You’ve been in pain for several days now.

At first, you thought that it was just a pulled something-or-other, but now you aren’t so sure.

You talked with a friend who experienced nerve damage and the symptoms are sounding eerily similar.

You’ve heard that physical therapy can help with nerve damage but you are still a little skeptical.

Can physical therapy help nerve damage?

In this guide to physical therapy for nerve damage, we will answer that question along with many others.

Read on to learn when you should seek help from a physical therapist, what therapies you might use, and much more.

Table of Contents

• Can Physical Therapy Help With Nerve Damage?
• When Is it Best to Start Physical Therapy for Nerve Damage?
• 5 Physical Therapy Interventions Commonly Used to Address Nerve Damage
• How Does Physical Therapy Help Nerve Damage?
• Are You Experiencing Symptoms Associated With Nerve Damage? In Motion O.C.’s Experienced Physical Therapists Can Help

Can Physical Therapy Help With Nerve Damage?

Absolutely.

Physical therapy is a great way to help alleviate and heal nerve damage.

Nerve damage can manifest in all sorts of ways.

From pinching and tingling to loss of function of limbs and extreme pain, nerve damage is no fun.

But the good news is that physical therapy can help alleviate those symptoms and set you on the road to recovery.

Seeking physical therapy for nerve pain is a great way to help heal and care for your body.

When Is it Best to Start Physical Therapy for Nerve Damage?

As with most things in life, it is best to address the problem immediately.

Even better if you can address it before it becomes a problem.

(Hint: physical therapy can be preventive, too!)

Taking the ‘nip-it-in-the-bud” approach with physical therapy for nerve damage is your best defense against long-term pain and damage.

The longer you wait, the more likely long-term issues become.

If you do not address nerve damage quickly, it can turn into a bigger problem that takes far more resources to fix… if it can be fixed.

If you suspect that you might be dealing with nerve damage, In Motion O.C. is here to help you through.

5 Physical Therapy Interventions Commonly Used to Address Nerve Damage

When you walk into In Motion O.C. for your session to help with your nerve pain, there are a plethora of different therapy options that might be used.

All of these are specially designed to help meet your specific needs and are backed by years of scientific and medical studies.

Physical therapy is important and it can go a long way to help you overcome your nerve pain.

#1: Strengthening Exercises

You might do different types of strengthening exercises designed to target different muscle groups to help support problem areas.

Sometimes, just by strengthening certain muscles, you can give your body what it needs to correct harmful postures and movements on its own.

#2: Soft Tissue Manipulation

Soft tissue manipulation is a great way to help soft tissue injuries such as:

• Sprains
• Tendonitis 
• Stress injuries

If your treatment plan includes soft tissue manipulation, you can expect your therapist to use pressure and different manipulation techniques to help your pain areas.

Sometimes ergonomically designed tools are used to help manipulate the tissue.

#3: Manual Stretching

Manual stretching is a form of physical therapy that focuses on stretching problem areas.

Sometimes the pain is caused by muscles and joints becoming too tight.

By manually stretching them, your therapist may be able to help alleviate the pain and set you on course for a more pain-free existence.

#4: Range of Motion Exercises

A range of motion exercise is an exercise that targets a specific joint.

Your range of motion is a measurement of the movement in and around a joint.

By utilizing different movements and exercises, you can improve your range of motion and help alleviate pain.

#5: Traction

Traction is another great tool that your physical therapist might want to use.

Traction involves stretching different parts of the body using weights, harnesses, and pulleys.

This is a form of decompression therapy that removes pressure from affected areas and helps to promote healing.

Traction can help alleviate the nerve damaging symptoms of:

• Facet disease
• Foramina stenosis
• Sciatica
• Pinched nerves

How Does Physical Therapy Help Nerve Damage?

So, will physical therapy help nerve damage?

Yes.

Physical therapy for nerve pain is a common solution and it works well.

There are some different ways that physical therapy works to help alleviate nerve damage.

Let’s check them out.

Strengthens Muscles

Physical therapy helps to strengthen muscles that are just not quite strong enough to keep your body happy.

Some injuries and pain can be caused by muscles and joints having to do things that they were not built to do because the muscle or joint that should be taking care of that task isn’t strong enough.

By targeting these muscles and working to strengthen them, many people find that their pain is reduced and their bodies are more equipped to function well.

Manages Pain

One of the main goals of physical therapy is to help manage and reduce pain.

Your physical therapist will work hard to help find ways to manage your pain so that your nerve can heal and still allow you to perform the work you need to do to get better.

As they say, “the only way out is through”.

This often rings true for nerve damage. The only way to heal it is to work through the pain and do the exercises and movements given to you by your therapist.

Always be careful to follow your therapist’s lead and suggestions when doing movements and exercises. Doing something wrong can be more harmful than not doing it at all.

By finding ways to manage the pain, your therapist can help you get better faster.

Improves Functional and Sensory Deficits

Nerve damage often causes more than just pain.

Where nerve damage occurs, there might be:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• “Off” sensations

Nerve damage can also lead to loss of function in different parts of the body.

Physical therapy can help with these things.

Relieves Joint Stiffness

When you experience nerve damage, the joints around the nerve can contract and become tight and stiff.

This stiffness feeds the pain because it forces your body to adjust to accommodate tight, stiff joints.

When one part of your body takes over and ‘covers’ for another, it naturally leads to pain and more problems.

Relieving the joint stiffness can go incredibly far in helping alleviate your pain and help your body flourish.

Are You Experiencing Symptoms Associated With Nerve Damage? In Motion O.C.’s Experienced Physical Therapists Can Help

Nerve damage is no fun.

It is painful and inconvenient.

If you are sick of nerve pain and want to find a better way than ibuprofen to deal with it, In Motion O.C. is here to help.

Here at In Motion O.C., physical therapy for nerve damage is what we do.

We know how to help you heal and restore your body so that you can function at your own, personal best level.

Your first physical therapy appointment can feel somewhat daunting but we promise, we will do all we can to make you as comfortable as possible.

Our highly trained and licensed team is here to help you get back on track.

You can expect a warm welcome and a team that is ready to help you be your best self.

Your first appointment will include lots of questions and some basic assessments as we get to know you.

For more on what to expect at your first appointment with us, check out this guide.

We are excited to work with you and empower you to live a life full of good health.