For a Pinched Nerve, Should You See a Chiropractor or a Massage Therapist?
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By Butler Family Health Center · Published 2026-10-16 · Last updated 2026-10-16
For a pinched nerve, see a chiropractor first. Some pinched nerves start at the spine, where a herniated disc or a bone spur presses on a nerve root, and a chiropractic exam is built to find where that pressure begins. Massage works on muscles and other soft tissue, so it fits best as a supporting step once the cause is known.
Butler Family Health Center is a chiropractor in Centennial in Peakview Center on South Quebec Street, about one block north of Arapahoe Road. Dr. Butler has practiced chiropractic since 1996. Nerve pain, numbness and tingling, sciatica and herniated discs are among the problems our office treats.
The right first step depends on where your symptoms travel, how long they have lasted and whether any warning signs are present. Below you will find what each option does for an irritated nerve, what Colorado law says about each one, how long symptoms tend to last and the signs that call for a medical doctor first.
The Better First Stop for a Pinched Nerve in Centennial
The better first stop for a pinched nerve in Centennial is a chiropractor, because the first job is finding out what is pressing on the nerve. Cleveland Clinic describes "pinched nerve" as a nonmedical term for a compressed nerve, with surrounding bones, ligaments or muscles pressing on it. It also notes that providers may name the actual cause, such as radiculopathy or spinal stenosis.
Those causes need different care. Tight muscles may respond to soft tissue work. A disc or bone spur on a nerve root will not be rubbed away. Here is how common situations around Centennial line up:
| Your situation | Where symptoms often show up | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Long days at a desk in the Denver Tech Center or Greenwood Village | Neck pain with numbness or pins and needles in the arm, worse when you turn your head | Chiropractic exam |
| Daily drives on I-25 or Arapahoe Road | Low back pain that runs toward the foot, worse when sitting or coughing | Chiropractic exam |
| Symptoms after lifting or a weekend run on the High Line Canal Trail | Low back, leg or neck symptoms that keep coming back | Chiropractic exam |
| Sudden weakness, or loss of bladder or bowel control | Anywhere | Medical doctor or the ER right away |
Where to start, by situation:
- If the tingling began after carrying a heavy flat-pack box home from IKEA Centennial, then book a chiropractic exam before anyone works deep pressure into the area.
- If you already had a massage and the tingling has not changed, then book an exam with us. No change can be a sign that muscle tension is not the cause.
- If you want both joint care and muscle care, then start with Dr. Butler. Our office also offers Muscle Tension Relief, so both are handled in one place.
How a Centennial Chiropractor Treats a Pinched Nerve
A Centennial chiropractor treats a pinched nerve by locating the irritated nerve first and then choosing a technique that eases pressure without forcing the area. Colorado law defines chiropractic as the branch of the healing arts that includes diagnosing and analyzing human ailments and seeks to eliminate abnormal nervous system functioning through adjustment or manipulation, particularly of the spinal column. So nerve function sits right in the legal definition.
Technique matters with an irritated nerve. A Medical News Today article notes that direct manipulation of the spine could worsen symptoms, while indirect techniques may help. Gentle work comes up often in our reviews. As Eric R. wrote, "Dr. Chris Butler is exceptional. Very gentle when getting adjusted."
When the exam supports it, care can also include spinal decompression therapy, Remy Class IV laser therapy or shockwave therapy. Each aims to ease pain and help you move better. None comes with a promised result, and whether one fits depends on what the exam shows.
What Happens at a First Pinched Nerve Visit in Centennial?
A first pinched nerve visit in Centennial usually follows a clear order:
- History. You describe where it hurts, where it travels and what makes it worse, such as sitting, coughing or turning your head.
- Exam. The chiropractic exam looks at how you move and at the strength and feeling in your arm or leg.
- Findings and plan. You hear what the exam showed and what care is recommended. If something points to a problem outside chiropractic care, the next step is your medical doctor.
- Care. Treatment follows only if the exam supports it.
We offer same-day appointments and take walk-ins, so patients from Southglenn and Castlewood do not have to wait a week with a numb hand.
What Massage Can and Cannot Do for a Pinched Nerve
Massage can ease the tight muscles around a pinched nerve, though it does not change a disc or bone spur pressing on the nerve root. Colorado law defines massage as a system of structured touch, palpation or movement of the soft tissue of another person's body. The definition covers soft tissue. It says nothing about adjusting the spine.
