelandclinic.org, it can be treated with medication and physical therapy. The condition involves compressed nerves and surrounding tissues that press on the nerve roots and can cause pain, numbness and tingling.

However, if not treated properly, it could cause serious problems for someone dealing with it. Pinched nerves can cause chronic pain or even cause permanent nerve damage to the patient.

Dealing with back injuries isn't new to Simmons. However, this development has revealed that he's going through a much more serious case this time around. Perhaps the 6-foot-10 floor general can come out on top of his current injury and be back on the floor for the Nets.

Which players have dealt with a pinched nerve while playing in the NBA?

Injuries are pretty common in the NBA and there's a huge chance that some players have had to suffer similar setbacks in their careers. In light of Ben Simmons' pinched nerve on his back, let's take a look at which players have experienced similar injuries in their NBA careers.

Paul Pierce

Back in the 2012-13 NBA season, it was revealed that Paul Pierce was playing with a pinched nerve on his neck. Unlike most who experienced the injury, Pierce played through the pain as the Boston Celtics already had three players out for the season.

"It’s something that’s been bothering me probably like the last two months," Pierce said in an interview with CBS. "It’s getting better, though. The last couple of weeks, it’s been better than it has been."

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard's stint with the Washington Wizards is oftentimes overlooked since he has only played nine games for them. The real reason for him being limited for the team was because of a pinched nerve on his buttocks. This led him to see a specialist and required surgery.

Tyson Chandler

Pierce wasn't the only player to deal with a pinched nerve in the back of the neck in the 2012-13 season. Tyson Chandler had to go through the same setback and had to miss ten straight games to treat his neck. This was the same season where he was named an All-Star for the New York Knicks.