Exercises for Pinched Nerves in the Upper Back

A pinched nerve can occur where excessive pressure is being applied to either the nerve itself or the surrounding tissue within the body, triggering symptoms such as pain, numbness, twitching, weakness, or tingling in the affected area. While rest is often the best treatment for a pinched nerve in the upper back, the recovery process can be accelerated through the use of stretching exercises, used to relieve tension off of the affected nerve.

Shoulder Blade Extension

Perform a shoulder blade extension to expand the muscles of the back, relieving pressure on a nerve pinched in the general area.

To perform a shoulder blade expansion, you should be standing with your feet parallel to one another and roughly shoulder width apart. Initiate the movement by interlacing the fingers of both hands in front of your body, then extending both arms outward at shoulder height until the arm is locked at the elbow. The intent here should be to attempt to touch your hands to a far wall, even if that is physically impossible. This will have the effect of causing your shoulder blades to slide forward and spread apart, causing your back to round laterally and relieving pressure in the general area.

Do not overextend the stretch to the point where it causes pain, but continue until you feel mild to moderate discomfort in your back—a healthy "stretching" pain as opposed to a sharp "injury" pain. Hold in the peak position for 10 to 20 seconds, then relax. Repeat the stretch two or three more times to achieve your full range of motion, repeating the exercise throughout the day whenever you feel your upper back begin to tense.

Scapular Wall Slides

Perform scapular wall slides to further loosen the muscles of the upper back, relieving the tension that is causing your pinched nerve.

To perform a scapular wall slide, stand with your back resting against a wall with your feet together and roughly six to 12 inches from the wall. Hold your arms against the wall at a 45 degree angle, as though you were making the letter "Y" with your body. While your entire arm need not be in contact with the wall, your hands and elbows should remain in full contact with the wall for the entire duration of the exercise. Initiate the movement by beginning to slide your arms down the wall, bending at the elbow and shoulder. Your arms should come down leading with your elbows, angling in slightly towards the body as though you were trying to put your elbows into your pockets. If you keep your hands and elbows in contact with the wall as required, you should feel your upper back pinch together and your shoulder blades retract backwards and down as you bend the arms, rotating along the scapluar joint.

After bringing your elbows down as far as they will go, return to the starting position along the same path. Move slowly in both directions, taking three or four seconds to bring your arms down and three or four seconds to raise them back up. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps, performing this exercise every morning and night until your pinched nerve begins to relax.