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Can Spinal Decompression Help a Pinched Nerve? – San Diego, CA

Can Spinal Decompression Help a Pinched Nerve? – San Diego, CA

When a “Pinched Nerve” Does Not Go Away

A pinched nerve can cause much more than pain in the neck or lower back.

Depending on which nerve is affected, symptoms may travel into the shoulder, arm, hand, buttock, leg, or foot. Some people feel burning or electrical pain. Others develop numbness, tingling, weakness, or a heavy feeling in one arm or leg.

Common symptoms include:

  • Pain traveling down the arm or leg

  • Numbness or tingling in the hand or foot

  • Burning or electrical sensations

  • Weakness in an arm or leg

  • Pain that becomes worse while sitting or driving

  • Difficulty sleeping comfortably

  • Symptoms that return despite medication, stretching, or therapy

When these symptoms continue, the most important question is not simply how to calm the nerve temporarily. It is:

What is placing pressure on the nerve, and can that pressure be reduced without surgery?

When the nerve irritation is connected to a bulging, herniated, protruding, or extruded spinal disc, non-surgical spinal decompression may be able to help.

A Bulging Disc Was Pressing Against His Sciatic Nerve

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“I have been dealing with back pain for several years. It got so bad that I had surgery five years ago for a bulging disc.

About five months ago, the disc bulged again, hitting my sciatic nerve and creating pain in my legs that made me want to cry—it hurt so bad.

After trying so many other options, I was fortunate enough to find The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego.

After just a few sessions, I noticed a difference. Now, after being there for the past few months, I'm able to go about my normal life again.

What a blessing it was to find a doctor who genuinely cares and knows how to help people in my situation.

Thank you, Dr. Boelk!”

— Anthony K., San Diego, CA

Anthony’s experience is his own, and no treatment can guarantee the same result for every patient. His story illustrates how pressure from a damaged spinal disc can irritate a nerve and create symptoms far beyond the lower back.

Find Out What Is Irritating Your Nerve

If pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness is interfering with your sleep, work, exercise, driving, or daily activities, call 619-298-0800 to schedule a complimentary no-charge consultation with Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC.

Bring your MRI or other recent imaging if available. Dr. Boelk will review your condition, answer your questions, and tell you directly whether you appear to be a candidate for non-surgical spinal decompression.

Call 619-298-0800 today to schedule your consultation. Hablamos Español.

“Pinched Nerve” Is Not the Complete Diagnosis

A pinched nerve describes what may be happening, but it does not identify the condition responsible for the nerve irritation.

Possible causes include:

  • A bulging or herniated disc

  • A disc protrusion or extrusion

  • Degenerative disc changes

  • Loss of disc height

  • Inflammation surrounding a spinal nerve

  • Foraminal narrowing

  • Spinal instability

  • A recent injury or fracture

  • A problem outside the spine that imitates nerve pain

This distinction matters because two people with similar symptoms may require completely different treatment.

Spinal decompression is designed to address certain disc-related causes of nerve pressure. It will not correct every condition capable of producing pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.

Pinched Nerves in the Lower Back

Nerves originating in the lumbar spine travel through the buttocks and legs.

When a lumbar disc becomes damaged or compressed, it may begin to bulge or herniate toward one of these nerves. The resulting pressure and inflammation can produce:

  • Sciatica

  • Burning pain through the buttock or leg

  • Numbness in the calf, foot, or toes

  • Tingling or electrical sensations

  • Weakness in the leg or foot

  • Pain that becomes worse while sitting

  • Difficulty standing or walking comfortably

Some patients experience severe leg symptoms with very little lower-back pain. This can make it easy to assume the problem is located in the hip, knee, or leg when the nerve irritation is actually originating in the lumbar spine.

Pinched Nerves in the Neck

Nerves originating in the cervical spine travel into the shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers.

When a cervical disc bulges or herniates toward a nerve, symptoms may include:

  • Neck or shoulder-blade pain

  • Pain traveling down one arm

  • Numbness or tingling in the hand

  • Burning or electrical pain

  • Weakness in the arm or hand

  • Reduced grip strength

  • Symptoms that become worse with certain neck positions

The pattern of symptoms can help identify which nerve may be involved. However, the physical examination and imaging are needed to determine the actual cause.

How Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression May Help

Non-surgical spinal decompression uses computer-controlled pulling and releasing cycles to gently reduce pressure at a targeted area of the spine.

At The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego, lumbar and cervical conditions are treated on DRX9000 spinal decompression systems specifically configured for the area involved.

For an appropriate patient, decompression may help:

  • Reduce pressure affecting the spinal nerve

  • Decrease pain traveling into the arm or leg

  • Improve fluid and nutrient movement within the disc

  • Reduce protective muscle tightness

  • Improve tolerance for sitting, standing, and walking

  • Improve comfort during daily activities

  • Help the patient progress into appropriate rehabilitation exercises

Spinal decompression is not simply a forceful stretch of the entire spine. The treatment level, angle, force, positioning, and progression must be matched to the patient’s diagnosis, anatomy, symptoms, and response.

Why Symptoms in the Hand or Foot Can Come From the Spine

Patients are sometimes surprised to learn that numbness in the fingers or toes may originate in the spine.

The spinal nerves act like communication lines between the spinal cord and different areas of the body. When a nerve becomes compressed or inflamed near the spine, symptoms can be felt anywhere along that nerve’s pathway.

