Numbness & Tingling

When Your Hands or Feet Fall Asleep — And Don’t Wake Up

Occasional numbness and tingling — the brief “pins and needles” from sitting on your foot or sleeping on your arm — is completely normal. But when numbness and tingling become persistent, recurrent, or progressive, they are telling you something important: one or more nerves in your body are being compressed, irritated, or deprived of adequate circulation.

Persistent numbness and tingling should never be ignored. While the causes are usually structural and eminently treatable, these symptoms can also reflect serious neurological or vascular conditions that require proper diagnosis. At SpringBack Chiropractic in Surprise, AZ, Dr. Patrick Bain performs a thorough evaluation to determine the source of your symptoms and create a targeted treatment plan.

Common Causes of Numbness and Tingling

Cervical Radiculopathy: Compression of a nerve root in the cervical spine — typically from a disc herniation or vertebral misalignment at C5, C6, C7, or C8 — produces numbness, tingling, and often weakness in specific patterns in the arm and hand. Each cervical nerve root follows a distinct path (dermatome) in the arm, allowing precise localization of the compression level based on symptom pattern. This is often the cause of numbness and tingling in the hands, particularly when it is associated with neck pain.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: The brachial plexus (the network of nerves supplying the entire arm) can be compressed between the collarbone and first rib, or under a tight pectoralis minor muscle. Thoracic outlet syndrome produces numbness and tingling in the arm and hand, often worse with overhead activities or at night.

Lumbar Radiculopathy and Sciatica: Nerve root compression in the lumbar spine produces numbness and tingling in specific leg and foot patterns, corresponding to the level of compression. L4-L5-S1 disc problems are particularly common causes of leg and foot numbness — often associated with sciatica and low back pain.

Peripheral Neuropathy: Damage to the peripheral nerves — from diabetes, toxic exposure, nutritional deficiency (especially B12), or chronic inflammation — can produce diffuse numbness and tingling, typically in a “stocking and glove” pattern (starting in the feet and hands).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Compression of the median nerve at the wrist produces numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger — often worse at night.

How SpringBack Chiropractic Treats Numbness and Tingling

Advanced BioStructural Correction: The majority of numbness and tingling conditions seen at SpringBack Chiropractic have a significant spinal structural component. ABC corrects the cervical and lumbar vertebral misalignments that are compressing nerve roots, reducing and resolving the neurological symptoms that result. For patients with cervical radiculopathy or lumbar radiculopathy, this is typically the most important intervention.

Cold Laser Therapy: Class IV cold laser therapy applied along the affected nerve pathway promotes nerve healing, reduces inflammation around the compressed nerve root or peripheral nerve, and can accelerate recovery significantly. For patients with peripheral neuropathy in particular, regular laser therapy is one of the most effective conservative treatments available — improving nerve conduction and reducing symptom severity progressively over a course of treatment.

Nutrition Response Testing: Nutritional factors play a critical role in nerve health. Vitamin B12 deficiency directly causes peripheral neuropathy. B6, folate, alpha-lipoic acid, and magnesium are all critical for nerve function. Heavy metal toxicity (lead, mercury, thallium) can cause peripheral nerve damage. NRT identifies these nutritional contributions and allows Dr. Bain to address the chemical dimension of nerve dysfunction alongside the structural dimension.

Endonasal Correction: When numbness and tingling affects the face, scalp, or is associated with cranial nerve symptoms, endonasal correction may address a cranial structural component.

What to Tell Dr. Bain at Your First Visit

The more specific you can be about your numbness and tingling, the more precisely Dr. Bain can target his assessment and treatment. Be prepared to describe:

• Exactly where the numbness and tingling occurs (which fingers, which areas of the hand/arm/leg/foot)
• When it started and whether it has progressed
• What makes it better or worse (positions, activities, time of day)
• Whether it is associated with pain, weakness, or other symptoms
• Any relevant medical history — diabetes, thyroid conditions, alcohol use, prior spine surgery

This information, combined with a thorough structural and neurological examination, allows Dr. Bain to identify the most likely source of your symptoms and create an effective treatment plan.

Patients throughout Surprise, Peoria, Sun City, Glendale, and the West Valley trust SpringBack Chiropractic for numbness and tingling that has not been adequately addressed elsewhere. Call (623) 294-6564 or request your appointment online to schedule your evaluation.