5 Effective Exercise For Pinched Nerve In Neck

Neck pain is a common problem that can be caused by pinched nerves in the neck. There are many different exercises that you can do to help relieve this type of neck pain and lessen its severity, but it’s important to seek medical care for a more definitive diagnosis first. 

These five exercises will help ease some of the tension and discomfort so you can continue with your day without too much stress on your neck.

What Does A Pinched Nerve In The Neck Feel Like?

If you have a pinched nerve in your neck, you may feel a sharp pain on one side of the neck. This is typically accompanied by tingling or numbness that can extend into the arm and hand as well as muscle weakness. It sounds scary, but it’s actually a much easier problem to solve than most other types of back pain.

Typically, the pain and symptoms start suddenly and can be quite severe. The pain is usually located on one side of your neck or down into your arm. 

If you’re experiencing this problem for some time, it may not bother you much unless there are weather changes like a high barometric pressure that causes the nerve to swell.

What Causes a Pinched Nerve in the Neck?

A pinched nerve usually occurs when pressure on one of the nerves runs through your neck. This often happens due to some type of trauma or injury but can also be caused by poor posture, obesity, and even longer hours at work hunched over a computer keyboard. There are estimated to be over 200,000 cases of a pinched nerve in the neck every year.

Can Exercise Help a Pinched Nerve?

The good news is that there are many different types of exercises for a pinched nerve in the neck. In fact, most cases can be resolved with conservative treatment through physical therapy and rest. There’s no need to worry about taking medication or surgery if you experience a pinched nerve in your neck because most of the time, conservative treatment works.

The 5 Of The Best exercise For Pinched Nerve In Neck

There are many different exercises that you can do for a pinched nerve in the neck, and they will all slightly differ depending on your symptoms.

1) Neck Stretch With Towel

One of the easiest ways to stretch out your neck muscles is by using a towel. Start off by taking one end of the towel in each hand and gently pulling it towards you until you feel tension on your neck while extending your chin up toward the ceiling. Hold this for about 20-30 seconds, then repeat with another side.

Do this three times a day and you should start to feel pain relief.

The pulling motion on your neck muscles helps to release the pressure off of any pinched nerve in your spine by stretching out those tight muscles around it, thus alleviating pain and discomfort. 

Learn how to do this exercise in this video:

2)  Upper Trapezius Stretch

This stretch is great for releasing the tension in your upper trapezius muscles. Start by placing both palms of your hands on top of your shoulders and gently pulling down with them until you feel a good stretch along the backside of your neck. Hold this for about 20-30 seconds, then relax and repeat several times.

This stretch will elongate the upper trapezius muscles that are located above your shoulders, which can often become contracted and tight. This makes it hard for them to do their job properly, leading to pain in this area as well as others like pinched nerves in the spine.

Once again, holding this position helps release pressure off of the nerve in your neck by relaxing the muscles that are causing it to be pinched.

This is also a great stretch for anyone who sits at their desk hunched over all day long because this muscle gets very tight when you’re stuck in one position like that. If you do sit at work, try adding this exercise into your routine, and you’ll start to feel the tension release almost immediately.

To see how to do this exercise, click the video:

3) Sleeper Stretch

This stretch is also very effective for pinched nerves in the neck. Begin by lying flat on your back and putting a pillow under your head so there’s some elevation to it. 

Next, bring one knee up to a 90-degree angle while keeping the other straight, then place that foot flat on the floor next to you. Grab hold of your knee and pull it up towards you as far as you can. Hold this for about 20-30 seconds, then relax and switch sides.

This stretch is great because the only thing that’s required to complete it is a pillow, which almost everyone has one lying around somewhere in their house or apartment.

The sleeper stretch targets your quadratus lumborum muscle which is located in your lower back. Remember, you’re experiencing a pinched nerve in this area, so stretching out the muscles that are pulling on it will definitely help with any pain and discomfort.

This can be done just about anywhere at home or even while laying down watching TV before bedtime to help you relax.

The best part is, there’s no equipment needed to complete this stretch, so it can be done anywhere and everywhere!

See this amazing video for more guidance:

4)  Seated Spinal Twist

This is a good stretch for your oblique muscles, which are located on either side of the spine. Start seated with both feet flat on the floor and arms resting at your sides, then slowly lean to one side until you feel the tension in your mid-back/oblique area. Hold this position for about 20-30 seconds, then lean to the other side and repeat.

This stretch is great because it targets muscles that are often very tight from stress, lack of activity, or even just poor posture throughout your day, which can lead to a pinched nerve in the spine as well as pain.

By holding this position, you’re elongating those shortened oblique muscles making them nice and long again. This stretch should be done slowly because it can put a lot of pressure on your lower back if you lean too quickly or force yourself into the position. 

By doing this over time, especially before bedtime, you’ll start to feel much more relaxed in that area which is great for getting rid of any pinched nerve symptoms. The great thing about this stretch is that it can be done right in your own home, even while watching TV before bed, to help you relax and unwind for the evening ahead.

Watch this video to see how to do this exercise properly:

5) Hamstring Stretch

Last but not least, this stretch will help you elongate your hamstrings which run down the back of your thighs. 

Start by lying flat on your back with both legs out straight in front of you, then slowly pull one leg up towards yourself while keeping the other extended and hold for about 20-30 seconds. This stretches those hamstring muscles, which can help release pressure off the nerve in your neck.

This stretch is great because it not only targets those hamstrings but also stretches out your glutes and hip flexors all at once, so you’re getting a lot accomplished from just one simple exercise.

In fact, this stretch has been shown to have a lot of positive effects when it comes to relieving pressure off your sciatic nerve, which runs all the way down both legs, so pinched nerve in the neck is no problem.

This stretch should be done slowly and not forced because you don’t want to pull on anything too quickly or cause yourself any pain. If at any time during this exercise you feel any pain, immediately stop and relax.

The great thing about this stretch is that you can do it right in the comfort of your own home without having to go to a gym or buy expensive equipment, so no excuses! You have everything you need already, which makes it very convenient.

Watch this video to know more about this exercise:

Doing these exercises daily will definitely make a huge difference when experiencing pain from pinched nerve symptoms, which shouldn’t take long at all if you stick with it. 

If this pain persists, be sure to seek medical attention and medical advice because there could be something else going on that requires a more serious treatment method than simple stretches and exercises. People may also attend a yoga class in order to stretch out their back.

Include these simple and effective exercises in your daily activities to relieve your pain from pinched nerve symptoms!