Not all neuropathy starts in the feet. For many people, the symptoms in their legs and feet actually originate at the spine, where nerves can become compressed or irritated as they exit the spinal column. Spinal decompression therapy gently relieves that pressure, addressing a root cause that other foot-focused treatments can miss.
It is a comfortable, non-surgical therapy that can be an important piece of the neuropathy puzzle.
It is a comfortable, non-surgical therapy that can be an important piece of the neuropathy puzzle.
At a glance
Often combined with:
Numbness, tingling or burning that isn't getting better?
Neuropathy symptoms don't always start in the feet. If any of these sound familiar, a pinched nerve in the lower back may be part of the problem:
Why decompression is different
Creams, pills and foot-only treatments can't take pressure off a nerve that is being squeezed at the spine. Decompression is designed to do exactly that, gently and without injections, medication or downtime, so the nerve has room to recover.
When neuropathy starts at the spine
The nerves that travel to your legs and feet begin at the lower spine. When discs bulge, joints stiffen, or the spaces where nerves exit become narrowed, those nerves can be pinched or irritated long before they reach your feet. The result can be numbness, tingling, burning and weakness that looks exactly like peripheral neuropathy, because in a sense it is, just with a different origin.
This is why a thorough evaluation matters so much. If spinal nerve compression is contributing to your symptoms, treating only the feet will never fully solve the problem. Decompression therapy targets the source.
This is why a thorough evaluation matters so much. If spinal nerve compression is contributing to your symptoms, treating only the feet will never fully solve the problem. Decompression therapy targets the source.
How decompression works
Spinal decompression therapy uses a specialized table to gently and precisely stretch the spine. This controlled stretch creates negative pressure within the discs, which helps relieve pressure on compressed nerves, encourages bulging discs to retract, and draws in the fluid and nutrients discs need to stay healthy. By opening space around the irritated nerves, decompression can reduce the symptoms those nerves are sending to your legs and feet.
A relaxing, non-surgical option
Sessions are gentle and comfortable. You lie fully clothed on the decompression table while it applies a slow, cyclic stretch. Most patients find the experience relaxing and many simply rest during treatment. There are no needles, no medications and no surgery, and there is no downtime afterward.
Decompression therapy is delivered as a series of sessions, allowing the pressure relief and disc healing to build gradually. We track your symptoms throughout to confirm the therapy is helping and to fine-tune your overall plan.
Decompression therapy is delivered as a series of sessions, allowing the pressure relief and disc healing to build gradually. We track your symptoms throughout to confirm the therapy is helping and to fine-tune your overall plan.
Part of a complete approach
In our neuropathy program, decompression therapy addresses the spinal component of nerve symptoms while our other therapies work on circulation, nerve stimulation and cellular repair in the extremities. Treating the problem from both ends, the source at the spine and the symptoms in the feet, gives many patients a far better outcome than treating either alone.
What our neuropathy patients say
Patients come to us from across North Idaho for neuropathy care, and Aligned Health is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google.
Read more patient reviews
Read more patient reviews
★★★★★
“I had no hope of my neuropathy being better but after just 1 week, the shooting pain has become less and my feet feel a little better.”
Debra Mitchell, Google review
“I had no hope of my neuropathy being better but after just 1 week, the shooting pain has become less and my feet feel a little better.”
Debra Mitchell, Google review
★★★★★
“This clinic has been a life saver for me.”
Little Feather Willis, Google review
“This clinic has been a life saver for me.”
Little Feather Willis, Google review
★★★★★
“This office cares. From the Dr. to his staff. Their knowledge of Neuropathy is amazing.”
Joe Amann, Google review
“This office cares. From the Dr. to his staff. Their knowledge of Neuropathy is amazing.”
Joe Amann, Google review
Could spinal nerves be involved?
If your neuropathy symptoms are accompanied by back pain, or if they follow the path of a specific nerve, spinal involvement may be part of the picture. A careful evaluation and a painless nerve scan help us determine whether decompression therapy should be part of your personalized neuropathy plan, so we can address every cause of your symptoms, not just the most obvious one.
What progress can look like
When spinal nerve compression is a true driver of your symptoms, relieving that pressure can produce some of the most satisfying results in the whole program, less radiating pain, improved sensation in the legs and feet, and often relief of accompanying back discomfort. Because decompression addresses a structural source, progress tends to track with the health of the discs and nerves involved, and it builds across your series of sessions. We keep expectations realistic based on your exam and imaging, monitor your symptoms closely, and coordinate decompression with the therapies treating your extremities so every contributor to your neuropathy is being addressed at once.
What happens at your first visit
Is decompression right for you?
Often a good fit
Numbness, tingling or burning in the legs and feet together with back pain, symptoms that follow the path of a nerve, or a bulging or degenerated disc in the lower back.
May not be a fit
Pregnancy, spinal fusion or surgical hardware, a recent spinal fracture, severe osteoporosis and certain other conditions. Your exam tells us whether decompression is safe and right for you.
Meet Dr. Matthan Wheeler, D.C.
Dr. Wheeler leads the team at Aligned Health, the Home of North Idaho Neuropathy, and is board certified in neuropathy. His approach is simple: find every cause of your symptoms and correct it, instead of covering them up.
151 W 3rd Ave, Suite 101, Post Falls, just south of I-90 Exit 5 · (208) 981-0093
151 W 3rd Ave, Suite 101, Post Falls, just south of I-90 Exit 5 · (208) 981-0093
Questions about decompression for neuropathy
Will decompression help my neuropathy?
It depends on where your symptoms are coming from. When nerves are being pinched at the spine, decompression addresses that source. Your nerve scan and exam tell us whether that is part of the picture.
Is decompression all I'll need?
Usually not. In our neuropathy program, decompression treats the spinal source while other therapies work on circulation and nerve health in the legs and feet.
Does decompression hurt?
No. Most patients find it relaxing. You'll feel a slow, gentle stretch, and many people rest or close their eyes during the session.
Does insurance cover it?
Coverage varies by plan. Call us at (208) 981-0093 and we'll help you check, or see our insurance and financing options.
