Numbness and Tingling and Spinal Decompression - What Are the Causes and Treatment?

spinal stenosis

If you have been experiencing symptoms of numbness and tingling, it could be caused by nerve damage or compression. A nerve in the spine can be pinched by a herniated or bulging disc, it can be caused by spinal stenosis from arthritis in the spine, or the nerve can become irritated by the joints in the spine being misaligned.

Also called peripheral neuropathy, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet should not be ignored in hope that it will clear up on its own. There are many factors that can cause peripheral neuropathy, including:

• Trauma from broken bones


• Malnutrition


• Diabetes


• Aids


• Cancer and cancer fighting drugs


• Medications or exposure to toxic substances

The nerves in our body act as transmitters between the arms and legs and hands and feet and the central nervous system. Nerves transmit signals that communicate sensation and direct muscle movements of the body. Peripheral neuropathy or numbness and tingling, if not addressed immediately, can lead to muscle weakness, lack of control and eventual atrophy.

Numbness and tingling may be caused by a pinched nerve

One of the most common causes of numbness and tingling is from a pinched nerve. Pinched nerves can cause a sharp, shooting pain or numbness, tingling and even weakness in the extremities. When the pain shoots down the back of the legs it's commonly referred to as sciatica because the sciatic nerve, which originates in the lower back, runs down the back of the legs to the feet.

Spinal Decompression Therapy is designed to take the pressure off the pinched, compressed nerves by slowly and gently stretching the spine at a certain angle followed by cycles of partial relaxation.

A herniated disc can cause numbness and tingling

Spinal Decompression relieves the compression taking place in the herniated disc by precisely stretching and separating the spine using a pattern of distraction and then relaxation that is orchestrated by the computer, which the straps are connected to. This process creates a vacuum or negative pressure within the discs that can allow the herniated or bulging disc to be drawn back in relieving the pressure on the nerves in the spine.

When the patient undergoes spinal decompression therapy over the course of several visits with the Chiropractor, the process allows oxygen and nutrient-rich fluids to flood into the disc to promote the body's natural healing process to work on the fibers of the previously degenerated disc.

What causes numbness and tingling in the hands?

If the numbness and tingling feelings are limited to the fingers and hands, the cause could be carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a condition that is caused by compression to the median nerve that crosses the wrist. Carpal tunnel is most often caused by repetitive use of the hands in an extended position, such as typing on a keyboard. It can be caused from a pinched nerve in the neck, which is where the median nerve originates.

Try a Chiropractor in Springfield, VA that has several techniques which can treat the many causes of numbness and tingling, from spinal decompression therapy to cold laser therapy, the Graston technique, and the active release technique, which works with deep tissue and specific movements to relax tight muscles, free up range of motion and relieve pinched nerves non-surgically.