PINCHED NERVE? TRY FLOSSING
Not the dance, and no not your teeth, but flossing your nerves. Yup, that’s right, we actually have the ability to floss the nerves within our extremities. We all know that your joints move and your muscles contract and stretch. But did you know that your nerve tissue also needs to move freely and unimpeded? If neural tissue becomes obstructed, pain and movement obstruction can be a common result. So let’s talk about common reasons for adverse neural tension, what that may feel like, and what these nerve flossing movements look like.
WHY DO I HAVE NEURAL TENSION?
There are many reasons that one can develop neural adhesions/impingement, whether it’s from overuse, an injury/ trauma, being slumped over on a computer at the couch “thanks Covid”, or even just the natural aging process. Other reasons could be due to spinal stenosis, muscle spasms/hypertonicity, disc herniation/bulge, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, shoulder dyskinesia, and even fixated joints.
WHAT WILL NERVE IMPINGEMENT/NEURAL TENSION FEEL LIKE?
When our nerves become impinged in certain areas of our body, we can develop an array of symptoms. One of the most common is loss of movement–if the nerve cannot move, neither will the surrounding joints/tissue. Other common symptoms are extremely tight muscle groups, muscle weakness, pain, tingling, numbness, and in severe cases muscle atrophy. For example, with carpal tunnel, a common upper extremity nerve impingement/neural adhesions, the grip strength of the hand is usually decreased along with variable degrees of pain and tingling sensations. Patients often complain of the pain being intermittent and being brought on by having their hands in various positions. This is often the case for a majority of these cases, even the infamous sciatica.
WHAT CAN WE/YOU DO TO COMBAT THIS ISSUE?
Here at Proactive, we will perform a thorough exam to determine the structures causing one’s pain and have the patient perform what we call nerve tension test. If these tests reproduce one’s complaint, then we will show the patient how to floss the affected nerve by moving their leg or arm in conjunction with their torso. Quite often, after multiple repetitions of the nerve flossing, there is instantaneous reduction in pain and impeded movement. This is an active exercise that, once taught, our patients can do at any time of the day, or whenever they are experiencing issues. So let us help give you the tools to help yourself!
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WE CAN HELP:If you feel like you’re having issues like this or something similar, call us today at 260-927-0581 or schedule an appointment online! There is no reason to live in pain. As always, we are here for you at ProActive Spine & Joint. Move well, live well: that’s what we want for our community and for you.