Why Does My Leg Go Numb When I Walk? | Mira Mesa, CA

If your leg or foot starts going numb after you walk for a certain amount of time, pay attention to the pattern. Dr. Cassidy James Boelk, DC wants to know how long you can walk before it starts, exactly where the numbness goes and, just as importantly, what you have to do to make it stop.

Some patients can sit without much trouble but develop numbness, tingling or heaviness once they're on their feet. They may walk for 10 or 15 minutes, feel the symptoms begin in the calf or foot, sit down for a few minutes and then be able to walk again. Others notice that leaning forward over a shopping cart lets them walk farther than they can standing upright.

Dr. Boelk has spent more than 22 years working with disc injuries, sciatica and Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression and has performed more than 100,000 spinal decompression treatments. The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego has seven DRX9000 systems and is the largest known Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression clinic in Southern California.

Leg numbness that appears with walking can sometimes be associated with a disc problem, foraminal narrowing, spinal stenosis or irritation of a nerve in the lower back. It can also come from problems outside the spine, so Dr. Boelk doesn't assume someone has sciatica simply because their leg feels numb.

The way the symptoms behave is often where the evaluation starts.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Have Suffered From Leg Numbness and Low Back Pain for 4 Years”

“I haven’t been able to do groceries or even take baths without pain.”

“Hi my name is Rosa Algravez. I have suffered from leg numbness and low back pain for 4 years. I haven’t been able to do groceries or even take baths without pain. I looked for relief with various doctors with no luck. I have done treatments ranging from chiropractic to acupuncture. My husband found Dr. Boelk in the newspaper and we decided since we had tried everything else that we were going to give this a try. After my first few treatments, I feel as though I have returned to 100%. Life for me is completely different.

My husband and I have returned to enjoying life. We travel 300+ miles everyday from Calexico. I can do things now with little to no limitations. The staff makes you feel welcomed and it’s a very family environment. The payments are easy and I would recommend this to anyone suffering with low back pain. Thank You”

— Rosa Algravez, Age 58, Calexico, CA

Rosa's symptoms included leg numbness for four years and had reached the point where normal activities such as grocery shopping had become difficult. She and her husband traveled more than 300 miles from Calexico for her care.

Her story is also a good example of why Dr. Boelk asks patients about what they can actually do. A number on a pain scale doesn't tell him that you have to stop halfway through the grocery store or that you've stopped taking walks because you know what will happen to your leg.

Start With a No-Charge Consultation With Dr. Boelk

If you're in Mira Mesa and your leg is becoming numb when you walk, you don't have to figure out the diagnosis yourself or decide whether you want treatment before coming in.

The first step is finding out whether Dr. Boelk believes your symptoms may be coming from something he treats.

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

• Listen to how the 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 symptoms begin.

• Look at what makes the numbness better or worse.

• Ask about weakness, tripping or changes in the way you're walking.

• Discuss previous treatments and how you responded.

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

• Compare the imaging findings with the symptoms you're 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 the next step.

You don't need an MRI to schedule the consultation. If you already have one, bring the actual images and report whenever possible.

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

Dr. Boelk personally performs these consultations while continuing to treat his existing patients throughout the week. Because of the time involved, the office can only set aside a limited number of No-Charge Consultation appointments in the schedule.

Once those appointments are taken, new patients are offered the next available openings.

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

Why Can Sitting Make the Numbness Go Away?

This is something Dr. Boelk wants patients to describe as specifically as possible.

Suppose you walk for 10 minutes and your foot becomes numb. If you simply stop walking but remain standing, does it improve? Or do you actually have to sit down? What happens if you lean forward? How long does it take before the leg feels normal again?

For some patients with narrowing around the nerves in the lower back, changing position can change the amount of room available around irritated structures. This is one reason some people with lumbar spinal stenosis notice that standing and walking are more difficult while sitting or leaning forward feels better.

That doesn't mean everyone who feels better sitting has spinal stenosis. Disc problems and other conditions can behave differently, and leg numbness can also have causes unrelated to the spine.

Before your consultation, it can help to notice:

• How many minutes you can comfortably walk.

• Where the numbness starts.

• Whether it travels farther as you keep walking.

• Whether sitting makes it disappear.

• Whether leaning forward changes it.

• Whether standing still causes the same problem.

• Whether you're experiencing symptoms in one leg or both.

• Whether the distance you can walk has changed over the last several months.

You don't need to repeatedly push yourself until the leg is completely numb. Dr. Boelk is more interested in the pattern you're already experiencing.

Can You Have a Nerve Problem Without Much Back Pain?

Absolutely.

This surprises some patients because they assume a problem originating in the lower back should cause severe low-back pain.

That's not always what happens.

A lumbar nerve can be irritated and produce symptoms farther down the leg. Depending on which nerve is involved, a patient may notice tingling, burning or numbness in the thigh, calf, foot or toes while having relatively little discomfort in the actual lower back.

This is one reason Dr. Boelk asks where the symptoms travel rather than only where they hurt the most.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I Could Get Back to Surf, Jiu Jitsu and Work”

“Doctor helped me through the whole process, leaving me free to decide the next step and being honest about expectations.”

