Arm & Leg Pain Treatment in Lynnwood
Arm or leg pain can interrupt the simplest parts of your day — walking, lifting, driving, even sleeping. If these things are becoming a struggle, it’s time to consider care that looks at the whole picture.
At Alderwood Back and Neck Pain, we check how your spine, joints, and nerves are working together. A neck issue can cause hand tingling. A tight hip can lead to knee or foot pain. Pain rarely starts where you feel it.
Dr. Darcy focuses on what you want to get back to — moving comfortably, staying active, and not thinking about pain all the time. With gentle adjustments, muscle work, and simple home strategies, we help restore the function your body is missing.
Call (425) 775-6767 to schedule your complimentary consultation.
Common Causes of Arm and Leg Pain
Arm and leg pain can show up suddenly after an accident. Or it can creep in slowly from posture, work, or repetitive stress. Dr. Darcy talks a lot about how many different factors can stack up over time.
Some common causes include:
- Nerve irritation from the spine: Misaligned vertebrae or disc issues in the neck or low back can send pain, numbness, or tingling down into the arms or legs.
- Sciatica and pinched nerves: The sciatic nerve can get irritated by a herniated or “bursting” disc or tight glute muscles. This can cause radiating pain from the low back all the way to the feet, plus numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs.
- Joint strain or overuse: Repetitive lifting, typing, sports, or awkward positions can lead to tendinitis, bursitis, or joint irritation in the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, or ankles.
- Arthritis and degeneration: With time, joints can wear down. That can create stiffness, aching, and loss of motion in both the spine and extremities.
- Posture and lifestyle: Long sitting, poor workstation setup, weak core muscles, and limited movement all add up, especially for the neck, shoulders, hips, and knees.
Research also shows that when leg pain is linked to chronic low back problems, combining spinal manipulation, exercise, and standard medical care often leads to better pain and function than standard care alone, with benefits lasting at least 12 months.
Evaluation and Diagnosis at Alderwood Back and Neck Pain
Your first visit usually includes:
- Consultation and history
When did the pain start? Is it sharp, dull, burning, or tingling? Is it acute or chronic? What makes it better or worse? What do you do for work and fun? - Physical exam
- Posture checks.
- Range‑of‑motion for your spine, shoulder, hip, knee, or other painful joint.
- Orthopedic tests to see which structures are irritated.
- Neurological tests for strength, reflexes, and sensation.
- Posture checks.
- Palpation
Hands‑on assessment of muscles and joints to feel what is tight, restricted, or inflamed. Dr. Darcy notes this is a core skill that makes chiropractors unique. - Imaging when needed
On‑site X‑rays to check alignment and joint spaces.
If symptoms do not improve or red flags show up, you may be referred for MRI and co‑managed with pain management or orthopedics.
All of this funnels into a clear diagnosis and a plan that actually fits your situation.
Chiropractic Treatment for Arm and Leg Pain
Dr. Darcy uses a multimodal, very hands‑on approach for arm and leg pain. Core pieces of care often include:
- Spinal adjustments: Diversified adjustments to the neck or low back to relieve pressure on irritated nerves and improve joint mechanics.
- Extremity adjustments: Gentle adjustments to shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles to restore motion and reduce local pain.
- Flexion‑distraction for low back and sciatica: A special table that flexes and gently traction‑stretches the spine for disc‑related leg pain.
- Instrument‑assisted adjusting: Low‑force tools like Activator and ArthroStim for precise adjustments when a softer touch is better.
- Soft tissue therapy: Massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy to calm tight muscles and fascia around painful joints.
- Therapeutic exercise and rehab: Targeted strengthening and stretching to support the spine and limbs, especially for sports injuries or chronic pain.
- Lifestyle and ergonomic coaching: Guidance on posture, lifting, sports mechanics, and daily habits so you stop re‑irritating the same tissues.
Clinical guidelines recommend spinal manipulation therapy as part of care for acute and chronic low back pain with or without leg pain. Studies show that when manipulation is combined with exercise and standard care, patients often see bigger improvements in chronic low back‑related leg pain than with standard care alone. Results still vary by person, and chiropractic complements, not replaces, medical care.
Expected Timeline and Results
Healing time depends on:
- How long the pain has been there.
- Whether nerves are involved.
- How consistent you are with visits and home care.
From Dr. Darcy’s experience:
- Many patients begin to feel some change in pain or function within 2–4 weeks, especially with consistent visits and home exercises.
- Disc‑related or whiplash‑type injuries can take 2–3 months to heal and stabilize, with gradual improvement along the way.
