Median Nerve Glide

The median nerve glide is a mobility exercise for your arm. It trains the median nerve to slide smoothly along its path from the neck through the forearm and into the hand, rather than stretching muscle.

Stand or sit tall with your shoulders relaxed. Hold the working arm out to the side at about shoulder height, palm facing up, wrist slightly bent back, and fingers pointing away from you. Keep your neck neutral and the rest of your body still.

Slowly tilt your head away from the working arm while gently bending your wrist back a little more and straightening your elbow slightly. Then reverse it: bring your head back to center, relax the wrist, and bend the elbow. The nerve should feel like it is sliding inside the arm, not being pulled tight. Do a few slow reps on one side, then switch arms.

Breathe normally and keep your shoulders down the whole time. To make it easier, reduce the range at the wrist or elbow, or keep your head still. To make it harder, add only a very small increase in range, and only if it stays completely symptom-free.

Fault: Pulling into a big stretch or forcing the wrist and elbow to their end range. Fix: Stay in a small range and focus on a gentle sliding feeling through the arm, not a deep stretch.

Fault: Continuing even if you feel tingling, numbness, or pain. Fix: Stop the movement right away. If symptoms appear during or after, get checked by a medical professional instead of trying to treat it yourself.

Fault: Shrugging the shoulder or twisting the torso to create more motion. Fix: Keep the shoulder relaxed and your body facing forward so the glide stays focused on the arm.