Nerve Flossing: What It Is and Why We Should Care
Have you ever felt tightness, tingling, or stiffness in your arms, legs, or lower back that stretching alone didn’t solve? Have you struggled with a certain part of your body you never seem to gain flexibility in? Do you struggle with sciatica or nagging injuries you just can’t quite figure out? You might be experiencing nerve tension or restrictions—and that’s where nerve flossing comes in.
At FlowFit, we’re passionate about helping you move better and feel better. Let’s explore how nerve flossing fits into your yoga practice and why it could be the missing link in your mobility routine.
What Is Nerve Flossing?
Nerve flossing, also known as neural gliding or neurodynamics, is a gentle movement technique designed to mobilize and release tension in your nerves—especially the sciatic, median, and ulnar nerves.
Think of it like flossing your teeth—but for your nervous system. Instead of stretching muscles, you're encouraging your nerves to glide smoothly through the tissues they pass through, improving circulation and reducing irritation.
How Do Nerves Get "Stuck"?
Nerves travel long distances through your body, weaving through joints, muscles, and fascia. Poor posture, injuries, repetitive movements, or long hours sitting can cause nerves to become restricted or “tethered.”
When this happens, you may feel:
A burning or tingling sensation (like “pins and needles”)
Numbness in certain limbs
A deep ache that doesn’t release with traditional stretching
At this point I should say that I only recently discovered how powerful nerve flossing is as a tool, and that is the reason I did a deep dive on the subject and now absolutely am implementing it into my regular routine. About 6 weeks ago I started experiencing some soreness in my hand in wrist that I attributed to a couple hard climbing sessions back to back. I was about to head out of town for 2 weeks so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to rest. Over the course of my rest period, the pain in my hand got significantly worse to the point where I couldn’t even open a door or pick up my water bottle and it constantly ached. I reached out to my deep tissue massage therapist (Josh M owner of Trulief Massage) and he immediately guessed that my forearm muscles have become so tight (likely due to climbing with not enough stretching or recovering those particular muscles) that my radial nerve is being impinged or restricted. He recommended I dive into some nerve flossing a couple times a day. I thought “ok fine I’ll try” but was secretly panicking that I had some torn connective tissue and needed an MRI. I kid you not, after my first nerve flossing session of just a few minutes I felt some immediate relief. By day 2 of about 3 short sessions a day I was back to where I was at the very beginning of my pain experience, and after a week I felt completely normal again. I promise you, I will never ignore the possibility of my nerves being restricted again, and am making this nerve flossing a part of my post-climbing recovery after every session!
Nerve Flossing + Yoga: A Perfect Match
Yoga already promotes healthy movement patterns, breath awareness, and mobility—but adding targeted nerve flossing techniques to your practice can enhance your results, especially if you experience:
Sciatica
Carpal tunnel symptoms
Neck or shoulder tension
Hamstring sensitivity
Many yoga poses can be modified to include neural gliding techniques, such as:
Legs-up-the-wall with gentle ankle pumps (for sciatic nerve)
Seated forward fold with dorsiflexion of the foot
Neck mobility drills in a comfortable seated posture
These movements are done slowly and gently, with the goal of moving nerves—not straining them. AKA this is NOT where we push to our edge.
Benefits of Nerve Flossing
✔️ Reduces nerve-related discomfort
✔️ Improves range of motion
✔️ Promotes healing post-injury
✔️ Increases body awareness
✔️ Supports healthy posture and spinal alignment
💡 Try It at FlowFit
We’re integrating nerve flossing techniques into our mobility-based yoga classes to help you move with more freedom and ease. Whether you're dealing with chronic tension or just want to optimize how your body feels, learning to care for your nervous system is a game changer. Come see me at 9:30 on Wednesdays and 11:00 am on Sundays to learn more about your nerves!