Waking up with a sharp, burning pain in your neck can be alarming — especially when turning your head is enough to send a zap running down your back or shoulders. If you’ve been dealing with something similar lately, the culprit behind it could be a pinched nerve.
A pinched nerve happens when nearby tissues (like disks, joints, or tense muscles) put pressure on a nerve. While it usually gets better over time, you might find yourself rubbing your neck or reaching for a massage ball as you heal. But can massage actually help a pinched nerve in the neck — and if so, how can you try it safely?
Below, we’ll cover the potential benefits of massage for a pinched nerve, including what it can help with, what it can’t, and additional remedies for relief.
What Is a Pinched Nerve?
A pinched nerve in the neck (medically known as “cervical radiculopathy”) happens when one of the nerves in your cervical spine gets compressed. This condition often shows up due to degenerative changes that happen with age, but it can arise from many spine or muscle-related issues.
So, what exactly happens when a nerve gets pinched? The cervical part of your spine, or backbone, is the section that supports your neck. It contains several vertebrae and “cushions” (disks) between the joints that help support your movement. Your spinal cord — a bundle of nerve tissue and cells — runs through these vertebrae, extending down your back and branching out throughout your body.
Muscle tension, joint wear and tear, or any condition that creates extra pressure around these vertebrae is what can lead to the symptoms of a nerve feeling “pinched.”
What Does a Pinched Nerve Feel Like?
The nerves in your neck help with upper body movement and carry signals from your body to your brain — so when one gets compressed, it can cause a range of symptoms. These include:
- Sharp or burning pain
- Radiating tingling, “pins and needles,” or numbness from the neck (sometimes reaching into the upper back, arms, or fingers)
- Muscle weakness or decreased reflexes
Causes of Compressed Nerves
In general, here are some of the factors that can cause or contribute to a compressed nerve in the neck:
- Degenerative changes in the spine associated with age, such as osteoarthritis
- A bulging or herniated disk
- Injuries or strains from sudden movement or trauma
- Repetitive stress on the surrounding tissue (often due to hobbies or sports)
- Other underlying health conditions affecting the spine, nervous system, or joints
When To Talk to Your Doctor
The nerve fibers running through your spine are essential to your body’s functions and overall health. And while most minor pinched nerves improve on their own with rest and recovery time, it can sometimes be best to check with your doctor about your symptoms.
With their help, you can ensure you’re taking the right steps to support healing, as well as rule out any underlying causes that may lead to long-term symptoms, like chronic pain or weakness. With that said, be sure to get things checked out if:
- You have a sudden or severe onset of nerve symptoms
- Your symptoms show up right after trauma, like a fall, accident, or direct blow
- You notice other concerning symptoms along with a pinched nerve sensation, such as a fever, nausea, shortness of breath, or pain in other areas (like the chest or abdomen)
Can Massage Help a Pinched Nerve in the Neck?
Although massage can be a great way to soothe achy muscles, it’s important to note that it can’t fix a bulging disk or structural causes of a pinched nerve in the neck. However, if the irritation you feel is affected by muscle tension, gently working on the surrounding tissue can often bring some relief.
Research so far shows promising results for massage and nerve-related neck pain, with one 2025 meta-analysis finding that manual therapy — a soft tissue mobilization technique performed by physical therapists — may be helpful for pain and disability in patients with cervical radiculopathy.
These benefits in mind, sticking to proper techniques and gentle pressure is key, as focusing on the wrong areas (or going in too deeply) can worsen pain or irritation. But when it’s done with the right technique and timing, here are four positive effects that massage could bring:
Supports Circulation
Friction from a massage can warm and stimulate muscle tissue, bringing along a healthy boost of circulation to the area you’re working on. This makes it useful for regions that are especially tight or tense, as it can support the flow of oxygen and nutrients and encourage the muscle fibers to relax.
Breaks Up Tension
Even if your pinched nerve is linked to a structural issue, gently targeting the surrounding muscles can often be helpful. This is because tight, overworked areas can “pull” on your neck and spine, resulting in more pressure on the nearby nerves and joints.
