It’s happened to everyone: you sit in an odd position for too long and lose circulation in your foot, and you feel the familiar pins and needles of your foot “falling asleep.” Usually this dissipates quickly once you are able to move your foot and circulation returns, with no lasting harm. But what if the pins and needles feeling doesn’t go away? For those suffering from extended numbness and tingling, the pain can become distracting and unbearable, and it may signal serious nerve issues. The good news is that a Billings chiropractor can help address the issue.
Causes of Numbness and Tingling
When numbness and tingling happen in short bursts, like your foot falling asleep, it is normally due to temporary compression of a nerve. Once the nerve is released, you feel a sudden rush of sensation that then settles down. When a nerve is chronically pinched or compressed by something like a vertebra, it restricts your overall blood flow to certain extremities, causing the same symptoms.
But numbness and tingling can be caused by serious medical conditions as well. Diabetes, Carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, multiple sclerosis, seizures, and strokes can all lead to the same numbness and tingling feeling throughout the body.
Addressing Nerve Interference
In most cases, numbness and tingling are related to nerve interference caused by a spinal misalignment. These misalignments often affect the surrounding nerve cells, which each control certain parts of the body where the feeling may be centralized. A nerve that is being compressed or otherwise disturbed will lead to extended symptoms that may worsen over time.
The focus of chiropractic care is to treat the nervous system and the spine, which often resolves problems with numbness and tingling. In fact, studies have proven that chiropractic care is often effective here. For example, when a young woman with 2 years of numbness and tingling in her arm reported a complete lack of symptoms after just one week of chiropractic adjustments.
Another case study focused on 162 individuals with nerve-related pain, called radiculopathy, that led to reported symptoms of numbness. The participants underwent 9 visits to a chiropractor like Dr. Thomas Keogh, and 85% reported relief.
Long-Term Relief from Nerve Pain
When you visit Bare Chiropractic, our goal is not just to relieve your numbness and tingling for now, but for the long-term. We achieve this by performing a thorough spine evaluation to determine the root cause of the issue, then using adjustments to reposition the spine. These adjustments are based in neurological health, focusing on improving blood flow and nerve communication that will help the body return to its optimal level of functioning.
Think of visiting Dr. Thomas Keogh like the moment where you stand up after your foot has fallen asleep – the position you were in has been released, the root cause of the problem is gone, and you will be able to escape the pins and needles feeling! Contact us today to address any numbness and tingling and experience complete relief!
Sources
Bova, J., & Sergent, A. (2014). Chiropractic Management of a 24-Year-Old Woman With Idiopathic, Intermittent Right-Sided Hemiparesthesia. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 13(4), 282–286. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241474/
Christensen, K. D., & Buswell, K. (2008). Chiropractic outcomes managing radiculopathy in a hospital setting: a retrospective review of 162 patients. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 7(3), 115–125. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682943/
