Flossing is more than a dance. It’s a useful tool to help rehab trapped nerves. Neural flossing gliding exercises can be applied to the upper limbs and can help to reduce symptoms in the upper limbs such as pins and needles, pain, or adverse neural tension. If you have had therapy for any of these conditions and want to support therapy with neural flossing gliding exercises for the upper limb then this article may be useful.
Median Nerve Neural Flossing Gliding Exercises
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises – Level 1 (Head follow hand)
Start with your hand at the neck level and look at your hand. Keeping the hand aligned with your forearm, move the arm out and up. Follow the hand with your head. Do not execute the exercise too fast.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises – Level 2 (head rotation contralateral)
In standing, start with your hand at neck level and look at your hand. Keeping the hand aligned with your forearm, move the arm out and up. Turn your head in the opposite direction as you move your arm. Do not execute the exercise too fast.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises – Level 3 (head rotation contralateral with wrist extension)
In standing, start with your hand at neck level and look at your hand. Move the arm out and up. Turn your head in the opposite direction as you move your arm and extend the wrist and fingers at the end of the movement. Do not execute the exercise too fast.
- Median nerve glide exercise, bilateral with head neutral
You can perform this exercise in standing or sitting. Keep your elbows straight and bring both arms in front. Bend the wrist backward and gently move the arms out to the side slightly lower than shoulder height. make sure to keep your head in a neutral position.
- Neural mobilisation of median nerve neural flossing gliding exercises with fingers pointing up, elbow extension, and head straight.
Stand next to a wall facing forwards and elbows bent, with your palm flat on the wall and your fingers pointing straight. Straighten your elbow slowly until a gentle stretching sensation is felt. Return to the initial position and repeat.
- Neural mobilisation of median nerve neural flossing gliding exercises with fingers pointing backward, elbow extension, and side bending.
Stand next to a wall, elbows bent, with your palm flat on the wall and fingers pointing backward. Side bend your head (ear toward the opposite shoulder) and straighten your elbow slowly until a gentle stretching sensation is felt. Return to the initial position and repeat.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, side by side elbows
In standing, Keep the head still and join hands together in front and push elbows gently from side to side.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, slicing the air
Stand with your arms by your side. Slice the air in front of you using a wide movement from high to low and low to high (movement across your body with a straight elbow).
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, wrist stretch
Stand with the wrist in line with the forearm and raise the arm up in a half-circle motion. At the same time bring the wrist in extension with your opposite hand.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, finger stretch
Start the exercise with the wrist and finger in line with the forearm and raise the arm up in a half-circle motion. As you lift, bring the finger in extension with the opposite hand. Repeat with all the fingers.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises
Stand with your hands by your side. Turn your arm out and extend the wrist and fingers. Keep the arm turned outward and the wrist and fingers extended. Then raise your arm up to the side. Lower and repeat.
- Median nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, look at your hand
Stand with your arms by your side. And raise one arm to 90 degrees away from you and palms facing down. Turn your head to one side to look at your hand and rotate the palm up as you turn the head. Look to the other side and repeat, alternating sides.
Neural Flossing Gliding Exercises
- Neural mobilisation ulnar nerve in upside-down glasses neural flossing gliding exercises
In standing, with your thumb and index finger make a circle Bring your hand to your face and rotate your wrist making glasses around your eye with your thumb and index. The other fingers are pointing down along your cheek. Pull your elbow backward and maintain the position when you feel a gentle stretch. Repeat.
- Ulnar nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, overhead circles
Turn the palm of your hand up and raise your arm overhead. Whilst keeping the palms facing up complete circular motions over your head. Do the mobilisation clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Ulnar nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, Fingers to mouth
Start with your arms elevated to 90 degrees by your side and palms facing up and your thumb and index finger together. Bring the fingers to your mouth as you turn the head toward the hand as you were bringing a cigarette to your mouth. Rotate the wrist to keep the palm facing up during the entire motion.
- Ulnar nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, palm over the ear
Stand and place your hands by your side. Lift your hand up sideways to bring it over your ear. Rotate the hand so the fingers point downward when against your ear. To increase the tension, you can push your elbow backward at the end.
- Neural mobilisation of the ulnar nerve in side-lying with fingers pointing down, elbow flexion and side bending
Support your head and lay on your side. Keep your hands and your fingers facing downwards (chin) and your head side bent towards the opposite shoulder. Maintain the position when you feel a gentle stretch. Repeat.
Radial Nerve Neural Flossing Gliding Exercises
- Radial nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises – Level 2 (Head rotation contralateral)
In standing, start with your hand by your side at neck level and look at your hand. Move the arm out and down as you rotate the arm inward, rotate the forearm inwards, and bend the wrist. Turn your head in the opposite direction as you move your arm.
- Radial nerve mobilisation neural flossing gliding exercises, hands crossed in front
In standing. Interlock your fingers and cross your hands over in front. Start the movement at the hip level. Lift the arm up slowly.
For more information about Upper Limb Neural Flossing Gliding Exercises
This article was written by our team of specialist therapists at Perfect Balance Clinic. If you would like more specific advice about how our team can help you with this condition or symptoms you may be having, please complete the contact form below and one of the team will get back to you shortly.
