Axis Spine & Disc

Numbness & tingling · Olathe, Kansas

Numbness & Tingling in the Arms or Legs

Numbness in an arm or leg often starts at the spine.

A compressed nerve root produces a specific pattern of numbness. The evaluation finds where the nerve is under pressure and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.

  • For tingling, pins and needles or a limb that keeps falling asleep
  • Nonsurgical treatment when the source is a spinal nerve root
  • A clear answer on the source and on candidacy at the first visit
  • Refunded in full if you are not a candidate
  • 25 years in practice
  • 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
  • 5.0 on Google · 60 reviews
A patient reclined in the seated treatment chair at the clinic
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits$149 · Olathe, KS

Sound familiar?

Does this sound like your numbness & tingling?

Buttons, keys and handwriting become awkward. Standing or walking on a foot you cannot fully feel is unnerving. Sleep is broken by an arm or leg that goes dead. Because numbness does not always hurt, many people wait far too long to have it evaluated.

  • A patch of skin that feels asleep or dead
  • Dropping things or a weak grip
  • A foot you cannot fully feel
  • It comes with neck or back pain, or with certain positions
  • You have been waiting for it to go away on its own

Common symptoms of numbness & tingling

  • Tingling, pins and needles or numbness in a specific area of an arm, hand, leg or foot
  • A limb that "falls asleep" easily or feels heavy
  • Altered sensation that comes with neck or back pain, or with position
  • Dropping things, a weak grip or a foot that catches
  • Burning or cold sensations along one limb

If two or more of these are true, an evaluation is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.

What numbness & tingling is

What numbness & tingling is, and why it keeps coming back

Sensation travels along nerves that leave the spine, pass through the shoulder or pelvis, and run down the limb. Pressure anywhere on that route changes the signal. A disc or narrowed opening at the spine affects a specific strip of skin — a dermatome — which is why the pattern of numbness tells us which level is involved. Pressure at the wrist, the elbow or the knee produces a different pattern, and conditions such as diabetes or vitamin deficiency produce another.

Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.

Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.

It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.

How we treat it

Our treatment gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.

Seated and reclined. The space around the nerve opens as the vertebrae separate.

Numbness & Tingling treatment options

Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.

None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.

Nonsurgical treatment options for numbness & tingling

  • Position and load changes specific to the nerve involved
  • Physical therapy including nerve mobilization
  • Medical evaluation for causes that are not mechanical (blood sugar, vitamin levels, medication effects)
  • Our nonsurgical treatment when a disc or narrowed opening at the spine is compressing the nerve root
  • Referral to a neurologist or surgeon when the pattern warrants it
Usual approachWhat it does
Rest and iceReduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc.
Pain medicationBlocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source.
InjectionsReduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily.
Physical therapyStrengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver.
SurgeryRemoves or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated.

Our approach

Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adjust.

We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.

  1. 01

    Evaluate

    Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.

  2. 02

    Treat

    Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.

  3. 03

    Measure

    Track your response to treatment.

  4. 04

    Adjust

    Modify the approach based on how you respond.

Why evaluation matters for numbness & tingling

The pattern and the accompanying findings — reflexes, strength, which movements change it — tell us whether the nerve is compressed at the spine or somewhere else, and whether it is a single nerve or a more general process. Some causes are treated here; some need a physician or a neurologist. The evaluation decides which.

How we evaluate numbness & tingling

We map exactly where sensation is changed, test strength and reflexes, examine the spine and the limb, and compare the pattern with your imaging if you have it. If the nerve is being compressed at a spinal level our approach suits, we explain the plan and the measures we will track. If the source is elsewhere, we tell you and help you get the right evaluation.

When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Numbness that is spreading quickly, numbness on both sides, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, weakness that is getting worse, or numbness with confusion, facial drooping or trouble speaking is an emergency. Call 911 or go to an emergency department.

What a treatment visit is like

Nonsurgical — no injections, no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and a visit is short. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the evaluation.

Honest about who it's for

It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The evaluation is how we find out whether you are that patient.

The first step

Start with an evaluation.

Evaluation + 3 treatment visits

$149

We evaluate your condition, determine whether you are an appropriate candidate, and begin treatment if appropriate. No package. No long-term commitment.

Schedule Your Evaluation

If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.

What's included

  • A one-on-one consultation about your symptoms, history and what you have already tried
  • A focused spine and nerve examination
  • Review of any imaging you already have (MRI, CT or X-ray)
  • A clear answer on whether our nonsurgical approach is appropriate for you
  • Three treatment visits, if you are a candidate
  • A written summary of what we found and what we recommend

Plan on about 45 minutes for the first visit. Treatment visits after that are short.

What you'll learn

What you walk out knowing

1What is actually contributing to your symptoms

Not a guess from a report — findings from an examination read alongside your imaging.

2Whether you are a candidate

A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, you are refunded and pointed to the right care.

3How your body responds to treatment

If you are a candidate, you begin treatment at the first visit and we record your response.

4What we recommend, and why

In writing, after three treatment visits, with no obligation.

Patient reviews

From patients who came in with the same thing.

Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.

“Foot pain from sciatica used to flare up bad just from standing too long. … that pain's way down now — I can stand and walk around without it acting up, which was the whole reason I came in for the herniated disc.”

Clairelle W.Verified Google review

“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”

Aaron B.Verified Google review

“Sciatica and back pain had me pretty miserable, but it's so much better now.”

Michael P.Verified Google review

Read all 60 reviews on Google

FAQ

Questions about numbness & tingling

What happens during my first visit?
Three things. We talk about your symptoms, your history and what you have already tried. We examine your spine and the nerves that leave it, and review any imaging you bring. Then, if you are a candidate, you begin treatment the same day. Plan on about 45 minutes.
How much does the initial visit cost?
$149. That covers the evaluation and three treatment visits. If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full. Anything beyond those visits is discussed with you in person, in writing, after we know how you respond.
How does the treatment work?
It is nonsurgical, and you are seated and reclined for it — not face-down and not in a harness. The system gently separates the vertebrae to take pressure off a disc and the nerve beside it, then releases, in a controlled cycle. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, and the settings are set for you. Whether it is appropriate for you depends on your evaluation. How we treat, in plain English.
Do I need an MRI?
Not to be evaluated. The examination comes first, and many patients are treated on the basis of the examination alone. If your findings warrant imaging, we will say so and help you arrange it.
Can I bring my MRI?
Please do. Bring the report and, if you have it, the disc or a link to the images. We read your imaging alongside the examination rather than instead of it.
Do you accept insurance?
The evaluation and treatment visits are self-pay at the price listed on this site, and we can provide an itemized receipt for a health savings or flexible spending account. Call (913) 355-5998 with questions about your situation.
How long does treatment take?
The first visit is about 45 minutes. A treatment visit after that is short — most people are in and out in well under half an hour. How long a course of care lasts depends on your condition and your response, which is exactly what the evaluation and first treatment visits are for.

All questions

Evaluation + 3 treatment visits · $149

Schedule a numbness & tingling evaluation

Tell us how to reach you and we'll call to find a time. Prefer to talk now? Call (913) 355-5998 or text us.

  • Mon – Wed9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
  • Thu9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Fri – SunClosed

If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.

Find out whether we can help with your numbness & tingling.

Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Suite A, Olathe, KS

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