Why Does My Leg Go Numb When I Walk? | La Jolla, CA

If your leg or foot starts going numb when you walk but feels better when you sit down, one of the first things Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC wants to know is how far you can walk before it happens.

Some patients can walk for 20 or 30 minutes before they notice anything. Others get five minutes down the street and start feeling tingling in the calf, numbness in the foot or a heavy feeling in the leg. They sit down for a few minutes, the symptoms settle, and they can get up and walk again.

Another patient may notice something even more specific: walking upright is difficult, but leaning forward over a shopping cart allows them to walk considerably farther.

Those details matter.

After more than 22 years working with disc injuries, sciatica and Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, Dr. Boelk has seen many patients who initially focused only on the numbness. During the consultation, however, the pattern around the numbness often provides some of the most useful information.

Leg numbness that appears with walking can sometimes be related to irritation or compression of nerves in the lower back. Disc problems, foraminal narrowing and spinal stenosis are among the possibilities, but there are other causes of leg numbness as well.

The goal shouldn't be to guess which one you have. It should be to figure out why it's happening.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Was Having Pain Radiating Down My Legs, I Couldn’t Sleep, I Could Barely Walk.”

“After treatment I am back to shoveling snow, teaching school, taking walks.”

“My name is Lynn. I am from Alaska, and I just want to say it was totally worth taking a trip to go to the Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego. I was having pain radiating down my legs, I couldn’t sleep, I could barely walk.

After treatment I am back to shoveling snow, teaching school, taking walks. So, I just want to thank Dr. Boelk and the clinic, you guys are wonderful, and you have created such a wonderful, friendly, kind and truly caring atmosphere. I highly encourage anybody that might be considering spinal decompression therapy, it really makes a difference.”

— Lynn C., Alaska

Lynn traveled from Alaska to see Dr. Boelk after her leg symptoms had reached the point where she could barely walk. Following care, she described being able to take walks, teach school and shovel snow again.

That's one of the reasons Dr. Boelk pays so much attention to function rather than only asking a patient to rate pain from 1–10. If you used to walk three miles and now you're stopping after half a mile because your foot is going numb, that change is important even if you aren't experiencing severe pain.

Start With a No-Charge Consultation With Dr. Boelk

If you're in La Jolla and your walking tolerance is changing because of numbness, tingling or pain in your leg, you don't have to decide whether you want spinal decompression before coming into the office.

The first decision is much simpler: Is this worth having an experienced doctor look at?

During your No-Charge Consultation, Dr. Boelk will personally:

• Listen to how your symptoms started and how they've changed.

• Go over exactly where the numbness, tingling or pain travels.

• Discuss how long you can stand or walk before the symptoms begin.

• Look at what makes the symptoms better or worse.

• Discuss previous treatments and how you responded.

• Review your actual MRI images and report if you already have them.

• Compare what appears on the imaging with what you're actually experiencing.

• Discuss whether further examination or imaging may be appropriate.

• Determine whether Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression may be an option.

• Answer your questions and explain what he believes makes sense as a next step.

If you don't have an MRI, that's okay. You can still schedule the consultation.

There is no charge and no obligation to begin treatment. If Dr. Boelk doesn't believe you're a good candidate for his care, he'll tell you.

Dr. Boelk performs these consultations personally rather than handing them off to a salesperson or simply having someone look at an MRI report. Because he is also treating his existing patients throughout the week, the office can only set aside a limited number of No-Charge Consultation appointments in the schedule.

Once those appointments are filled, new patients are scheduled into the next available openings.

Call 619-298-0800 and ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation with Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC.

What Happens When You Stop Walking?

This is something worth paying attention to before your consultation because the answer can be helpful.

If the numbness begins after 10 minutes of walking, what do you have to do to make it stop? Can you simply stand still, or do you need to sit down? Does bending forward help? How long does it take before the leg feels normal again?

Once the symptoms settle, see what happens when you begin walking again. Some patients find they can walk approximately the same distance before the symptoms return.

You don't need to repeatedly provoke the numbness to test yourself. Just pay attention to the pattern you're already experiencing.

Useful things to notice include:

• Approximately how long you can walk comfortably.

• Where the numbness begins.

• Whether it travels farther down the leg as you continue walking.

• Whether sitting makes it better.

• Whether leaning forward changes it.

• Whether standing in one place causes the same symptoms.

• Whether one leg or both legs are involved.

• Whether you're also experiencing back pain.

These details can help Dr. Boelk understand whether the symptoms behave like a problem originating in the lower back or whether something else needs to be considered.

What Does the Shopping Cart Have to Do With Your Back?

Dr. Boelk occasionally hears something very specific from patients: “I have trouble walking normally, but I can walk around Costco if I lean on the cart.”

Patients don't always think to mention it because it sounds unrelated.

It isn't.

For some people with lumbar spinal stenosis, standing and walking upright can bring on leg symptoms while sitting or leaning forward may provide relief. That pattern by itself doesn't diagnose spinal stenosis, but it's useful information when combined with the rest of the history, examination and imaging.

Other patients behave completely differently. Sitting may aggravate their symptoms while getting up and moving around makes them feel better.

Two patients can both say, “My leg goes numb,” while having very different problems.

Numbness Isn't the Same as Weakness

This is an important distinction.

Numbness is a change in sensation. Weakness means you're losing the ability to make a muscle perform normally. A person can have numbness without weakness, but Dr. Boelk wants to know immediately if strength is changing too.

Pay attention to things such as:

• Difficulty lifting the front of your foot.

• A foot that has started slapping the ground.

• Trouble walking on your heels.

