Stretches and Exercises to Help Relieve Pinched Nerve in Neck
Having what feels like a pinched nerve in your neck can be mighty painful and uncomfortable.
It can feel like you cant move your neck properly, and give you an achy or sharp pain in your neck and/or shoulder. It may also cause referred pain down the arm to the hand and give you a headache.
A pinched nerve in your neck generally isn’t actually from a nerve being pinched. There can be irritation of a nerve, but more commonly, the pain and feeling is from muscle spasm or joint lock and inflammation in the neck.
There are several reasons for a pinched nerve feeling in the neck.
The muscles of the neck or upper back or shoulder can be cramped or go into spasm. The joints in the neck can also lock up causing inflammation and pain and restriction in movement of the neck.
This can be from sleeping in the wrong position, sitting at a desk with poor ergonomic set up or from an injury such as car accident or fall.
If there is an underlying condition such as arthritis or disc bulge in the neck, this may also give rise to a pinched nerve feeling.
Having the correct diagnosis will help in prescribing the correct exercises and stretches to perform.
Exercises to help with a pinched nerve feeling in the neck can include:
Pec Stretch
The pec muscle is the muscle at the front of the chest. It is often tight when the neck muscles and upper back muscles are tight or in spasm. By stretching the pec muscle, you will indirectly help take some pressure and pulling off the neck.
How to stretch your pec muscle:
1. Stand in a doorway
2. Lift your arm and shoulder to 90 degrees and bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Place your right hand on the door frame and lean your body forwards.
3. You should feel a stretch at the front of your chest
4. To increase the stretch, rotate your body to the left and take some deep breaths in and out
5. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side
Shoulder Shrugs
Shoulder shrugs are a great way to help loosen off the muscles and connective tissue of the upper back, shoulder blade and neck. It’s an active release which you can control
How to do Shoulder Shrugs:
1. As you inhale, elevate both shoulders at the same time slowly
2. You can lower the shoulders as you are still inhaling or you can exhale as you lower them. You should do what is more comfortable for you
3. Repeat 6–10 times
Chin Tucks
Chin tucks are a great way to start to mobilize the joints in the neck as well as fire the deep neck muscles. It can look quite funny doing these exercises, and it is really helpful to watch yourself in the mirror when you do them as well to give you some visual feedback!
How to do Chin Tucks:
1. You can do chin tucks standing or sitting
2. Place your index finger against your chin — this is used as a point of reference
3. Gently retract your chin from your finger by tucking your chin in. You should pull your head backwards and not down when doing this exercise.
4. Try and create a 1–2cm gap from your finger to your chin when doing this exercise
5. Bring your chin back to your finger
6. Repeat 6–12 times
Nose Circles
Nose circles are a great way to start to mobilize the joints in the neck and fire the deep stabilizing muscles of the neck as well.
How to do Nose Circles:
1. Lie on your back with your head on a small towel
2. Or to make it slightly more challenging on a small inflatable pilates chi ball with minimal air in it — this will give you some resistance to work with and against
3. Using your nose to act like a pencil, imagine drawing small circles with your nose in one direction, gradually increasing the size of the circles.
4. Then repeat in the opposite direction
Side Neck stretch
A side neck stretch help stretch muscles such as the trapezius that attach from the shoulders onto the head and neck
These muscles are often tight, in spasm and cause pain
How to do a Side Neck Stretch
1. Be Seated
2. Sit on your Right Hand
3. Take your left hand on top of your head and reach it over to the right side
4. Gently, allow your left hand to take your head to the left and feel a stretch along the right side of the neck and top of the shoulder
5. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat other side
6. Keep breathing during the stretch
If any of the stretches or movements give you sharp pain, make you feel worse or just don’t feel right, please stop immediately. You will need to seek further help on the diagnosis and best management and prescription of exercises specific for your pain and condition. If you are in Melbourne and looking for a Melbourne Osteopath, then you can visit St. Kilda Osteopathy for further diagnosis and treatment.
