At Bloomingdale Chiropractic, we see patients for various pains and aches. In our 27 years of experience, the three most common ailments of our patients are neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. While these injuries might have different causes, one of the main causes that we see is from a pinched nerve.

Below is the definition of a pinched nerve according to the Mayo Clinic:

A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles or tendons. This pressure disrupts the nerve’s function, causing pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.

A pinched nerve can occur at several sites in your body. A herniated disk in your lower spine, for example, may put pressure on a nerve root, causing pain that radiates down the back of your leg.

A pinched nerve can cause back and neck pain, as well as pain down your hip and leg (known as sciatica). Since these are the most common injuries we see, we’d like to give you some at home tips that will help stretch your muscles and relieve some neck and back pain and sciatica discomfot.

Stretches For Neck Pain

Stretches help you prevent or reduce neck pain. Stretching your neck muscles will help preserve the elasticity in your muscles and prevent stiffness, which causes neck pain.

Spine-Health suggests the Corner Stretch as the best option for reducing neck pain.

This neck stretch is done as follows:

• Patients stand approximately two feet back from the corner, facing into the corner.
• Feet should be together.
• Forearms are placed on each wall, and elbows are a little below shoulder height
• Lean in as far as possible without pain. Patients will feel a stretch in the front of the shoulders and chest

Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Stretches For Back Pain

Back pain can be caused from several factors, including a misalignment in the spine and/or a pinched nerve. These pains are typically found in the upper to mid back, and might branch out to the extremities if the pinched nerve is severe. Much like neck pain, back pain can be reduced with stretches and strengthening exercises. The stretches maintain and increase the flexibility in the major back muscles next to the spine. The strengthening exercises help to hold our spine in place and improve our posture to prevent future back injuries.

Try the most recommended stretch for back pain from the Mayo Clinic:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Using both hands, pull up one knee and press it to your chest (B). Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position (A) and repeat with the opposite leg (C). Return to the starting position and then repeat with both legs at the same time (D). Repeat each stretch two to three times — preferably once in the morning and once at night.

Stretches For Sciatica

Sciatica occurs when the Sciatic nerve is compressed. The result is almost unbearable pain down the buttocks, hip, and leg on one side of the body. Sciatica is commonly brought on from obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, causing the nerve in the spine to be compressed and become extremely painful.

One of the best stretches to help relieve sciatica pain is the yoga stretch, known as the frog pose.