“When I first came here I was suffering from sciatica pain for several months non stop. I tried many different non invasive treatments, pain killers but relief was just temporary. I heard about Dr. Boelk on social media and after reading other people testimonials about him I decided to try. It felt better since my first session. After 12 I felt I was improving a lot but still had room to get better so we decided trying 12 more. After 36 sessions I felt I was back to normal. I could get back to surf, jiu jitsu and work after 6 months away. Doctor helped me through the whole process, leaving me free to decide the next step and being honest about expectations. I totally recommend for all my friends that suffer from sciatica pain. It’s worth 100%.”

— Yuri Fresia

Yuri's review is useful for another reason: he describes making decisions about continuing care based on how he was actually progressing rather than being promised a predetermined result.

Dr. Boelk looks at treatment the same way. If someone is accepted for care, their response matters. Treatment shouldn't continue simply because somebody originally recommended it.

Numbness and Weakness Are Not the Same Thing

A patient may say, “My leg feels weak,” when what they really mean is that it feels numb or heavy. Dr. Boelk will usually ask more questions because true loss of strength is different from altered sensation.

Things that may indicate a change in strength include:

• Difficulty lifting the front of the foot.

• A foot beginning to slap the ground when you walk.

• Trouble walking on your heels.

• Difficulty pushing up onto your toes.

• One leg becoming noticeably weaker on stairs.

• Catching the foot or tripping more frequently.

If strength is progressively decreasing, that's something to have evaluated rather than repeatedly testing how far you can push through it.

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

What If Your MRI Shows Several Problems?

That's common.

A patient may arrive with an MRI report mentioning a disc bulge, degeneration, foraminal narrowing, facet changes and stenosis. It's understandable to read a report like that and wonder whether your back is falling apart.

Dr. Boelk prefers to look at the actual images and compare them with the patient.

If your right foot becomes numb after 15 minutes of walking, does the MRI show something that could reasonably affect the nerve going into that area? Does the level make sense? Does the way the symptoms behave fit the imaging?

There can also be findings on an MRI that have little to do with the patient's current complaint.

The MRI is important. It just isn't the entire evaluation.

Could Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Help?

It may be an option if the symptoms are 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 clinic uses the DRX9000 exclusively for Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

Before recommending decompression, Dr. Boelk considers the history, neurological symptoms, examination findings, imaging when available, spinal stability, bone health, previous surgery and other medical factors.

There are also patients who should not receive spinal decompression. Depending on the individual situation, concerns can include:

• Significant osteoporosis.

• An unhealed spinal fracture.

• Unstable spondylolisthesis.

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm.

• Pregnancy for lumbar decompression.

• Certain malignancies.

• Metal fusion or hardware at the treatment level.

• Other conditions that make decompression unsafe or inappropriate.

Having an MRI diagnosis doesn't automatically mean someone should be treated.

★ Sometimes the Best Thing Dr. Boelk Can Do Is Tell You Not to Start

“But I'm glad I took the time to meet with him. It was very informative all around.”

“Very nice Dr. and Honest ! I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn't had metal put in there back in a surgery to go to him and give his program a shot. I believe it would definitely help. Just not in my personal case. As I have a lot of hardware in my back. But I'm glad I took the time to meet with him. It was very informative all around.”

— Toni W., Lake Elsinore, CA

Toni wasn't a candidate because of the hardware in her back, but she still felt the consultation was worth having.

That's an important part of the No-Charge Consultation. The purpose isn't to get every person who walks through the door to begin treatment. It's to determine whether Dr. Boelk believes his approach is appropriate for that patient.

More Than 22 Years Focused on Spinal Decompression

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

The Spinal Decompression & Chiropractic Center of San Diego has seven DRX9000 systems and is the largest known Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression clinic in Southern California.

Dr. Boelk's 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 has personal experience with spinal injury. He suffered an L5 compression fracture at age 16 and later dealt with disc injuries and sciatica himself.

Is Your Walking Distance Getting Shorter?

This is worth thinking about because changes in walking tolerance can happen slowly.

Maybe six months ago you could walk for an hour without thinking about your leg. Then you started noticing numbness after 30 minutes. Now it's happening after 10.

You may still be getting through your normal day, but perhaps you're parking closer, taking fewer walks, looking for somewhere to sit when you're out or leaning on the shopping cart because it lets you go farther.

Those are real changes in function.

If the trend is moving in the wrong direction, you don't have to wait until walking becomes extremely difficult before getting an opinion. At the same time, getting an opinion doesn't mean you're committing yourself to treatment.

The No-Charge Consultation gives you a chance to explain what's happening, have Dr. Boelk review your MRI if you have one and find out whether he thinks you're an appropriate candidate for his care. If he doesn't, he'll tell you. If he believes he may be able to help, he'll explain why and what he recommends.

You decide what happens from there.

There is no charge and no obligation.

Because Dr. Boelk performs these consultations himself while continuing to care for his existing patients, the number of appointments available each week is limited. Once those times are taken, the office schedules into the next available openings.

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

Live 24/7 Answering Service • Hablamos Español

Related Articles

Can You Have Sciatica Without Back Pain? | Mira Mesa, CA

Can Spinal Decompression Help Sciatica Nerve Pain? | Mira Mesa, CA