If you’ve checked neck stretches on YouTube or found a home exercise routine, you might have seen a pattern. It feels good for a bit, but then the tightness returns.
When a muscle is tight around an irritated nerve, stretching can put more strain on already stressed tissue. You get a brief release, but then it snaps right back. Often, tighter than before.
This occurs because the nerve is still irritated, and the body continues to protect it. Stretching helps flexible muscles stay flexible. It doesn't release a muscle locked down around a compressed nerve.