Easy Exercises To Help With Cervical Radiculopathy Pain
Cervical Radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root in the cervical spine becomes damaged. The damage can be due to many things, such as spinal deterioration or an injury. People between the ages of 40 and 50 are most likely to suffer from this condition. 83 out of 100,000 people are reported to suffer from this frequently.
Cervical Radiculopathy can be painful. However, you can fix it at home with these exercises that I am going to tell you about. I’m Dr. Evans with ProTailored Physical Therapy here in Fort Wayne, Indiana and in this article, I am going to teach you 3 helpful exercises that will help you fix your cervical radiculopathy.
#1. Chin Tuck
Chin Tucks are the best way to keep your head aligned with your spine and to improve your neck strength and flexibility.
- Start by laying on your back.
- Place a pillow underneath your head.
- Slowly tuck your chin down without moving your head.
- Push your head straight into the pillow.
- Hold this form for 4 seconds, if you can.
- Relax your body by releasing this position.
Do this a total of 30 times to see positive results. You should feel like your neck is getting pulled from behind, with some pressure on the front side. However, stop this exercise if you start to get pain as that’s not normal.
#2. Traction Exercise
Traction is a good way to take some pressure off your injured nerves. There are many ways to do traction, however here’s one easy way to do it at home:
- Get yourself a bath towel.
- Place the towel at the base of your skull/end of your posterior head region.
- You will need someone to pull the towel in an upwards direction (opposite direction) while it is at the base of the skull.
- Make sure the pressure is gentle.
- Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and up to 1 minute.
#3. Neural Flossing
Neural Flossing, also known as nerve flossing, is a type of gentle exercise that helps ease neural pain, improve nerve movement, and decrease muscle soreness. You can do neural flossing at home by following these steps:
- Extend your arm straight out to your side
- Pull them up with your shoulders compressed & elbows straight
- Bend your hand down, with the palm facing up
- Bend your head over at the same
- Keep going back & forth like this
While doing this exercise, you should feel a slight pull in between your forearm and your fingertips. This is to be done a minimum of 30 times before you stop.
These three exercises are a quick way to lessen the pain caused by Cervical Radiculopathy. None of these exercises are supposed to cause any kind of pain. They are only supposed to ease your pain. Doing these exercises daily will help your nerves and muscles regain strength.
Also, remember that a perfect posture is key to exercising correctly so always make sure your body is always aligned right.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment at ProTailored Physical Therapy in Fort Wayne, Indiana, you can call us at (260) 739-0300 or Scheduele an Appointment via our website.