Certain types of massage focus on both the muscles and fascia, or the connective tissue found throughout your body. When these tissues are tense, they can form small adhesions or “sticky” areas. Fortunately, a few minutes of focused work can help break up these spots, making it helpful not just for tightness but also for knots or trigger points.
Improves Mobility
Along with its tension-easing benefits, massage can help your neck muscles move more freely and support a healthy range of motion. One of the most common ways it might make a difference is by breaking up muscle tension adding to (or coming from) forward head posture, which can in turn support better alignment and reduce strain on the neck.
On a broader level, massage may boost range of motion by:
- Temporarily lengthening and relaxing muscle tissue
- Reducing stress-induced muscle tension
- Decreasing certain types of pain sensitivity during movement
These benefits can make it a helpful part of a comprehensive plan for managing a pinched nerve — especially when used alongside movement therapies, like stretching or postural correction exercises.
Relaxes the Body
When it comes to nerve pain, people don’t often think about how stress can play a role. But in many cases, it may make things worse by increasing inflammation, affecting blood flow to the nerves, and simply keeping your body in a more reactive state.
The good news is that massage can shift your body into a state of relaxation, helping to curb stress-related muscle tension in your neck and shoulders. It can also encourage the release of endorphins — the body’s natural pain-relievers — which may help temporarily take the edge off of nerve-related discomfort.
Safety Tips
Massage is generally safe and soothing, but when it comes to the neck — especially when structural issues or nerves are involved — it’s important to keep a few safety tips in mind.
As a first step, be sure to check with your doctor if you have (or suspect you have) any underlying condition affecting your cervical spine. While many people can benefit from massage, some conditions might require you to make modifications or take a different approach. Once you’ve got the OK, remember to:
- Start with light pressure and increase slowly as needed. It’s important not to use deep or painful pressure in the neck, especially when dealing with a pinched nerve.
- Avoid working on the front of the neck, where delicate structures like the throat and arteries are located. Instead, stick to the muscles along the back of the neck, upper back, and shoulders.
- Focus on muscle tissue, avoiding the spine itself. Gently working the surrounding muscle tissue can often bring relief, while still protecting the irritated nerve and other structures in the cervical spine.
Types of Neck Massage and Their Benefits
A pinched nerve can sometimes just be a one-off experience, but it’s also a common condition among those who regularly experience tight neck and shoulder muscles. If this sounds like you, it could be a sign that you might benefit from massage as part of your regular self-care routine. Here are a few beginner-friendly options that can help you get started:
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is a type of massage therapy that uses moderate pressure and slow, focused gliding or rolling across muscle and fascia. This technique can help:
- Relax tense areas contributing to pain or discomfort
- Support the muscles pre- or post-workout
- Improve range of motion
- Break up trigger points
You can try myofascial release with the help of a trained physical therapist or massage therapist, but you can also roll your muscles out at home with a foam roller or simple massage ball.
Swedish/Relaxation Massage
Swedish massage is a gentle modality focused on circulation, relaxation, and broad pain relief. If you’re new to massage and want to see how your neck muscles (or whole body) respond, it can be a good option to talk with your massage therapist about.
Its techniques involve light pressure and gliding strokes to promote circulation, relax overactive muscles, and help bring general relief to an achy or inflamed body. Because it’s so gentle, it can be a great way to support your neck muscles without risking overworking the tissue.
Self-Massage
For a quicker way to reduce muscle tension around a pinched nerve, self-massage can often be a more accessible and practical option. Like other forms of massage, it won’t cure or treat the nerve itself — but it can relieve discomfort from tightness, overworked muscle tissue, and even some cases of joint-related pain.
Manual self-massage is an easy way to get started, requiring just a few minutes and gentle work with your own two hands. But for more restorative massage from the comfort of your home, certain HSA/FSA-eligible tools can help.
