
Finding Relief From Nerve Pain This Holiday Season
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, celebration, and spending time with family and friends. But if you’re living with nerve pain, the season might not feel so merry as we here at Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy often see each year. Nerve pain can be a serious obstacle to enjoying all the things that make the holidays special, from joining in family traditions to simply getting comfortable enough to sit at the dinner table. Here, we’ll dive into the different types of pain, why they happen, and how each type of nerve pain can make it hard to enjoy holiday moments. At the end, we’ll briefly introduce a new treatment called the Stimpod that may be able to bring relief from nerve pain.
Types of Pain
Pain is the body’s way of signaling that something is wrong, but not all pain is the same. Here are the main types of pain:
- Nociceptive Pain: This is pain that happens when your body’s tissues are damaged. For example, if you stub your toe, burn yourself on a hot pan, or twist your ankle, you’re experiencing nociceptive pain. Your body detects the damage, and the nerves send pain signals to the brain.
- Inflammatory Pain: This pain comes from inflammation, which is the body’s way of protecting and healing injured tissue. Think of the soreness you feel after a big workout or the tenderness that comes with a swollen joint. Inflammatory pain usually lessens as healing happens.
- Neuropathic Pain (Nerve Pain): This type of pain is caused by problems in the nervous system itself. The nerves may be damaged or misfiring, so they send out pain signals even when there’s no actual injury to your body. Neuropathic pain can feel like burning, tingling, stabbing, or shooting pain.
- Central Pain: This pain originates in the brain or spinal cord rather than from a specific injury. Conditions like fibromyalgia, for example, can cause central pain where pain signals seem to be amplified in the brain, causing more pain from even mild stimuli.
Nerve pain (neuropathic pain) can be especially tough because it’s often chronic and hard to manage with common painkillers. It can also be tricky to diagnose, leading to lots of doctor’s visits. Let’s take a closer look at how neuropathic pain impacts holiday activities, and how the different types of pain can make enjoying the season difficult.

The Main Culprit in Holiday Challenges
Nerve pain can create unique challenges that can stand in the way of holiday joy. Since nerve pain can happen for different reasons, let’s look at a few specific examples of nerve-related conditions and how they might impact the holiday experience.
Sciatica: Pain That Stops You From Sitting Comfortably
Sciatica is a type of nerve pain caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down each leg. Sciatica pain is often described as sharp, shooting, or burning pain that travels down the leg. It is often caused by other injuries; for example, if you had a herniated disc, you may suffer from sciatica. During the holidays, sciatica can make it hard to do things like sit comfortably at a family dinner, travel long distances, or even walk around to do holiday shopping. For many people, long car rides or plane trips worsen sciatica pain, which can make visiting loved ones an uncomfortable or painful experience. Even simple things like sitting on the couch to watch a holiday movie can be a struggle.
Peripheral Neuropathy: Numbness and Tingling That Affects Movement
Peripheral neuropathy is another common nerve pain condition, often caused by diabetes or certain vitamin deficiencies. This condition affects the nerves in the hands and feet, leading to numbness, tingling, or even a burning sensation. Imagine trying to wrap gifts, decorate the tree, or bake holiday cookies with fingers that feel numb or tingly — it’s frustrating and sometimes painful. Peripheral neuropathy can also make walking difficult, as it affects balance and stability, especially when the feet are numb. For those with neuropathy, joining holiday activities may feel risky or exhausting; if you have an active family that likes to play a friendly game of football at Thanksgiving, you may find yourself sitting on the sidelines due to peripheral neuropathy pain.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Pain in the Hands and Wrists
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a type of neuropathic pain that comes from pressure on the median nerve in the wrist. It often causes numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand, especially the thumb and first few fingers. During the holidays, carpal tunnel syndrome can make activities like wrapping presents, decorating, cooking, or even holding a hot cup of cocoa difficult. The pain may worsen with repetitive motions, and many of these holiday tasks require fine motor skills. Spending a few hours preparing a big holiday meal, for instance, can lead to increased pain and discomfort for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome; rolling out gingerbread men can seem like a daunting task when your hands/wrists/elbows ache with every movement.
Postherpetic Neuralgia: Lingering Pain from Shingles
Postherpetic neuralgia is nerve pain that can linger after an outbreak of shingles, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (the same virus that causes chickenpox). This pain is usually felt as a deep, aching, or burning sensation and can be triggered by even light touches on the skin. This type of nerve pain can make wearing certain clothes uncomfortable, and people may feel heightened pain even from a friendly hug or a pat on the back. For those with postherpetic neuralgia, simple gestures of affection during the holidays can become sources of discomfort, which can make social gatherings feel isolating, especially if there are little ones running around and you’re worried they might hug you a little too tightly.
Trigeminal Neuralgia: Facial Pain That Affects Smiling and Talking
Trigeminal neuralgia is a severe nerve pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensations from your face to your brain. People with trigeminal neuralgia experience sudden, intense facial pain that can feel like an electric shock. This pain can be triggered by everyday activities like talking, smiling, or even brushing teeth. During the holidays, trigeminal neuralgia can make social interactions, family photos, and laughter painful experiences. Simple acts of eating holiday treats or sipping a hot drink may trigger sharp, unexpected pain, making it hard to fully participate in festive gatherings.

Why Nerve Pain Often Feels Worse During the Holidays
Nerve pain can feel especially overwhelming during the holidays for a few reasons. First, the colder weather during winter months can worsen some nerve pain conditions, as colder temperatures cause muscles to tighten and increase stiffness in the body. Stress can also amplify pain, and many people experience more stress during the holiday season due to extra tasks, travel, and planning events.
Additionally, nerve pain doesn’t always improve with rest; in fact, staying still can sometimes make the pain worse. Many people with nerve pain find it difficult to find a comfortable position to sit or sleep in, which can lead to sleep disruption and fatigue. Fatigue and poor sleep then further lower the body’s ability to handle pain, creating a cycle that’s hard to break. And if your family is located far away and you travel to them, you can find yourself in more pain after long times seated on a plane or in a car.
The Stimpod Neurostimulator
For anyone who feels like nerve pain is taking away from the joys of the holiday season, there is hope. A new treatment called the Stimpod Neurostimulator may offer relief. This device is designed specifically to target and reduce nerve pain through a gentle form of electrical stimulation. Unlike some treatments, the Stimpod is non-invasive and doesn’t require any medication, so there are no drug-related side effects to worry about.
The Stimpod works by sending mild electrical pulses through the skin to the nerves, helping to calm down pain signals and make the nerves less reactive. Many patients feel relief after the first few sessions, though regular treatments may provide the most benefit. As an option offered by physical therapy clinics, the Stimpod is a safe and promising tool that could help manage nerve pain, allowing you to take back control and get back to enjoying life’s precious moments with family and friends. It’s perfect for our mobile PT practice as we can easily bring this machine to you in your home or office to get you started on feeling better immediately.
This holiday season, consider taking a step towards relief. Whether your nerve pain is stopping you from cooking that holiday meal, playing with your kids or grandkids, or simply being comfortable enough to sit and chat with loved ones, know that help is available. The Stimpod Neurostimulator might be the missing piece to reclaiming the comfort and joy you deserve. Schedule a FREE discovery session with our physical therapists to determine if this type of treatment will work for your specific pain points.