Numbness and tingling shouldn't have you on pins and needles

Numbness and tingling can be common sensations affecting the daily lives of many.

"A lot of times I think people think it will just go away with time, and then if it doesn't, then they start to worry about it.," explained Dr. Trevor Clark from Connect Chiropractic.

Pernicious anaemia, a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause numbness and tingling, especially if both sides of your body are affected. Diabetic neuropathy, as well as general nerve damage, can also trigger numb and tingly feelings in your body.

But numbness and tingling don't necessarily escape affecting your spinal area. According to Dr. Jane Peterson, disc bulges or herniation and misalignment of the spine can cause irritation to your nerve, resulting in odd sensations occurring along your spine.

Other places where individuals often feel numb can include down the arms, sometimes into the hands, or down their legs leading into their feet.

"Sometimes we also experience people coming in complaining of numbness going into one side of the face," said Peterson. "This can be something that's constant, especially when it comes to the arms."

In some cases, as well, feelings of numbness may only occur at night.

Quick fixes and preventative steps towards dealing with numbness and tingling are taken on a case-by-case basis, Clark says.

"We do want to look at someone's lifestyle and see if there's something that's causing this, especially repetitive things."

A common cause of tingling in the arms at night can be attributed to sleeping with a pillow that is too thick, or multiple pillows at once which can push their head forward.

Texting or time on any electronic device, too, can lead to "text neck" when its use results in you assuming a forward head posture, says Clark.

According to Peterson, numbness in the lower extremities can occur because of poor seated posture, including crossed legs. "That can be irritating the nerves and cause that numbness and tingling into the legs."

An assessment of muscles that can contribute to a tingling sensation can help in decreasing the feeling over time. These issues, explained Clark, can cause areas of your spine to lock up over time, which puts greater stress on your nerves and can travel throughout your body.

Chiropractic care focusing on regaining full movement in these joints, allowing a chance for the affected nerves to heal.

"We also want to take a look at the muscles around the spine, so we'll actually work on the muscles and loosen them up a bit," said Peterson.