One trusted option is the MedMassager Neck Massager, a home tool that combines relaxing heat with dual-direction massage to soothe tense, tired neck muscles. Learn more about how it works here.
Other Remedies and Treatments for Pinched Nerves
Massage can certainly bring relief when your neck is sore, but if it’s been a few days (or weeks) with a nerve acting up, it may be time to talk with your doctor about other treatments that could help. To get you on track to healing, they may recommend steps like:
Identifying and Treating the Underlying Cause
Whether the source of your nerve compression is something simple — like repetitive strain, heavy lifting, or a bad sleeping position — or a more complex health condition, the first step is typically identifying and treating the root cause. This might involve some testing to figure out where exactly the nerve is being compressed, to help inform diagnosis and treatment.
When the culprit is lifestyle or strain-related, your doctor might recommend adjusting your daily activities for a while to give your neck time and space to heal. But if there turns out to be an underlying issue involved, your treatment will vary depending on the nature and severity of the condition.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is one of the most commonly-recommended treatment options for pinched nerves in the neck, and for good reason. It’s non-invasive, often very effective, and can teach you neck-supporting movements that easily fit into your daily routine.
For pinched nerves, your PT may focus on exercises that promote healthy posture and neck alignment, along with some hands-on work to ease tension and restore mobility. Some common movements you might use include:
Tip: Be sure to check with a professional before trying new exercises, and focus on movements that feel safe and comfortable to you.
Chin Tucks for Postural Correction
Chin tucks are a simple posture exercise that engages the back-of-neck muscles, helping to counteract the effects of forward head posture. Here’s how they work:
- Stand with upright, open posture, aiming to keep your head in line with your shoulders.
- Engage your neck muscles to bring your chin straight back, avoiding tilting your chin up or down.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds, and repeat 5-10 times.
Wall Angels (“V” or “W” Stretch)
Wall angels are another great movement for activating your postural muscles, opening up the shoulders, and supporting healthy neck alignment. Here’s how to try them:
- Stand with your back, shoulders, glutes, and head against the wall, with your legs slightly bent and feet out in front of you.
- Lift your arms out to your sides, keeping the backs of your hands against the wall. Your elbows should be bent with your palms facing forward and fingers pointing upward. (This is where you’ll be making a “W” shape.)
- Reach your arms up above your head until your arms form a “V” shape.
- Slowly lower your arms back down into the “W” position.
- Repeat 5-10 times, aiming to maintain good posture throughout each rep.
Nerve Flossing Exercises
Cervical nerve gliding exercises are often used to “open up” the neck area, improve blood supply, and support nutrition to the nerves. One common movement your PT may walk you through is the median nerve glide, which looks like this:
- Stand comfortably with your arms to your sides. Drop the shoulder on your affected side slightly.
- Raise that arm slightly out to your side — not fully at shoulder-height, but angled down at about 45 degrees — with your palm open and facing forward.
- Tilt your head toward that side. As you do so, open your hand out behind you until you feel a stretch in the arm.
- Tilt your head back in the other direction, rotating your palm forward as you do so.
- Repeat for 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Other Medical Treatments
If your symptoms aren’t getting better after physical therapy, rest, and self-care, your doctor may recommend other options to manage pain — and in some cases, correct the root cause. These could include:
- Anti-inflammatory pain medications, such as NSAIDs
- Anti-seizure medications like gabapentin
- Surgery, in rare cases, to address structural issues like bone spurs or herniated disks
The Takeaway
Dealing with a pinched nerve in the neck can certainly be uncomfortable, but the good news is that it often gets better on its own with the help of rest, time, and gentle movement. Along the way, massage therapy can be a soothing part of your self-care routine — helping to ease pain, decrease stress, and promote circulation as you heal.
It’s best to get the green light from your doctor before starting massage, especially if you have any underlying health conditions. With their guidance, you can try gentle self-massage, visit a professional, or opt for a restorative home tool like those from MedMassager.
Explore the benefits of the MedMassager Neck Massager today, or view more home tools here.
