Nerve flossing

Nerve flossing is a type of gentle exercise designed to stretch irritated or compressed nerves. These exercises work to reduce pain in the affected area. Nerve flossing is sometimes referred to as nerve gliding or neural gliding. Techniques depend on the location of the nerve pain being experienced by an individual. Nerve flossing is most often used to relieve pain associated with a pinched nerve. Examples of conditions that benefit from nerve flossing include sciatica pain, carpal tunnel syndrome pain, and thoracic outlet syndrome pain. Nerve flossing also purportedly helps with tight hamstrings, the feeling of “pins and needles,” and persistent tingling and numbness brought on by certain body positions. Health professionals suggest nerve flossing exercises alongside other treatments for the best results. Long-term benefits associated with nerve flossing, apart from pain relief, include better movement and flexibility as well an increased range of motion.

Background

The nervous system is a network of nerve cells and nerve fibers that runs throughout the length of the human body. Nerves are bundles of fibers surrounded by connective tissue that transmit messages in the form of nerve impulses between the brain or spinal cord and the body’s organs. The two main types of nerves include motor nerves and sensory nerves. Motor nerves carry nerve impulses away from the brain or spinal cord to the body’s muscles, glands, and organs. Sensory nerves carry nerve impulses towards the brain or spinal cord from the sensory organs. Sensory nerves respond to body movements and sensations. Sometimes, nerves can be a mix of motor and sensory, carrying out the tasks of both types. Scientists have also identified a third type of nerve called an autonomic nerve that controls the involuntary activities within the body such as heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, and temperature regulation.

Nerves are what make the body act and react to certain stimuli. Damage to any of the body’s nerves can result in several physiological issues, including significant amounts of pain. More than one hundred types of nerve damage exist in medical literature, each with its own causes, symptoms, and treatments. Some common causes of nerve pain and damage include autoimmune diseases, cancer, trauma or compression, diabetes, drugs and toxins, nutritional deficiencies, infectious diseases, and motor neuron disease.

Symptoms of nerve pain and nerve damage vary depending on the type of nerve affected. Autonomic nerve damage may make it difficult for a person to sense chest pain related to angina or heart attack. Motor nerve damage can cause weakness, twitching, and paralysis. Sensory nerve damage can cause pain in the affected regions as well as numbness, sensitivity, and tingling or burning sensations. A person can experience more than one of these symptoms at a time and can have damage to more than one type of nerve.

Treatment for nerve pain often focuses on reducing symptoms rather than a cure. This usually involves honing in on underlying conditions that may be causing the damage and pain, such as autoimmune conditions and diabetes. Other causes, such as physical trauma or compression of the nerves, may require more active treatment, such as physical therapy. Physical therapy can ease nerve pain by increasing circulation and flexibility in the area affected. Physical therapists have come up with many techniques to deal with the different types of nerve pain.

Overview

A medical condition known as a pinched nerve is a common nerve issue that occurs when nerves become entangled within tissue. It often occurs as a result of compression or trauma, arising in tandem with tissue inflammation. It can also result from poor posture and repetitive movements, such as hunching over to type on a computer keyboard. Symptoms of a pinched nerve include pain, numbness, and weakness. Pain often intensifies with movement. Without treatment pain continues to intensify and can extend to other parts of the body outside the affected region. This can lead to complications of the muscles, joints, and tissue.

In the 1990s, a physiotherapist named David Butler came up with a therapy known as nerve flossing. Nerve flossing involved a series of special exercises designed to restore normal function to pinched nerves and alleviate pain caused by this issue. The technique works to release the tension on a nerve by stretching one end of the nerve while the other end is left in a relaxed state. During nerve flossing, the muscles surrounding the nerve contract and form a protective shield around the nerve. Through slow and repeated movement, the exercises work to detangle the nerve from the tissue, releasing pain and tension.

Several different types of nerve flossing techniques exist, and each depends on the nerve being affected. In the arm, nerve flossing techniques focus on the ulnar nerve running down the ulna bone, the median nerve that runs through the entirety of the arm, and the radial nerve of the posterior arm and forearm. Nerve flossing exercises for these nerves normally involve stretching the wrists, fingers, and forearm muscles in certain ways. Nerve flossing techniques for the arm are used to treat problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs when the median nerve of the wrist is injured or compressed.

Nerve flossing exercises also apply to the nerves of the legs and shoulders. The sciatic nerve that runs from the lower spine down each leg, can become compressed and lead to a condition known as sciatica. Nerve flossing for sciatica involves stretches of the knees, chest, hamstrings, hips, back, and gluteal muscles. Trauma or compression to the nerves of the upper shoulder area, known as the brachial plexus nerves, can cause a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome. This condition involves pain in the arms, chest, or neck. Nerve flossing in the shoulder region usually includes stretches for the shoulders and upper arm area as well as the neck and chest.

The type of nerve flossing techniques utilized depends on the specific needs of each patient. Doctors stress the importance of pairing nerve flossing with traditional physical therapy treatments. It is also important for a patient to remain aware of his or her limits to avoid further injury.

Bibliography

Clarke, Elizabeth. “Nerve Flossing—the Easy Method for Pain Relief?” Sunday Morning Herald, 25 Apr. 2017, www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/nerve-flossing--the-easy-method-for-pain-relief-20170421-gvpc55.html. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.

Ellis, Richard F., and Wayne A. Hing. “Neural Mobilization: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials with an Analysis of Therapeutic Efficacy.” Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy, vol. 16, no. 1, 2008, pp. 8-22.

McCahon, Jessica. “Sciatic Nerve Flossing Exercise.” LiveStrong, 2019, www.livestrong.com/article/287430-sciatic-nerve-flossing-exercise/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.

Meltzer, Marisa.” The Next-Level Form of Stretching That Will Relieve Hamstring Tightness for Good.” Vogue, 28 Mar. 2017, www.vogue.com/article/nerve-flossing-best-hamstring-stretch-workout-recovery-trends-physical-therapy. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.

“Nerve Flossing.” Ace Physiotherapy, 12 May 2016, www.torontophysiotherapy.co/nerve-flossing/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.

“Nerve Flossing and Exercises for Trapped Nerve Relief.” Doctors Health Press, 11 Apr. 2017, www.doctorshealthpress.com/health-articles/nerve-flossing-and-exercises-for-trapped-nerve-relief/. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.

“Nerve Pain and Nerve Damage.” WebMD, 16 Mar. 2018, www.webmd.com/brain/nerve-pain-and-nerve-damage-symptoms-and-causes#1-3. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.

Pietrangelo, Ann. “Nerve Flossing Exercises to Try.” Healthline, 23 Apr. 2018, www.healthline.com/health/nerve-flossing#thoracic-outlet-syndrome. Accessed 16 Apr. 2019.