Helping Your Body Heal: The Vizuri Way

Part 01 / Nerve Health

Burning, Tingling, or Numb Feet? What Your Nerves May Be Telling You

Maybe your toes feel as though they have fallen asleep, even when you have been moving around. Perhaps your feet burn when you settle into bed, or you find yourself watching the ground more carefully because you do not feel quite as steady as you used to.

These changes can be easy to explain away. A long day. Uncomfortable shoes. Getting older.

At Vizuri Health Center, we encourage you to pay attention when something feels different. Persistent numbness, tingling, burning, or changes in balance deserve a closer look. Understanding what is happening is the first step toward making informed decisions about your care.

What is peripheral neuropathy?

Your peripheral nerves connect your brain and spinal cord with the rest of your body. Some help you feel touch, temperature, and pressure. Others help your muscles move. When peripheral nerves become damaged or stop working properly, the resulting condition is called peripheral neuropathy.¹

That term describes a problem with nerve function; it does not, by itself, tell us why the problem developed. This distinction matters. Two people can both describe burning feet and need very different care.

We believe a helpful conversation begins with more than naming the symptom. We also need to consider its pattern, its effect on your daily life, and the possible conditions behind it.

Neuropathy does not always feel like pain

Burning and electrical sensations often get people's attention. Reduced sensation can be quieter. You may feel as though you are walking on padding, notice that your socks seem bunched up when they are not, or struggle to tell exactly where your feet are positioned.

Symptoms can include tingling, numbness, unusual sensitivity to light touch, weakness, and difficulty with balance. The combination depends on which nerves are affected.¹ Something that feels strange rather than painful can still be worth evaluating.

Think about how these changes influence your choices. Are you avoiding uneven trails? Holding the railing more tightly? Cutting a shopping trip short? Those details help communicate the real impact of your symptoms, even when a pain score does not capture it.

Why finding the cause matters

Diabetes is a common cause of peripheral nerve damage, but neuropathy also occurs in people who do not have diabetes. Possible contributors include certain vitamin deficiencies, medication effects, heavy alcohol use, autoimmune conditions, kidney disease, and injuries or pressure affecting nerves. Sometimes, a cause remains unknown despite investigation.²

This is why we do not recommend choosing a treatment based on a symptom checklist alone. A person with a nutritional deficiency needs that deficiency addressed. Someone with a medication-related problem needs a discussion with the prescribing clinician. Other findings may call for specialist evaluation.

At Vizuri, our interest in whole-person health means taking the broader story seriously. We want to understand what may be contributing and where our care can fit within the support you need.

Could the problem be coming from somewhere else?

Tingling does not automatically mean a widespread neuropathy. A compressed nerve near the spine can also cause radiating pain, numbness, or weakness. For example, cervical radiculopathy involves a nerve root in the neck and may produce symptoms into an arm or hand.³

The location and distribution of symptoms provide clues, but they do not establish a diagnosis on their own. Whether symptoms affect one side or both, follow a particular path, or change with position can help guide the examination.

Bring a simple description to your visit: where symptoms begin, when they occur, how long they last, and what makes them better or worse. You do not need perfect medical language. Your observations are useful.

What an evaluation can help clarify

An assessment typically includes a health history and examination. Depending on the findings, additional testing or referral may be appropriate. Blood tests, nerve conduction studies, and other investigations answer different questions; no single test explains every case.^{1, 2}

We also encourage you to bring a medication and supplement list, along with any previous test results. Tell us about changes in walking, sleep, work, and the activities you enjoy. Together, these pieces help build a clearer picture.

A meaningful next step should leave you understanding what is known, what still needs clarification, and what options make sense for you.

When to act sooner

Sudden one-sided numbness or weakness, especially with facial drooping or trouble speaking, calls for dialing 911 immediately.⁵ Rapidly worsening weakness also needs urgent medical attention. If you have reduced feeling in your feet, a new wound or signs of infection should be assessed promptly.^{2, 4}

For ongoing symptoms, you do not need to wait until they become severe to start the conversation.

Start with understanding

At Vizuri Health Center in Williston, we offer a neuropathy program and believe education is an essential part of care. We want you to feel comfortable asking questions and clear about your next steps.

If burning, tingling, or numbness is changing how you live, contact our team to schedule an evaluation. We can help you explore whether our neuropathy services are appropriate or whether another type of evaluation should come first.

