Numbness & Tingling in Arms or Legs — Mission Viejo Chiropractor
Where you feel it is rarely where it starts. The scan finds where it starts.
Numbness and tingling in the arms, hands, legs, or feet is usually a nerve compression problem at the spine rather than a problem in the limb itself. At Foudy Chiropractic in Mission Viejo, a surface EMG reads how each nerve root is functioning level by level, a Wartenberg pinwheel maps the affected dermatomes, and reflex testing at the knee and Achilles confirms the pattern. Digital X-rays then show the structure causing it. Treatment targets the level identified, not the limb where the symptom is felt.
What it feels like
If several of these sound like you, they are worth measuring rather than guessing at.
- Pins and needles in the hands or fingers, especially at night
- A leg or foot that goes numb after sitting or standing
- Burning or electric sensation along one specific path
- A limb that feels weak or clumsy
- Numbness that follows a line rather than covering a whole area
- Symptoms that come and go with certain positions
| Relief | Correction | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Quiet the symptom | Address the cause |
| Typical length | A few visits | A course of care, then maintenance |
| What is included | Adjustment and modalities | Adjustment, modalities, and corrective exercise |
| Re-testing | Not usually | Progress exam against your own baseline |
| Likelihood it returns | Higher | Lower, if the exercise work is done |
What this means for you: both are legitimate choices, and Dr. Foudy will not push you toward the longer one. You just make the choice knowing which one you picked, and what it does and does not buy you.
Dermatomes tell you where to look
Nerves from each spinal level supply a specific, mapped patch of skin — a dermatome. Where the numbness sits tells a trained examiner which level is involved before any imaging happens. Dr. Foudy maps it with a Wartenberg pinwheel and confirms with reflex testing at the knee and Achilles.
Then the surface EMG measures function at each level and the X-ray shows the structure. Three independent readings that either agree or send him looking further.
Treating the cause, not the limb
Cervical traction is excellent for the numbness and tingling that radiate down the arms and fingers from a cervical disc herniation or spondylosis. Lumbar flexion-distraction and AccuSpina decompression address the low-back nerve compressions that send symptoms into the legs and feet.
If the pattern does not fit a spinal cause — and sometimes it does not — Dr. Foudy refers you to the specialist who handles it.
In summary: numbness & tingling at Foudy Chiropractic
- What it is. Where you feel it is rarely where it starts. The scan finds where it starts.
- How it is found. Surface EMG reads nerve-root function level by level, digital X-rays show the structure, and palpation validates both — so the cause is measured rather than guessed at.
- How it is treated. Chiropractic adjustment, the open-floor modalities, and where discs are involved, AccuSpina spinal decompression. Corrective exercise follows so the correction holds.
- What it costs. An adjustment visit is $90 with every modality included. Decompression plans are quoted in person after your exam.
- Where. Foudy Chiropractic, 28892 Marguerite Pkwy #150, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 — (949) 365-0403.
Numbness & Tingling — questions people ask
Is numbness serious?
It can be. Numbness means a nerve is not conducting properly, and nerves that stay compressed for long periods do not always recover fully. It is worth getting examined rather than waiting it out.
Can a pinched nerve heal on its own?
Sometimes, if the compression resolves. When it does not resolve — which is the usual reason people come in — the compression has to be addressed mechanically.
What is a surface EMG actually measuring?
Dr. Foudy's description: “We're going to do an EKG of your nervous system.” Non-invasive electrodes sit on the skin next to the spine and measure how the nerve roots are functioning — the software, as opposed to the X-ray's hardware.
When should I go to the ER instead?
Sudden loss of bladder or bowel control, rapidly progressing weakness, or numbness in the saddle region are emergencies — go to an emergency room, not a chiropractor.
Other things this office sees every week
Sciatica
Pain running from the low back into the buttock and down the leg. Dr. Foudy hears this almost every day — and can almost always help.
Read more →Lower Back Pain
The most common reason people walk through this door — and the one Dr. Foudy says he can almost always help.
Read more →Neck Pain
“Every time I turn my neck a certain way, I get this shooting pain into my shoulder blades.” He hears it constantly.
Read more →Headaches & Migraines
“I'm getting these headaches that are kind of all over my head.” Many of them start at the top of the neck.
Read more →Herniated & Bulging Discs
A gentler alternative to medication or surgery — decompression with oscillation at maximum load.
Read more →Forward Head Posture
The posture your desk gave you — measurable, and correctable.
Read more →Sports Injuries & Performance
The chiropractor behind a gold medal team. What the athletes got is what you get.
Read more →Whiplash & Auto Injury
Symptoms often arrive days after the collision. The exam finds what the adrenaline hid.
Read more →Scoliosis
A curve that is measured, tracked, and worked on — not just watched.
Read more →Shoulder & Hip Pain
Almost every joint in the body can be adjusted — not just the spine.
Read more →Pregnancy & Prenatal Care
Gentle care for the back and pelvic pain that pregnancy brings with it.
Read more →Get an answer, not a guess.
One visit tells you whether numbness & tingling is something this office can help with. You will see your own scan and your own X-rays before any plan is proposed.