That is why massage often feels good without settling the nerve. Tight shoulders after a pickup game at DeKoevend Park may loosen with soft tissue work. If you train around Dove Valley, home of the Broncos' Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, and tingling runs from your neck into your fingers, you need an exam, because the source may sit at the nerve root. When muscle tension is the main cause, gentle massage may relieve some pressure.
Can Deep Massage Make a Pinched Nerve Worse in Centennial?
Deep massage can make a pinched nerve worse. Medical News Today notes that deep tissue massage may not be a good idea, because the extra pressure may make symptoms worse. A runner on the Willow Creek Trail with a burning leg, or an office worker near the Orchard RTD station with a tingling forearm, is better served by finding the cause before anyone presses hard on the area. At your exam, tell us about any massage or stretching you have tried so we can factor it in.
How Colorado Law Defines Chiropractic and Massage
Colorado regulates chiropractic and massage under separate laws with different scopes. Practicing chiropractic without a license is unlawful under Article 215 of Title 12, and the legislature's stated aim is to protect the public from unqualified practice. A licensed chiropractor may use the title "Doctor of Chiropractic" or "D.C." The license does not cover surgery or prescribing drugs.
Massage is defined under Article 235 as soft tissue work for general health and well-being. Diagnosis appears in the chiropractic definition and not in the massage definition. With a pinched nerve, that difference matters, since a diagnosis is what tells you which kind of hands-on care will help.
Dr. Butler earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Missouri. Along with Centennial, our office serves patients from Englewood, Littleton and Cherry Hills Village.
How Long a Pinched Nerve Usually Lasts for Centennial Patients
A pinched nerve usually lasts a few days or weeks, and most cases are managed without surgery. Cleveland Clinic advises seeing a provider if symptoms have lasted more than a week or have not improved after a couple of weeks. For acute pinched nerves in the neck, Medical News Today reports that over 85% resolve within 8 to 12 weeks without specific treatment.
Eight to 12 weeks is a long stretch for a teacher in Cherry Creek Public Schools or Littleton Public Schools grading papers with a numb hand, or for a traveler sitting through long trips with leg pain. Care aims to calm the nerve and restore movement sooner. How many visits you need depends on your exam, how long symptoms have lasted and how you respond.
Which Signs Mean a Pinched Nerve Needs a Doctor or the ER First?
Some pinched nerve signs need a medical doctor or the ER before any hands-on care. Go right away, as Cedars-Sinai and Cleveland Clinic advise, for:
- Sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis of an arm or leg that does not go away
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Loss of feeling in the genital or anal area
- Trouble gripping objects or a habit of dropping things
- Intense pain or sudden muscle weakness
Our office is not emergency care. Once a doctor has ruled out an emergency, we can pick up from there.
Why Book Your Pinched Nerve Visit at Butler Family Health Center
Booking your pinched nerve visit at Butler Family Health Center gets you an exam and hands-on care from one doctor who has practiced since 1996. Here is what that includes:
- Same-day appointments and walk-ins
- Care for all ages, newborns to seniors
- Nerve Compression Treatment, Numbness & Tingling Relief, Arm Numbness Treatment, Sciatica Treatment, Herniated Disc Treatment and Muscle Tension Relief in one office
- Spinal decompression, Remy Class IV laser and shockwave therapy on site
- Preferred provider for Anthem, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cofinity, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and others
- Auto accident, personal injury, slip and fall, and workers' compensation cases accepted
- Cash plans for patients without insurance or with high deductibles, and HSA debit cards accepted
- 4.9 stars on Google
Reviewers often say Dr. Butler listens. Melanie H. wrote, "From the very beginning, I felt listened to, cared for, and never rushed." The office sits in Peakview Center on South Quebec Street, a short drive from the Denver Tech Center and Greenwood Village.
The Bottom Line
For a pinched nerve, start with a chiropractor. An exam finds what is pressing on the nerve, and that answer decides whether adjustments, gentler indirect techniques, decompression or soft tissue work fits. Massage can ease tight muscles, but deep pressure on an irritated nerve may make it worse, and massage does not reach a disc or bone spur. If you notice sudden weakness or lose bladder or bowel control, see a medical doctor or go to the ER first. For everything else, a chiropractor in Centennial who listens first is a call away: call or text Butler Family Health Center at (303) 741-2444 to book your exam.