Pinched nerve treatment.

What people mean by a pinched nerve.

Almost nobody comes in saying they have nerve root compression. They say their hand keeps falling asleep, or their foot burns at night, or there is a line of pain running from the back of the hip down to the calf. What those all have in common is that the trouble is felt somewhere the problem is not. The pain shows up in the leg. The cause is usually in the low back.

That is the useful part of the phrase. A nerve leaves the spine through a small opening, and anything that takes up room in that opening will irritate it. Then the nerve reports pain, numbness, tingling or weakness along everything it serves, which can be a foot two feet away from the actual problem.

The four causes we see most.

• A disc. A bulging or herniated disc presses on the nerve where it exits. This is the most common cause in people under sixty, and it is the one that responds best to non-surgical spinal decompression.
• A narrowed opening. Arthritic change closes down the space the nerve travels through. That is spinal stenosis, and it is more common after sixty. It is managed, not cured.
• The sciatic nerve specifically. When the pinched nerve is in the low back and the pain runs down the back of the leg, most people call it sciatica. Same mechanism, its own page.
• A joint that has stopped moving, with muscle guarding around it. Not every irritated nerve involves a disc. Sometimes a segment of the spine has locked down, the muscles around it have tightened to protect it, and the nerve is caught in the middle. This one often changes fast.

How we tell them apart.

Where the symptoms run matters more than where they hurt worst. Each nerve root serves a predictable strip of skin and a predictable set of muscles, so the path of your numbness is a map back to the level involved. Dr. Boss tests reflexes, tests strength, checks sensation, and puts the joint through motion to see what reproduces it and what relieves it.

Then he shows you the 3D spine model and points at the level he thinks is involved, so you can see the thing being described instead of taking it on faith. If imaging is needed before anyone touches you, he says so.

Go to a doctor or the emergency room instead if:

• You have lost control of your bladder or bowels, or you are numb through the saddle area. That is an emergency.
• A muscle is getting visibly weaker, you are tripping, or you cannot lift your foot.
• The pain followed a serious fall or a wreck and you have not been examined yet.
• You have a fever with the back pain, a history of cancer, or unexplained weight loss.

None of those mean chiropractic can never help you. They mean something else has to be ruled out first.

What treatment looks like.

If the exam points at a disc, decompression is usually the centre of the plan, because taking pressure off the disc is what gives the nerve its room back. If it points at a locked joint, adjusting and soft tissue work do most of it. If it points at stenosis, the plan is about keeping the opening as generous as possible and training you to stay out of the positions that close it down. In every case you get exercises, because what you do at home is what holds the change.

You will get a rough count of visits at the first appointment. If you are not better in the window we gave you, we say so and change the plan or send you on.

Address and hours.

6700 Woodlands Pkwy, Ste. 200, The Woodlands, TX 77382. Call (281) 681-2677.

• Mon8:00am to 1:00pm, 3:00 to 6:00pm
• Tue8:00am to 1:00pm
• Wed8:00am to 1:00pm, 3:00 to 6:00pm
• Thu8:00am to 1:00pm, 3:00 to 6:00pm
• Fri8:00am to 1:00pm
• SatClosed
• SunClosed

Reviewed and approved by Dr. Christopher Boss, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic and the treating chiropractor at Boss Chiropractic. Last updated September 24, 2026.

This page is general information, not medical advice. What is right for you depends on your exam. Dr. Boss will tell you straight whether we can help, and where to go if we cannot.