• Difficulty pushing up onto your toes.

• One leg becoming noticeably weaker on stairs.

• Catching your foot or tripping more frequently.

Progressively increasing weakness should be evaluated rather than repeatedly pushed through.

Rapidly progressing weakness, new bowel or bladder dysfunction, difficulty urinating, or numbness around the groin or saddle area requires prompt medical evaluation.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Have 3 Bulging Disc and One Is Touching the Nerve”

“It really helps keep me in my active life.”

“I travel from the UK to see Dr Boelk and his wonderful team . I have 3 bulging disc and one is touching the nerve. I have the spinal decompression treatment and it really helps keep me in my active life . I will not go to anyone else for back treatment, this place is number one and they genuinely care about their patients.”

— Lisa S., United Kingdom

Lisa travels from the United Kingdom for care and specifically describes spinal decompression as helping her remain active.

Her experience also brings up an important point. Having a bulging disc on an MRI doesn't automatically mean that disc is responsible for your symptoms, and it doesn't automatically make someone a candidate for spinal decompression.

The MRI has to make sense with what's actually happening to the patient.

Your MRI Report Is Only Part of the Story

A typical lumbar MRI report may contain several findings: a disc bulge at one level, degeneration somewhere else, foraminal narrowing, facet changes or spinal stenosis.

It's easy to read that report and assume every abnormality needs to be treated.

Dr. Boelk looks at it differently.

If your right foot becomes numb when you walk, he wants to know whether there is something on the actual MRI images that could reasonably explain that symptom. Does the spinal level make sense? Does the nerve involved match the area of numbness? Does the way the symptoms behave fit what he's seeing?

That's why Dr. Boelk prefers to review the actual MRI images whenever they're available rather than relying only on the written radiology report.

There are also situations where additional evaluation is needed because leg numbness isn't always coming from the spine. Peripheral nerve problems, circulation issues and other medical conditions can produce symptoms in the leg as well.

Could Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Help?

Possibly, if the numbness is related to a condition Dr. Boelk treats and you're an appropriate candidate.

Dr. Boelk evaluates patients with disc bulges, disc herniations, degenerative disc disease, disc-related sciatica, foraminal narrowing and selected cases of spinal stenosis. The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego uses the DRX9000 exclusively for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

Before recommending treatment, Dr. Boelk considers much more than the diagnosis written on an MRI report. He looks at the history, symptoms, neurological findings, imaging when available, spinal stability, bone health, previous surgery and other medical factors.

Some patients should not receive spinal decompression. Examples can include:

• An unhealed spinal fracture.

• Significant osteoporosis.

• Unstable spondylolisthesis.

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm.

• Pregnancy for lumbar decompression.

• Certain malignancies.

• Metal fusion or hardware at the level that would need treatment.

• Other conditions that make decompression unsafe or inappropriate.

This is one reason candidacy is determined before treatment begins.

★ Not Everyone Who Comes to the Office Is Accepted for Treatment

“We both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues.”

“I found this terrific practice on social media. I followed up and did my own research so I decided to pay them a visit. The place is clean, well organized and run by a very efficient receptionist. I met with the doctor and after a honest and forthright conversation, we both determined that surgery was my only option to correct my back issues. I will return as a customer when the time is right.”

— Jeff J., Tucson, AZ

Jeff traveled from Tucson hoping to find an option for his back problem. After the consultation, he and Dr. Boelk determined that surgery was the appropriate direction for his particular condition.

That's part of what the consultation is for.

Dr. Boelk has seven DRX9000 spinal decompression systems in the office, but that doesn't mean everyone who walks through the door belongs on one. If he doesn't believe decompression is appropriate for you, he would rather tell you that than put you through treatment that he doesn't expect to help.

Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC

Dr. Boelk has more than 22 years of experience with Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments.

His professional background includes:

• Doctor of Chiropractic

• Certified Spinal Decompression Doctor

• Certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)

• Founder, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Training Academy

• Trains other doctors in spinal decompression protocols and techniques

• Founding Member, American Spinal Decompression Society

• Member, International Disc Education Association

• California X-Ray Radiation Supervisor & Operator

Dr. Boelk also understands spinal injury personally. He suffered an L5 compression fracture at age 16 and later dealt with disc injuries and sciatica. He continues to surf, play hockey and exercise, which is one reason he pays so much attention to getting patients back to the activities that matter to them.

How Far Could You Walk Six Months Ago?

For someone whose leg goes numb with walking, this may be a better question than asking how much pain you have today.

Think back six months.

Maybe you could walk for an hour without thinking about your leg. Then it became 30 minutes. Now the numbness starts after 10.

Maybe you're still getting through your day, but you've quietly changed how you do it. You're parking closer. You're taking fewer walks. You're looking for somewhere to sit when you go out. You're leaning on the shopping cart because it allows you to stay on your feet longer.

Those changes can happen gradually enough that you don't realize how much you've adapted around the problem.

If your walking tolerance is improving, that's encouraging. If it's steadily decreasing, getting an experienced opinion before it becomes even more limiting makes sense.

You don't have to commit to treatment to do that.

The No-Charge Consultation gives you an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Boelk, explain what's happening and have him review your MRI if you already have one. He can then tell you whether he believes you're a candidate for his care, whether additional evaluation may be needed or whether another direction makes more sense.

There is no charge and no obligation.

Because Dr. Boelk personally performs these consultations, availability is limited. The office can only work a certain number into the schedule while he continues treating his existing patients.

Call 619-298-0800 to ask about the next available No-Charge Consultation.

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

619-298-0800
SanDiegoBackCare.com

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