Exercises for a Pinched Nerve in the Lower Cervical Spine

Greetings! I’m Todd Ball, your virtual physical therapist here at Healthy Posture Club. Today, we’re addressing a common issue: pinched nerves in the lower neck.  How you treat a pinched nerve in the upper cervical spine differs from how you would treat a pinched nerve in the lower cervical spine.  For purposes of safety, this article is focused on self-care for a pinched nerve in the lower cervical spine. This is an injury I inflict on myself every time I go too heavy at the gym with bench press or perform seated rows without control.

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Understanding the Pinched Nerve Phenomenon

A pinched nerve occurs when a nerve or a set of nerves is compressed, leading to damage or dysfunction. This often happens due to inflammation or injury to the nerve root—the place where a nerve branches away from the spinal cord. This nerve irritation can lead to radiculopathy, which is characterized by symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness, often radiating into the arm.

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Pinched Nerves Prevalence and Causes

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Identifying Symptoms of a Cervical Pinched Nerve

A pinched nerve in the neck often triggers a sensation similar to pins and needles. You might also experience pain and weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand. These are also symptoms of other conditions in the cervical spine that require a different approach.  The key to any self-care program is accurate diagnosis. The internet is great place to expand your knowledge base, but much can be lost in translation and interpretation as relates to self-care for neck pain.  We suggest having a rehabilitation specialist screen your neck pain to confirm your diagnosis. If you live in a rural part of the country and do not have easy access to rehabilitation specialist that can help, we offer $50 Neck Posture Screens. The HPC Posture Neck Screen consists of a few basic movements designed to confirm your issue is coming from a compressed nerve in the cervical spine and that posture is a contributing factor.

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Addressing Severe Neck Pain Due to Nerve Radiculopathy

In severe cases of pinched nerves, professional medical care is imperative. However, in cases of milder symptoms, neck pinched nerve exercises can help provide relief. How you treat a pinched nerve in the upper cervical spine differs from how you would treat a pinched nerve in the lower cervical spine.  For purposes of safety, this article is focused on self-care for a pinched nerve in the lower cervical spine that responds positively to improved upright posture. 

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Exercises for Pain Relief and Healing

Functional mobility exercise focused improving mobility of the upper thoracic spine into extension can significantly reduce the pressure on a pinched nerve in the lower cervical spine by restoring neutral alignment of the lower cervical spine vertebrae. The upper thoracic spine is the primary support for the base of the neck (lower cervical spine). It is important to perform these exercises gently to prevent further nerve damage.  It is best to have us walk you through them during a 15 minute “self-care” digital coaching session. Below is a summary of our Level 1 Self-care for Neck Pain workout video.

Hourly Mobility Exercises:

The key to relieving pain from a pinched nerve is to function from neutral spine alignment.  The series of mobility exercise below mobilize your upper thoracic spine to allow the vertebrae that is pinching your nerve restore its neutral position.

1. Seated Chest Lift_®

The key to treating the foundation of your pinch nerve pain is improving your upper thoracic spine mobility into extension.  The cervical spine cannot unload itself when the upper back is collapsed!  The seated chest lift exercise is a safe way to unload the neck by mobilizing the upper back.

1. Sit at the edge of your chair without back support (healthy sitting strategy)
2. Cross your arms across your chest.
3. Slide your shoulder down until your elbow lift (this is a Chest Lift_®).
4. Holding Chest Lift_® posture, rock your skull back on C1 to perform a subtle Head Nod_® until you are looking straight ahead.

You are now sitting in Healthy Sitting Posture!

Perform 4 seated chest lifts every few hours to unload your neck. Start the next hour in healthy sitting posture.

2. Seated Head Nod_®

1. Sit at the edge of your chair without back support in Chest Lift_® posture.
2. Cross your arms across your chest.
3. Rock your skull back on your C1 until you are looking straight ahead. This is neutral O-A positioning (aka Head Nod_® Position).
4. Rock your skull back on C1 a little more until you are looking down 1 inch.
5. Return back to neutral Head Nod_® position.

Perform 4 Head Nods every few hours to unload your neck.

3. Head Turn thru Spine Twist

This exercise is not only a good for improving upper thoracic spine mobility, but it also serves as a “strategy” exercise to help you use more of your upper thoracic spine when turning your neck. 

1. Sit at the edge of your chair without back support in Chest Lift® and Head Nod® posture.
2. Cross your arms across your chest.
3. Holding Chest Lift_® and Head Nod_® posture turn your head to look to the left by rotating your thoracic spine.  We refer to this movement of the spine as a Spine Twist.  Then turn your head to the right by performing a spine twist to the right. 

Perform 4 Spine Twists every few hours as part of your hourly mobility program.

There is no cervical rotation during this exercise!

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Start Your Day Routine:

A key aspect to relieving pain from a pinched nerve is to start the day with optimal position of the vertebrae the is pinching your nerve.  This routine can help you start each day with healthy posture.  This self-care routine is best view prior to execution. link

1. Seated Mobility Routine (same as above)

The key to relieving pain from a pinched nerve is to start the day with optimal position of the vertebrae the is pinching your nerve.  This routine can help you start each day with healthy posture.

2. Head Nod Stretch w/ Roller

Now that you have mobilized your upper thoracic spine, your neck is ready to be unloaded.  We will do this with gravity eliminated at level 1.

1. Lay on the ground with a foam roller under you neck like a pillow and your knees flexed 90 degrees.
2. Gently roll your foam roller away from your shoulders until it grabs your skull so that your feel a gentle stretch of the muscles under your skull.
3. Roll your pelvis back until your tail bone unloads from the floor without pushing into your heels (this is a Tail Bone Tuck_® aka a Pelvic Curl).
4. Hold this posture for 4 deep breaths or 1 minute. 

Since you have nothing to do for 1 minute, why not work on your respiratory capacity?

3. Ceiling Punches (Gravity Eliminated)

Many of the muscles of the neck attach to the shoulder blades (scapulae).  Let’s stretch them out while we have the neck unloaded with gravity.

1. From Head Nod Stretch_® laying on your back with your knees flexed (bent) 90 degrees bend both elbows 90 degrees
2. Maintaining a Pelvic Curl_® contract your upper abdominals to push your rib cage into the floor. You are now in Neutral Spine Alignment (NSA).
3. Maintaining neutral spine alignment extend the left elbow, then return that elbow to the floor; repeat on the right.

Perform 4 alternating ceiling punches without losing NSA.

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Lifestyle Modifications:

1. Healthy Sitting and Standing Posture (with seated mobility exercise)
2. Healthy Sleeping Strategies

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Your Partner in Self-care for Neck Pain

At Healthy Posture Club, we provide telehealth and digital physical therapy resources at affordable rates to help those suffering from neck pain establish a foundation for long-term injury management and prevention from the comforts of home. Always consult with your physician or rehabilitation specialist before starting any exercise program for pain reduction. We are here to medically guide you toward healthy posture.

The HPC Self-care for Neck Pain Program consists of 6 levels of neutral spine conditioning exercises.  Here is a breakdown of how we help our clients treat the foundation of their pinched nerve to establish long-term injury management and prevention.

1. Level 2 – Exercises against gravity to perform Work tasks from NSA.
2. Level 3 – Exercise against gravity to perform Home tasks from NSA.
3. Level 4 – Exercises to condition you to perform Fitness from NSA.
4. Level 5 – Safe Gym Exercise for a pinched nerve.
5. Level 6 – Safe strengthening strategies for a pinched nerve.