Whether or not stretching can help a pinched nerve depends largely on the source of the pressure as well as the general location of the injury. A bone, muscle, tendon and even cartilage can press against a nerve almost anywhere in the body and disrupt its function. This often leads to numbness, tingling, weakness or pain along the affected area. Talk to a doctor before using any sort of stretches to reduce your discomfort.
Rest
Many medical professionals recommend resting the affected area of the body before using any type of exercise to correct the problem, says the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Certain activities, including stretches, can exacerbate the severity of the compression and further reduce the function of the nerve, which may potentially worsen your symptoms. Regardless of the area affected by the pinched nerve, resting often allows the area to heal on its own.
Immobilization
If resting fails to improve the pinched nerve, doctors then turn to immobilization of the affected area before turning to stretching activities. Braces and splints restrict the movement of the neck, wrist, back and other areas of the body. Like rest, this restriction keeps your movements from exacerbating the compression and allows the area to heal on its own. As the area heals, the compression lessens and symptoms subside.
Physical Therapy
When rest and immobilization don't prove beneficial, physical therapy comes into play. You'll work with a physical therapist to establish a series of exercises to help improve your condition. However, these exercises aren't isolated to just stretches. Depending on the area affected by the pinched nerve, you'll also include moderate-intensity physical activity as well as strength training. Getting your body moving can help reduce any inflammation placing pressure on the nerve, while strength training adds muscle to the body to better support the area and reduce the chances of re-injury.
Medications
Though most medications don't do anything to correct the problem, they're often prescribed during treatment, be it rest, immobilization or physical therapy. Among the more common medications used for pinched nerves are analgesics, which help to relieve the pain caused by the compression. Besides pain relievers, your doctor may use corticosteroid injections to directly reduce inflammation, which should also help to relieve the pain.
