Nerve flossing, or neural gliding, works by gently mobilizing nerves to improve their movement and reduce irritation or compression, potentially alleviating pain, improving range of motion, and promoting nerve health.
It is sort of like flossing your teeth where the floss is the nerve.
Specific opposite movements that gently pull or glide the nerve along its path so that the pressure on the nerve from the muscles or joints is eliminated.
Seated Exercises:
Nerve Glides
Nerve gliding exercises, also known as nerve flossing, can help relieve sciatica and back pain by gently mobilizing and freeing up the sciatic nerve, improving its function and reducing pain and nerve irritation.
Nerve gliding exercises can help you recover from conditions that cause nerve tightness or compression in the upper or lower extremities as well as the lower back and chest areas.
These exercises are used to enable smooth movement of peripheral nerves which extend from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.
This exercise will allow your peripheral nerves to move freely without impediment as a joint or muscle is extended or flexed.
Str8 Leg Bent Leg
To perform the sitting sciatic nerve glide, sit on the edge of your sturdy chair with legs shoulder width apart and flat feet below the knees.
Extend one leg out straight, keeping it very stiff.
Point your toe away while you tilt your head back as you look up.
Hold for 3 seconds and then bring that leg under or beside your chair as far as you can with toes touching floor and heel high.
Your chin comes to your chest.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds and repeat.
Try to incorporate your breath into this slow and precise movements.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Extend your right leg, keeping the knee taut and muscles rigid.
- Slowly flex your foot, moving your torso to your knee, and hold for several seconds.
- Then, slowly point your toe and hold for several seconds.
- Release and relax.
- Repeat five to 15 times on each leg.
Cow Cat
The seated cow cat yoga pose has many benefits.
It creates a more flexible spine, reduces back, neck and shoulder tension, facilitates deeper breathing, strengthens back, and tones the abdominal muscles and more.
- Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat and knees shoulder width apart.
- Place your hands behind your head. Breathe in deeply through your nose. As you exhale through your mouth, gently bend forward taking your elbow over your knees toward the floor.
- Breathe in deeply and as you unfold and bring your elbow back up and take them back so you can lift your chest up to the ceiling and also look up.
- It is time to exhale and repeat bring your body forward and your elbows over your knees and down.
- Take your time and be mindful of the body’s position and your breath as your repeat the down and up 3 times.
Figure 4
For sciatica relief, a seated “figure-4” nerve glide involves sitting with one leg crossed over the opposite thigh, then gently pushing down on the raised knee while maintaining a flat back, which can help stretch the sciatic nerve and surrounding tissues.
- The Setup: Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Cross the Leg: Cross your ankle over the opposite knee, forming the shape of a “figure 4”.
- Gently Push Down: Use your hands to lightly push down at the raised knee, feeling a stretch in the hip and buttocks area.
- Maintain a Flat Back: Ensure you are sitting tall and maintaining a flat back throughout the stretch.
- Hold and Repeat: Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times, then switch legs.
Cobra
Begin by sitting on the front edge of your sturdy chair.
Place both hands on the heart center. (prayer pose)
As you inhale expanding your abdomen, draw your shoulder blades together and bring your arms out to the sides in cactus formation which puts the arms in “L shape” with palms up or down.
As you exhale, bring your hands back to heart center, pulling your belly button in to your spine and your pelvic floor up into your abdomen.
Change the cross of your hands each time.
Repeat several times, moving with your breath.
After you have done this a few times, you also may hold the pose for a few breaths.
Cobra pose helps strengthen and stretch the mid and upper back as well as the chest.
It tones the abdominals, strengthens the entire upper back and shoulders, and improves flexibility of the upper and middle back.
It opens the shoulder blades, neck, and collar bones.
It is overall great for improving posture and can be done with as deep or as little of a back bend as you would like it to be.
It can be very helpful for folks who are dealing with chronic low back pain and/or sciatica.
Take Away
The theory behind this treatment is that the motion releases any restrictions affecting the nerve by slowly gliding the nerve back and forth within its sheath. Often, clinicians use nerve flossing for peripheral nerve injuries (brain to major organs) , radiculopathies (inflammation at the nerve root as it connects to the spinal cord) , and other conditions related to the nervous system.
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