Waking up to a sharp pain can really put a dent in your morning. This could be a sign of a pinched nerve that requires attention right away! When too much pressure affects a nerve by other tissues such as muscles, tendons or bones, the nerve function gets disrupted. This can result in sharp pains, numbness or tingling from the compressed nerve.

Luckily, you can get treatment for nerve compression before the pain increases. Massage therapy is a very effective treatment to help with a pinched nerve to help patients get back to feeling pain-free!

What Is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is essentially the act of applying pressure to certain areas on the body to relieve it from stress, stiffness or pain. It is a hands-on pressure application to soft body tissues including muscles, connective tissues, joints and tendons. It is a therapeutic treatment to heal the patient’s pain and improve overall health. Using knowledge of anatomy, as well as physiology, massage therapists treat and educate their patients to help them stay healthy.

What Is Nerve Compression?

Nerves are extensions of the brain which send important messages across the body. When the nerve is compressed or pinched, the nerve will alert you often by a sharp pain or numbness. Nerve compression can occur because of injuries or keeping a part of your body placed in one position for an extended period of time. This is often referred to as a limb that has “fallen asleep” and feels numb when moved.

The most common areas for nerve compression to occur includes the back, neck, elbows and wrists. The additional factors that can cause pinched nerve besides recent injury include:

• Diabetes: Unfortunately, individuals with diabetes face a higher risk of pinched nerves. This is known as diabetic peripheral neuropathy which results in pain and numbness.
• Pregnancy: Weight gain and excessive water during pregnancy can swell narrow pathways and compress the nerve.
• Certain jobs: Jobs that require constant hand, wrist or shoulder use can cause pinched nerves. This includes assembly line work where the individual needs to repeat a certain task and can cause strain on a certain area.

What Massage Therapy Helps?

• Swedish Massage: A Swedish massage is the standard full body massage. It can help loosen up body connective tissues and release pressure around the nerve. The Swedish massage is gentle instead of a deep massage which could further damage the nerve. Prior to the massage, inform your therapist of the area that is bothering you. They will focus on this nerve area to relieve the pain.

Pro Fusion Rehab offers effective massage therapy services including a Swedish massage to help treat the nerve compression. Our massage therapists will target that area with gentle care to relieve you of the pain and numbness.

We will always encourage you to maintain good positioning, promote flexibility and limit repetitive motions. By following these preventative measures, the body may become more resistant to nerve compression.