In the next article, we will look at the question many people ask next: Can damaged nerves heal, and what should a thoughtful treatment plan include?

Sources & further reading

National Library of Medicine. Peripheral Nerve Disorders. Read source
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Peripheral Neuropathy. Read source
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve). Read source
NIDDK. Diabetes & Foot Problems. Read source
CDC. Signs and Symptoms of Stroke. Read source

How to Prevent Back Pain While Working

It’s hard to focus on your job when your back hurts. Unfortunately, standing or sitting for hours can stress your back and worsen your aches and pains. These eight tips can help you reduce or prevent job-related back pain.

1. Change Your Position Often

Stress and strain on your back are more likely to occur when you remain in the same position for a long time. Whether you work in construction, drive a truck, or spend the day in an office, changing your position regularly will reduce the strain on your back.

Breaks don’t have to be long to be effective. A five-minute standing or stretching break every hour or two will decrease the effects of stress and strain. If you spend most of your shift standing, incorporate a few sitting breaks into your day if possible.

2. Switch to Ergonomic Office Furniture

Ergonomic office furniture reduces stress on your back and improves your sitting posture. Office chairs designed with ergonomic features support the lumbar curve in your lower back and reduce slouching and back strain. Spine-health notes that your chair will be properly adjusted for your height if:

Your arms are even with the top of your desk.
Your feet are flat on the floor. (A small footstool can be helpful if your feet don’t quite reach the floor.)
Your thighs are horizontal.

Ergonomic furniture is just as important whether you work in an office, factory, or at home. Your kitchen chair or couch probably don’t offer adequate support for your back and may contribute to slouching or posture problems.

3. Practice Safe Lifting Techniques

You’re more likely to strain the muscles and ligaments in your back if you don’t use proper lifting techniques or lift an item that’s too heavy for you to safely handle by yourself. When you lift a box or other heavy objects, crouch down and bend your knees. Bending your knees while lifting makes it easier to use your strong leg muscles and limits strain on your back muscles.

Keep the item close to your chest, and don’t twist while you lift. Try picking up a corner of the box before you lift it. If it feels too heavy, ask for help or use machinery to move the item.

4. Wear Supportive Shoes

Your shoes may be a contributing factor in back pain. Your feet support the weight of your body and help keep your spine properly aligned. If your shoes aren’t supportive, you’ll be much more likely to experience back, hip, or leg pain. Wearing shoes with supportive arches or adding orthotics to your shoes can be helpful. Orthotics are custom-made shoe inserts that support your feet and keep them properly positioned in your shoes.

5. Try Stress Reduction Techniques

Stress can cause back pain or make it worse. In fact, 29 percent of Americans surveyed by Statista said that they thought stress was the source of their back pain. When you’re stressed, the muscles in your back, shoulder, and neck become tense, which can lead to pain and headaches. Meditation can be helpful, but participating in any activity you enjoy may lower your stress level.

6. Lose Weight

If you’re above your ideal weight, losing a few pounds will reduce stress on your back and your joints. In addition to straining your back muscles, being overweight or obese increases your risk of degenerative disk disease and arthritis in your spine.

7. Stop Smoking

Smoking can cause faster deterioration of the discs between the vertebrae in your spine, reduce blood flow to the ligaments and muscles in your back, and slow healing if you injure your back. In a U.S. study published in Cureus in 2016, 36.9 percent of current smokers reported back pain compared to just 23.5 percent of people who had never smoked.

8. Visit Your Chiropractor

Regular visits to your chiropractor will reduce the effects of stress and strain on your back. Back pain often occurs when the vertebrae in your back become misaligned. Misalignments stress joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and can press on nerves causing increased pain. Spinal manipulations, commonly called adjustments, realign the spine, easing pain. Massage, traction, ultrasound therapy, and other chiropractic treatments may also be part of your treatment plan.

Work doesn’t have to be a painful experience. We offer the treatments you need to relieve your back pain naturally. Call our office to schedule your chiropractic appointment.

Sources:

Cureus: Association Between Smoking and Back Pain in a Cross-Section of Adult Americans, 9/16

Mayo Clinic: Back Pain at Work: Preventing Pain and Injury, 5/22/19

Spine-health: Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair, 7/2/04

OrthoInfo: Preventing Back Pain at Work and at Home

Statista: Back Pain in the U.S. – Statistics & Facts, 11/21/19