Numbness and Tingling

Norton Shores Michigan Chiropractor -- Everybody knows where the "funny bone" is.  The real  'funny' part is that it is not a bone at all.  In fact, the notorious spot is actually located between two bones.  When you bash it into a table or edge of a wall, you experience all sorts of odd sensations.

First of all, you experience pain.  At times, it can be extreme pain, depending on the location and severity of the hit.  Then, a feeling of numbness or tingling shows up in the elbow and runs down the edge of the arm down into the pinky.  If you squeeze your hand, you will notice a loss of strength.  How is this possible?  Why do these symptoms show up in the first place and what does it have to do with you?

When you hit the "funny bone" you are actually hitting a nerve, the ulnar nerve.  This nerve passes in between those two nobby bones in your elbow and travels down the arm into the pinky.  When you hit that nerve, pain, numbness, tingling, burning, and weakness will result.

Well, guess what? The same thing can happen throughout the body if the bones of the spine become misaligned.  Imagine that there is a small opening for those nerves to exit to get into your abdomen, arms, and legs.  If the bones become misaligned, that opening gets smaller, muscles tighten up, and inflammation sets in.  These factors can irritate those nerves, which will cause symptoms just like what is experienced with hitting your "funny bone."  The difference is that these symptoms don't go away within a few minutes because the pressure is constant until the problem gets fixed.

If the misalignment is in the neck, the numbness and tingling can travel to the head, shoulders, and arms.  If the lower back is involved, the symptoms will travel into the buttocks and legs.  Doctors of Chiropractic treat numbness and tingling in the extremities on a daily basis because the cause is usually a pinched nerve in the neck or back.  At Zehr Chiropractic, we commonly find and correct misalignments in the spine which can alleviate this problem so the healing can begin, without drugs or surgery.   Because there is nothing funny about nerve damage.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey L. Zehr

Zehr Chiropractic

Hi! I’m Dr. Jeffrey L. Zehr. I have been in practice since 1999 and started my own practice in Muskegon in 2002. I have a Masters in sports medicine and was a certified athletic trainer for 3 years before going back to chiropractic school where I attended Palmer College of Chiropractic (The Fountain Head). I am Board certified in Atlas Orthogonal and Advanced Proficiency Rated in Activator Methods. We are careful to be sure our patients know we are listening and that we care. We have been told numerous times how thorough we are and how well we explain things regarding their care here. We try to give the patient the information they need to make their own decision that is in their best interest.