If you’ve ever experienced a pinched nerve, then you know that they can go from irritating to absolutely debilitating very quickly. A pinched nerve happens when there’s too much pressure on a nerve from the surrounding tissue. It can happen due to excess pressure from bones, cartilage, muscles, or tendons. When the pressure builds, it prevents the nerve from functioning properly, which is the cause of the pain, numbness, or tingling feeling you may experience.
What can you do about a pinched nerve? Can a massage help a pinched nerve? In many cases, yes! If your first instinct when you’ve got a pinched nerve is to rub the area, you may not be far off from the solution. Today, we’re talking about getting a massage for pinched nerve pain and how it may help.
Common Pinched Nerve Symptoms and Causes
Before we answer the question, “can a massage help a pinched nerve?” it’s important to learn about some common pinched nerve symptoms and causes.
What does a pinched nerve feel like? Chances are, you’ve experienced a pinched nerve at some point in your life whether you recognized it or not. Some pinched nerve symptoms include:
- The feeling of pins and needles when limbs “fall asleep”
- Numbness or loss of sensation in an area
- Having your muscles feel weakened
- Burning sensations, pain, or aching that builds and radiates outward
As you can see, experiencing a pinched nerve can be a relatively common ailment that many people experience periodically. So then what causes a pinched nerve? Pinched nerves can stem from a variety of things such as:
- Acute injuries from overexertion
- Sitting incorrectly or for too long
- Common health ailments like arthritis and diabetes
- Obesity
- Muscle tension caused by stress
While most episodes of pinched nerves recover on their own, they can develop into more severe damage if left unchecked. Consulting a doctor is the best way to determine if your pinched nerve is treatable at home. If it is, many people choose to turn to massage for pinched nerve pain as a method of relief.
Getting a Massage for Pinched Nerve Pain
Whether it’s in your arm, leg, back, or neck, a pinched nerve is, at best, a source of irritation and, at worst, fully debilitating. Having a pinched nerve can have you down and out of commission for a while if you don’t know how to help recover from it quickly.
You may ask yourself, “if rubbing the affected area helps me feel a little better, will a massage help a pinched nerve?” The answer is often yes. After consulting a medical professional if you experience a pinched nerve, you may find that getting a massage for pinched nerve pain can be effective for home treatment, as well.
Some of the ways massage for pinched nerve pain helps are:
- Easing muscle tension in your body
- Assisting in pain management
- Increasing relaxation and reducing stress
- Improving sleep quality for faster healing
Massage Help Alleviate Muscle Tension
The first way we’re exploring how a massage for pinched nerve relief works is with muscle tension. Since one of the most common causes of pinched nerve pain is a muscle putting excess pressure on a nerve, reducing muscle tension is critical in alleviating or preventing pinched nerve pain. Massage alleviates muscle tension by stretching and kneading connective tissue. This can improve mobility and enhance flexibility, opening up restricted movement (a root cause of pinched nerve pain).
Athletes and those with active lifestyles who experience pinched nerves after physical activity find a massage for pinched nerve relief works by keeping muscles warm and loose. In addition to relieving pinched nerve pain, it may also help avoid potentially painful conditions like Delayed Onset Muscles Soreness (DOMS).
Massage Provides Pain Management for Pinched Nerve Relief
How else will a massage help a pinched nerve, you’re wondering? Studies have shown that massage is beneficial for pain management, having an almost immediate effect even after just one session. Not only does it help you relax, making massage for pinched nerve relief ideal, but it also increases serotonin and endorphin output. Increased endorphin and serotonin levels can elevate your mood, limiting pain signals from the affected site of a pinched nerve and providing pain relief.
Alleviating a Pinched Nerve From Stress
Stress management is another reason a massage for pinched nerve relief may work. It’s no surprise that massages reduce stress, but the results of stress management are what yields results. A pinched nerve is the symptom, where stress is the catalyst.
Studies have shown that massage is an effective method for how to lower cortisol levels naturally. Treating yourself to a massage for anxiety and stress helps stop your nervous system from sending out stress signals that may be causing subconscious muscle tension. This means not only does massage help you relax and de-stress mentally, but it allows your body to physically relax and begin the healing process.
Better Sleep Quality for Pinched Nerve Relief
Last, but not least, in our exploration of how a massage for pinched nerve relief works is through restful sleep. Sleep is a crucial element to how the body heals itself. Getting a massage for better sleep can help you fall asleep more quickly and sleep soundly. If you’ve ever noticed that pain wears you out, part of that is your body yearning to sleep so it can heal more quickly!
Getting a massage for pinched nerve relief is especially beneficial for those whose pinched nerves are keeping them awake at night. The pain relief that massage may provide could help you sleep through the night and take full advantage of the body’s ability to heal.
Using a Massage Chair for Pinched Nerve Relief
Getting massages regularly can help treat a pinched nerve or prevent them from occurring as often. While regular massage appointments are ideal, they may not be feasible with your schedule nor be there when you need it most. Instead, many people have looked to how to get the benefits of massage therapy at home, instead.
Of the many benefits of owning a massage chair, having it available on your schedule and when you need it most is one of the most important. The evolution of luxury massage chairs has eliminated the difference between a massage chair vs human massage, giving you more control and a plethora of programs to choose from.
For example, of the different types of massage techniques available, Swedish massage for pinched nerve relief is one of the most recommended. The long, soothing strokes of Swedish massage may be more relaxing and therapeutic compared to the deeper work of techniques like Thai massage.
Some massage chair features such as a reclining massage chair with heat helps with tension and stress, as well. This enhances your relaxation, loosening muscle tension that may be causing pinched nerve pain. Other features like chromotherapy and zero gravity reclining capabilities help getting a massage for pinched nerve relief work even better.
Bonus Tip: Want a personalized experience for every massage session? Try a massage chair with AI massage technology that meets your exact needs every time.
Can a massage help a pinched nerve? As you’ve now learned, in many cases it can. While it’s important to consult your doctor before beginning any home treatment, getting a massage for pinched nerve relief may help get you back on your feet and feeling great again in record time. Whether you’re making consistent appointments or choosing a massage chair to use at home, a massage may be just what you need!
Want to learn more about massage chairs and how they could enhance your lifestyle? Check out these resources:
