A pinched nerve can indeed cause discomfort such as pain, tingling and numbness. Moreover, pinched nerves can occur in all parts of the body based on the location of the affected nerve. The most common are the neck, shoulders, back, upper chest, arms, elbows and hands and wrists.
Although a pinched nerve can interfere with your movement, it's not all about sitting or lying down. Light walking and stretching is still recommended to stay healthy.
There are some exercises you can do if you have a pinched nerve. Generally, the type of exercise for pinched nerves should be gentle, simple and relaxing.
Exercise for pinched nerve
1. Belly to spine
Belly to spine can be done while lying down and the goal is to strengthen the core of the body so that the pinched nerve does not recur frequently. Follow the steps below to do belly to spine:
- Start with a lying position or sitting on a chair.
- Then pull the navel towards the spine so that the stomach is like being sucked in and hold for a few seconds.
- Do this movement repeatedly.
2. Glute bridge
This glute bridge exercise can strengthen the abdominal muscles and core of the body. The pain of a pinched nerve can also subside with this movement if done regularly. Here's how to do a glute bridge:
- Lay your body in a supine position.
- Step on your feet and lift your hips off the floor then hold for 5 seconds.
- Gradually descend your back to the floor.
- Do this movement 10 times.
3. Pelvic tilt
This exercise will help strengthen the curve of the lower back. Here's how to do it:
- Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Rotate the ridge until the lower back is flush with the floor and hold for 5 seconds.
- Then release slowly and repeat the movement.
4. Leg lifts
This exercise can strengthen the abdominal muscles, how?
- You lie on your side and straighten your upper legs.
- Raise your legs like an opening and closing motion.
- Do it for 5 times.
- Then repeat on the other side.
5. Knee-to-chest stretch
This exercise is said to be very effective for stretching the back. Here's how:
- Position yourself standing upright.
- Elevate your knees and draw them towards your chest.
- Rotate from left to right and hold for 5 seconds.
- Do that 10 times each exercise.
6. Chin tuck
Pinched nerves generally also often attack the neck. This movement is useful to help strengthen the muscles in the front of the neck and stretch the muscles at the back of the neck.
If that happens, do a chin tuck to relieve the pressure around your neck. How to do it?
- Pull your chin into your neck so it looks like you have a double chin.
- Do the movement for 5 seconds and repeat up to 10 times.
7. Quadruped Cat Cow
If the symptoms of a pinched nerve are neck and mid-back pain, you can do the Quadruped Cat Cow which will relieve the pain symptoms. Here's how:
- Position the body like on all fours with palms and knees parallel.
- Make sure the wrists are under the shoulders and knees under the hips with the toes should be tucked in.
- Inhale relax the abdomen until it moves towards the floor.
- Gently arch your back towards the floor, tilt your tailbone and look up, hold for up to 3 seconds.
- Then exhale and arch the spine upwards and fold the chin to the chest.
- Repeat the movement 20 to 25 times every morning.
Exercise with the types of stretches above should still be done according to the condition of your body. If there is tingling, burning or increased numbness, stop what you are doing immediately and seek the help of a doctor or orthopedic specialist.
Thank you for reading this article. Have a nice day.
