Tingling and Numbness: What It Means and What to Do

Have you ever experienced the sensation of having your hand or foot “fall asleep”? Once feeling starts to come back, you can feel as though you’re being poked by tiny pins and needles.

It can be disconcerting and unpleasant to say the least, but understanding what is happening and what to do about it can get you through the discomfort. Keep reading to learn more about tingling and numbness and how your chiropractor can address these symptoms.

Why Extremities Can Tingle or Go Numb

Most of the time, areas of the body can feel tingly or numb when blood flow is being restricted and when nerves are pinched. For instance, when you sleep in an odd position over your arm for a long time, you may lose feeling there because blood isn’t flowing easily. When you wake up or move, your circulation improves and you feel back to normal within a few minutes. This is a simple, mild example, but you can clearly see the problem and the solution in the most basic way.

Although tingling and numbness may not always be seriously concerning, such as in the example given above, these are important symptoms telling you that something isn’t quite right. Sometimes, your arms, legs, hands, or fingers can feel numb or tingly after a neck or back injury or issue like spinal stenosis or a herniated disc. Although the damage has taken place elsewhere, it can manifest in these areas because the nerves are connected to the spinal cord.

How a Chiropractor Can Help with Tingling and Numbness

Every now and then, these symptoms in your extremities shouldn’t worry you. However, if you are consistently having these sensations or they last for more than a few hours, it could be a sign that you need professional help. Your chiropractor can identify where the potential problem is originating from and treat the underlying cause.  

Keep in mind that if you feel tingling in your neck or back, you could be suffering from nerve damage and require more intensive care, but the chiropractor is a great resource to turn to and get on the path to feeling as close to normal again as possible.

By making sure your spine is properly aligned, your chiropractor can ease pressure off nerves, allow for better circulation throughout your body, and reduce the tingling and numbness you feel in your extremities.

You don’t have to live with “pins and needles” as a regular part of life. Talk to your chiropractor about your symptoms and keep normal feeling in your extremities!

About the Author

With more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Chad Wills has become a local expert for patients in Naples. He is one of only two chiropractors in Collier and Lee county to be certified in Chiropractic Biophysics, the most studied treatment protocols in the field. If you are experiencing numbness and tingling, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Wills and Wills Chiropractic by calling the office at 239-331-6060 or visiting the Contact Us page.