“Can massage make a pinched nerve worse?”
I am a 26 year old male. I wonder if massage can make a pinched nerve worse?
17 Answers
Yes.
Massage therapy is a great treatment to improve blood circulation to tight muscles and in turn reduce stress on tendons. To answer your question, if you have an acute pinched nerve, a deep tissue massage can inflame and aggravate the area and make the pain worse. Before the massage you should have the area assessed by a Chiropractor, MD or DO experienced in these complaints to explain the cause of the problem and to make sure that you do not seek a therapy that could do more harm than benefit.
Usually not, but it probably won't make it better either. The underlying question is what is pinching the nerve? It is usually a bulging disc that is pinching the nerve. Massage is great therapy and I recommend getting massage regularly but it is not intended to help a bulging disc.
Everybody's body is different. It is possible for it to worsen with Massage,
In most cases, a massage helps with relaxing the muscles. You may need to see a chiropractor to address the pinched nerve.
Under the hands of a trained massage therapist after a thorough consultation and evaluation, it is doubtful that your "pinched nerve" would be damaged and made worse. The next question, of course, is how do you know that the diagnosis is a "pinched nerve" and would suggest you consult a Doctor of Chiropractic, if you have not already done so.
It is possible depending on the region of the spine.
In some cases it might, especially if the therapist rubs directly over the pinched nerve or if they irritate the muscles or skeletal structures around the pinched nerve. A good massage therapist should know to avoid these areas and is hopefully associated with doctors who can help guide their care. If you feel you have a pinched nerve, my first suggestion would be to seek out a good chiropractor, physical therapist, or medical physician who understands musculoskeletal and neurological conditions before seeing a massage therapist.
Nerve pain is often due to irritation, more than compression like a pinch. Depending on what is causing the irritation massage could help or increase the problem. A light massage is quite helpful for most everyone and combined with a chiropractic evaluation and treatment is ideal to be sure the joints are aligned so the nerve can calm down and the muscles around it can work better.
Dr. Tracey
Dr. Tracey
For most people no. If anything, it will help the muscles and tendons around that nerve to relax relieving some pressure on that nerve.
Massage can inflame a pinched nerve. Toxins (lactic acid)released from the muscles can irritate the nerve. This should be a very temporary situation.
Yes, that is my experience. May I suggest you find a good local chiropractor https://www.acatoday.org/
It’s possible.
It depends on what is pinching the nerve. If it is a tight muscle, that a nerve pierces, that is irritating the nerve, then no, it can help. However, if it is a subluxation of a bone that is irritating the nerve, then yes, massage can make it worse, as the only thing that will help it is a chiropractic adjustment. It also depends on the skill of the massage therapist. A bad massage therapist can make things worse.
yes
Not usually. Massage tends to help free up trapped nerves.
The question that needs to be answered is what is causing the "pinching" and what needs to be done to treat it properly for the best results. I don't like using the term "pinched nerve". Pain does not mean the nerve is "pinched". If the nerve is actually "pinch" it is a possible surgical case. Even if the nerve is in a position where it appears to be trapped on an MRI or CAT doesn't mean it is "pinched". The condition needs to be assessed on how the nerve is functioning. Pain is not the best criteria for assenting function. However, nerves are aggravated many times and may be associated with a lot of pain and yet respond quickly to Chiropractic treatment. Massage is an effective treatment under the right controls.