- For chronic low back‑related leg pain, research suggests that around 12 weeks of combined manipulation, exercise, and standard care can significantly reduce pain and disability for many patients.
You and Dr. Darcy will review progress regularly and adjust the plan as your body responds. There are no guaranteed outcomes, but there is always a clear, honest timeline.
Equipment & Tools Used
To make treatment precise and comfortable, Alderwood Back and Neck Pain uses:
- Chiropractic adjusting tables: Including drop‑table features and flexion‑distraction functions to gently move and decompress the spine.
- Handheld adjusting instruments: Activator and ArthroStim‑style tools for low‑force adjustments to the spine and extremities.
- Soft tissue tools and hands‑on techniques: Myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and massage for tight muscles around the shoulders, hips, knees, and more.
- Cold and heat therapies: Cryotherapy, heat packs, and class IV laser as part of the clinic’s heating modalities to support circulation and healing.
These tools help Dr. Darcy match the right amount of force and style of care to each body and condition.
Case Study – Patient Success Story
A middle‑aged office worker came in with low back and leg pain that had slowly ramped up over months. Sitting all day made it burn down the back of his thigh, and bending forward or long drives pushed his pain to a 6/10. The exam showed mild forward‑leaning posture, tight lumbar muscles, reduced flexion and extension, and facet joint irritation on orthopedic testing. The Neurological exam was normal.
Dr. Darcy diagnosed lumbar segmental dysfunction, sprain/strain, and myofascial pain, with likely nerve irritation. The plan started with three visits per week for adjustments, flexion‑distraction, myofascial work, and simple home stretching. After two weeks, visits dropped to twice weekly. Around one month in, pain was significantly lower, sitting was easier, and leg symptoms were less frequent. Follow‑up X‑ray and continued rehab focused on long‑term stability. Individual results vary, but this is a common pattern when patients stay consistent.
Why Choose Alderwood Back and Neck Pain
- Experienced chiropractor: Dr. Darcy Szigety, DC has been practicing since 2017 and holds advanced certification in whiplash injury biomechanics and traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.
- Whole‑body, root‑cause approach: He looks at the spine, joints, muscles, and lifestyle together instead of treating one painful spot in isolation.
- Multimodal care: Adjustments, flexion‑distraction, soft tissue therapy, exercises, and heat/cold modalities are blended into one plan.
- Clear communication and human connection: Dr. Darcy genuinely enjoys getting to know patients and seeing them improve over time, not just rushing them in and out.
- Non‑invasive, medication‑free focus: The clinic aims to improve movement and reduce pain safely, working alongside your primary care provider when needed.
Book An Appointment
Please use the booking tool below to book an appointment or by calling us on (425) 775-6767
FAQs - Arm and Leg Pain Treatment
How does chiropractic help arm or leg pain?
Chiropractic care focuses on how your spine and joints move and how that movement affects nearby nerves. Adjustments can reduce pressure on irritated nerves, improve joint alignment, and calm muscle tension. For leg pain linked to the low back, research suggests that combining spinal manipulation with exercise and standard medical care often leads to better pain and function than standard care alone.
Is chiropractic safe for radiating pain?
For most people, chiropractic is considered safe when delivered by a trained, licensed chiropractor. Guidelines support spinal manipulation for acute and chronic low back pain, with or without leg pain, as part of a multimodal care plan. Safety comes down to proper evaluation, ruling out red flags, and avoiding techniques that are not appropriate for your specific condition. Always share all your symptoms, especially numbness, weakness, or changes in bowel or bladder control.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on your situation. Newer, mild problems sometimes respond within a few visits. Chronic or disc‑related issues often need several weeks of consistent care. Clinical research on chronic low back‑related leg pain often uses treatment plans around 12 weeks. At your first visit, Dr. Darcy will outline a recommended schedule and then adjust that plan based on how you actually respond.
What if my pain is caused by a pinched nerve?
“Pinched nerve” usually means a nerve is irritated by a disc, bone, or tight soft tissue. Chiropractic care works to restore better motion and spacing in the spine and related joints, which may reduce that nerve irritation. Exercises and posture changes help maintain those gains. If your symptoms do not improve as expected, or if they worsen, imaging and referral to other specialists may be recommended for co‑management.
Can chiropractic help shoulder impingement or bursitis?
Shoulder pain is one of the most common non‑spinal complaints in clinics. Early research and small case series suggest that a multimodal chiropractic approach – soft tissue therapy, joint manipulation, and exercises – can help reduce shoulder impingement symptoms and restore function for some patients. This evidence is still limited, and larger studies are needed, but many people do well with this conservative approach before considering injections or surgery.
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