That “pins and needles” feeling when your foot falls asleep is familiar to almost everyone — and usually harmless. But when tingling, numbness or a crawling sensation lingers, travels down an arm or leg, or keeps returning without an obvious cause, it can be a sign that a nerve is being irritated somewhere along its path. One common reason is radiculopathy.

What is radiculopathy?

Radiculopathy or radicular pain is the medical term for symptoms that arise when a nerve root — where a spinal nerve exits the spine — becomes compressed or irritated. Because each nerve root supplies sensation and muscle control to a specific region of the body, irritation at the spine can produce symptoms further along that nerve’s pathway.

Depending on which nerve root is involved, people may notice:

• Pins and needles (paraesthesia) or tingling
• Numbness or reduced sensation
• Sharp, shooting or burning pain that radiates into the arm, hand, leg or foot
• Weakness or a feeling of clumsiness in a limb

When this happens in the neck, symptoms often travel into the shoulder, arm or hand (cervical radiculopathy). When it occurs in the lower back, symptoms commonly radiate into the buttock, leg or foot — what many people recognise as sciatica (lumbar radiculopathy).

What causes it?

Radiculopathy can develop for a number of reasons, including:

• A disc bulge or herniation pressing on a nearby nerve root
• Age-related degenerative changes in the spine, such as bone spurs or narrowing of the spaces nerves pass through
• Postural load and repetitive strain, which can contribute to ongoing irritation over time

The sensation itself — that pins-and-needles feeling — is the nervous system signalling that something along the nerve’s route isn’t functioning normally. It’s a symptom, not a diagnosis, which is why understanding the underlying cause matters.

How Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic approaches it

At BPPC in Carindale, we use Advanced BioStructural Correction™ (ABC™). Rather than focusing only on the area where you feel symptoms, ABC™ takes a whole-of-structure view, assessing how the spine and body are positioned and loaded.

The technique is based on the idea that certain mechanical strains in the spine cannot be self-corrected by the body, and ABC™ aims to address these so the body can move and adapt more freely. Where postural and structural strain may be contributing to nerve irritation and tension, our goal is to identify and work with those mechanical factors as part of a broader management approach.

It’s important to be clear that responses vary from person to person, and not all tingling or numbness has a structural cause that responds to chiropractic care. Following a thorough history and examination, we’ll discuss whether ABC™ is a suitable option for your situation, what care might involve, and when referral to or co-management with your GP or another health professional is the more appropriate path.

Book an assessment in Carindale

If you’re dealing with ongoing pins and needles, tingling or numbness and would like it properly assessed, the team at Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic on Creek Rd, Carindale is here to help. We see patients from across Brisbane’s southside, including Carina, Camp Hill, Coorparoo, Mount Gravatt and surrounding suburbs.

Book here or call the clinic to arrange a time.

That “pins and needles” feeling when your foot falls asleep is familiar to almost everyone — and usually harmless. But when tingling, numbness or a crawling sensation lingers, travels down an arm or leg, or keeps returning without an obvious cause, it can be a sign that a nerve is being irritated somewhere along its path. One common reason is radiculopathy.

What is radiculopathy?

Radiculopathy or radicular pain is the medical term for symptoms that arise when a nerve root — where a spinal nerve exits the spine — becomes compressed or irritated. Because each nerve root supplies sensation and muscle control to a specific region of the body, irritation at the spine can produce symptoms further along that nerve’s pathway.

Depending on which nerve root is involved, people may notice:

• Pins and needles (paraesthesia) or tingling
• Numbness or reduced sensation
• Sharp, shooting or burning pain that radiates into the arm, hand, leg or foot
• Weakness or a feeling of clumsiness in a limb

When this happens in the neck, symptoms often travel into the shoulder, arm or hand (cervical radiculopathy). When it occurs in the lower back, symptoms commonly radiate into the buttock, leg or foot — what many people recognise as sciatica (lumbar radiculopathy).

What causes it?

Radiculopathy can develop for a number of reasons, including:

• A disc bulge or herniation pressing on a nearby nerve root
• Age-related degenerative changes in the spine, such as bone spurs or narrowing of the spaces nerves pass through
• Postural load and repetitive strain, which can contribute to ongoing irritation over time

The sensation itself — that pins-and-needles feeling — is the nervous system signalling that something along the nerve’s route isn’t functioning normally. It’s a symptom, not a diagnosis, which is why understanding the underlying cause matters.

How Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic approaches it

At BPPC in Carindale, we use Advanced BioStructural Correction™ (ABC™). Rather than focusing only on the area where you feel symptoms, ABC™ takes a whole-of-structure view, assessing how the spine and body are positioned and loaded.

The technique is based on the idea that certain mechanical strains in the spine cannot be self-corrected by the body, and ABC™ aims to address these so the body can move and adapt more freely. Where postural and structural strain may be contributing to nerve irritation and tension, our goal is to identify and work with those mechanical factors as part of a broader management approach.

It’s important to be clear that responses vary from person to person, and not all tingling or numbness has a structural cause that responds to chiropractic care. Following a thorough history and examination, we’ll discuss whether ABC™ is a suitable option for your situation, what care might involve, and when referral to or co-management with your GP or another health professional is the more appropriate path.

Book an assessment in Carindale

If you’re dealing with ongoing pins and needles, tingling or numbness and would like it properly assessed, the team at Brisbane Posture and Performance Chiropractic on Creek Rd, Carindale is here to help. We see patients from across Brisbane’s southside, including Carina, Camp Hill, Coorparoo, Mount Gravatt and surrounding suburbs.

Book here or call the clinic to arrange a time.