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Evidence-Based Article
Nerve Flossing for Athletes: Does It Really Work, and Is It Safe?
Did you know…
…that something as simple as gently “gliding” your nerves may help reduce pain, restore mobility, and improve function in athletes dealing with nerve irritation? This technique—called nerve flossing or neurodynamics—is widely used by physical therapists to treat conditions like sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and cervical radiculopathy. But despite its popularity, many still debate whether it’s truly effective—or potentially risky. Here’s what current research actually says.
What Is Nerve Flossing?
Nerve flossing is a controlled movement technique designed to mobilize irritated or compressed nerves. When nerves become trapped or restricted by surrounding tissues—due to inflammation, repetitive strain, or poor movement mechanics—they can create symptoms like numbness, tingling, weakness, or sharp radiating pain.
The goal of nerve flossing is not to “stretch” the nerve aggressively, but to gently glide it through its anatomical pathway. This helps improve blood flow, disperse swelling, decrease mechanical irritation, and restore normal range of motion. Physical therapists commonly use it to manage:
- Sciatica
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Tibial and femoral nerve disorders
- Thoracic outlet–related neural tension
Despite its gentle intention, some athletes and clinicians worry that nerve flossing might be too aggressive—possibly worsening irritation. This is where evidence becomes important.
Does Nerve Flossing Really Work? Evidence Says Yes—But With Caveats
Several clinical studies report strong improvements in pain, nerve function, and mobility after incorporating nerve flossing:
- Aanchal Sandeep Daga et al. (2025) found pain scores in cervical radiculopathy patients decreased from 83 to 2.63 after treatment.
- Mubushara Afzal et al. (2022) demonstrated significant reductions in pain and disability, supported by 95% confidence intervals.
- Additional research supports its effectiveness in carpal tunnel syndrome, tibial nerve disorders (Bassam A. El-Nassag et al., 2025), and femoral neuropathy (Somaia A. Hamed et al., 2021).
Across 6–7 controlled studies involving 26–54 participants each, nerve flossing consistently improved:
- Pain management
- Nerve conductivity
- Functional mobility
But what about safety?
Here’s the surprising part: although no major complications were reported across these studies, none of them directly analyzed risk or side effects. This doesn’t mean nerve flossing is risk-free—it simply means the available research hasn’t thoroughly examined safety. More rigorous studies are needed before we can definitively say how safe the technique is.
For now, the best practice is to apply nerve flossing gently, avoid forcing symptoms, and progress gradually—especially for athletes with high irritability or acute inflammation.
When and How Should Athletes Use Nerve Flossing?
Nerve flossing can be helpful when symptoms stem from nerve irritation rather than muscle tightness or joint stiffness. Conditions supported by research include:
- Sciatica (Afzal et al., 2022)
- Cervical radiculopathy (Daga et al., 2025)
- Tibial nerve disorders (Darshita Satodiya et al., 2021)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Femoral neuropathy (Hamed et al., 2021)
Typical treatment programs involve:
- 3–5 sessions per week
- Over 2–3 weeks
- 15 repetitions per set, with 5-minute rest intervals between sets (Satodiya et al., 2021)
Across more than 200 participants in six studies, this dosage consistently produced meaningful clinical improvements (Afzal et al., 2022).
For athletes, nerve flossing is often integrated into rehab alongside strengthening, mobility training, load management, and sport-specific movement retraining.
Conclusion: Should You Use Nerve Flossing?
Nerve flossing shows promising, evidence-supported benefits for improving pain, mobility, and nerve function in conditions involving irritation or entrapment. While the research strongly supports its effectiveness, the lack of rigorous data on potential risks means it should be used with caution.
< Recommendation by Our Experts>
✔ Start gently—avoid aggressive stretching or reproducing sharp symptoms.
✔ Use nerve flossing as part of a comprehensive rehab plan, not as a stand-alone fix.
✔ If symptoms worsen, stop and reassess.
✔ Seek guidance from a licensed physical therapist for individualized programming.
< Reference >
- Sandeep Daga, Aanchal, and Vaishali Kale. “Effectiveness of Nerve Flossing in Cervical Radiculopathy.” International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, September 5, 2025, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25sep036.
- Afzal, Mubushara, Sabrina Memon, and Ms. Sehrish. “TREATMENT OF SCIATICA BY NEURAL FLOSSING TECHNIQUE (NFT) IN ADULTS.” Pakistan Journal of Rehabilitation 11, no. 1 (2022): 5–10. https://doi.org/10.36283/pjr.zu.11.1/003.
- El-Nassag, Bassam A, Nadia Mohamed Abdelhakiem, Ahmed S Abdelhamid, Rasha M EL-Marakby, and Shymaa Salem. “Short Term Effectevness of Tibial Nerve Flossing Technique in Patients With Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.” Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation 38, no. 6 (2025): 1446–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538127251338173.
- Hamed, Somaia A., Ibrahim M. Zoheiry, Nevien Maher Waked, and Lama Saad El-Din Mahmoud. “Effect of Neurodynamics Nerve Flossing on Femoral Neuropathy in Haemophilic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study.” Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions 21, no. 3 (2021): 379–86.
- Satodiya, Darshita, and Mansi Sanghvi. “Effect of Nerve Flossing Technique on Tibial Nerve Conductivity and Its Impact on Functionality in Tailors Using Mechanical Sewing Machine: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) 10, no. 10 (2021): 1289–93. https://doi.org/10.21275/SR211025104438.
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