However, not all hand or foot symptoms originate in the spine. Conditions involving peripheral nerves, circulation, diabetes, the hip, the shoulder, or other areas can sometimes produce similar symptoms.

That is why treatment should not begin based solely on where the symptoms are felt.

Why Dr. Boelk Reviews the Actual Images

An MRI report may identify several abnormalities, but not every disc bulge or degenerative change is causing symptoms.

Dr. Boelk reviews the available images and compares them with:

  • The exact location of the pain

  • The pattern of numbness or tingling

  • Muscle-strength changes

  • Reflex findings

  • Orthopedic and neurological examination results

  • Previous treatment and surgical history

  • Weight-bearing spinal alignment

  • Signs of instability

  • Activities and positions that aggravate the symptoms

When appropriate, weight-bearing and flexion-extension X-rays may also be taken. These images can reveal movement or instability that may not appear on an MRI performed while the patient is lying down.

The goal is to determine whether the imaging findings match the symptoms and whether decompression can be performed safely.

Not Every Patient With a Pinched Nerve Is a Candidate

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“I decided to see Dr. Boelk after a pretty gnarly motocross neck injury. At the hospital I was at, I felt I was getting pressured into a surgery, which I refused.

A friend of a friend referred him after Dr. Boelk successfully treated his broken back.

Dr. Boelk is a compassionate individual who truly cares about his patients. He looked at my MRI images, explained what he saw and potential routes for recovery.

He could not treat me, as I have to wait until the fracture in my neck heals, but the level of professionalism, compassion, caring and knowledge displayed by him was exceptional.

He also recommended seeking an additional opinion from another neurosurgeon. My experience was that he really cares and he's not someone who would take advantage of the situation someone's in.

I will definitely be back and already recommended him to others as well! Thank you, Dr. Boelk!”

— Jan H., San Marcos, CA

Dr. Boelk did not recommend treatment while Jan’s fracture was still healing. Her experience demonstrates why safety and proper patient selection must come before starting decompression.

A patient may not qualify because of:

  • Spinal instability

  • Surgical hardware at the treatment level

  • A recent or unhealed fracture

  • Pregnancy when lumbar decompression is being considered

  • Certain advanced spinal conditions

  • Symptoms requiring urgent medical or surgical evaluation

If Dr. Boelk does not believe decompression is appropriate, he will explain why and recommend another direction when possible.

What Can You Do While Waiting to Be Evaluated?

Avoid repeatedly forcing movements that cause symptoms to travel farther into the arm or leg.

A few practical steps may help reduce repeated irritation:

  • Change positions regularly

  • Limit prolonged sitting when it increases symptoms

  • Avoid aggressive stretching of an irritated arm or leg

  • Stop exercises that increase numbness or tingling

  • Avoid repeated bending, twisting, or heavy lifting

  • Keep screens closer to eye level if neck position aggravates arm symptoms

  • Take short walks if walking is comfortable

  • Pay attention to whether symptoms are improving or spreading

The right exercise depends on the cause of the nerve irritation. A movement that helps one person may aggravate another.

When Nerve Symptoms Require Immediate Medical Attention

Seek urgent medical attention if symptoms include:

  • New loss of bladder or bowel control

  • Numbness in the groin or saddle region

  • Rapidly progressing weakness

  • Sudden loss of coordination

  • Severe symptoms following significant trauma

  • Fever or unexplained illness with severe spinal pain

Progressive weakness should not be ignored. A patient who is losing strength in an arm, hand, leg, or foot may require faster neurological or surgical evaluation.

Why Patients Seek Out Dr. Cassidy Boelk, DC

Patients from throughout San Diego seek out Dr. Boelk because his practice is focused on spinal decompression, disc injuries, sciatica, radiating arm pain, and difficult neck and back conditions.

His credentials and experience include:

  • Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

  • Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist

  • More than 21 years of clinical experience

  • Over 100,000 spinal decompression treatments performed

  • Founder of the Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

  • Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

  • Founding Member of the American Spinal Decompression Society

  • Member of the International Disc Education Association

  • California-licensed doctor with X-ray radiography certification

  • Seven DRX9000 spinal decompression systems

  • Four lumbar and three cervical decompression systems

  • Extensive personal experience rehabilitating serious spinal and disc injuries

Dr. Boelk has spent thousands of hours rehabilitating his own neck and lower-back injuries while developing the decompression, rehabilitation, and spinal-stability protocols he uses with appropriate patients.

People travel to his San Diego office from throughout California, other states, Mexico, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom to seek his experience.

Do Not Wait for Numbness or Weakness to Become Your New Normal

Persistent nerve symptoms are your body’s way of indicating that something is irritated or compressed.

You do not have to commit to treatment to get an informed opinion.

Start with a complimentary consultation. Dr. Boelk will review your symptoms, examine your available imaging, and tell you honestly whether non-surgical spinal decompression may be appropriate.

Call Today to Find Out if You Are a Candidate

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego
5095 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92123

Call: 619-298-0800
Website: www.SanDiegoBackCare.com
Hablamos Español

Call 619-298-0800 today to schedule your complimentary no-charge consultation. Find out what is irritating your nerve and whether non-surgical spinal decompression is an appropriate next step.

Get Fast Pain Relief Now

Schedule a Complimentary, No-Charge, No-Obligation Consultation or to submit a question, simply fill out the form to the right and click submit.

(619) 298-0800