My Tests Came Back Normal, So Why Do I Still Feel Uncomfortable?

Key points in 30 seconds

1. Tests look at shape. How you stand and walk doesn't show up in an image.
2. Shoe heels worn down on one side and calluses in the same spot are records your body leaves behind.
3. When the feet collapse, the pelvis, neck, and even the jaw above them are affected one after another.
4. So we don't look only at the painful spot; we look at the feet and jaw too.
5. However, if numbness started suddenly or you feel weakness, other tests come first.

What we often hear

• "My tests say nothing is wrong, but I keep feeling uncomfortable."
• "No one can tell me where the problem is."
• "It hurts to feel like people think I'm faking it."

My tests came back normal, so why do I still feel uncomfortable?

Tests look at the shape of bones and tissue. How your body stands and moves doesn't show up in an image. If the shape is fine but the way you use your body has broken down, it won't appear on a test.

One person we saw in the clinic was a veterinarian who performs surgery. During operations, their left arm would go numb and their hand would shake, again and again, and it was getting in the way of work. They had even had X-rays taken elsewhere, but were only told there was nothing special. They traveled an hour and a half each way to see us.

But the body had been sending signals for a long time. The left and right sides of the face had been out of line for years, the heel of one shoe wore down badly, and calluses kept forming in the same spot.

What does it mean when only one shoe heel wears down?

It means your weight isn't spread evenly on both sides. Shoes are a record of how you walk, so even an imbalance you can't feel shows up on the heel.

This person's foot arches were too high, and their body weight was shifted forward. There were heavy calluses only on the outer edge of the right foot, a sign that body weight was passing through that spot alone.

When that first point of contact with the ground was off, the right side of the pelvis twisted, and the spine and even the jaw above it were affected in turn. That was why only one shoe heel was wearing down.

Can a misaligned foot cause arm numbness?

It can. The body moves as one unit, so a tilt that starts below travels upward, stiffening the muscles of the neck and shoulders, and those muscles can press on nerves.

This person also had a pattern coming down from above. The jaw was shifted to the left, and the top two vertebrae of the neck were out of line along with it. To keep balance, the body lifted the left shoulder blade, and as the muscles there stiffened, they pressed on a nerve. That's where the left arm numbness and hand tremor came from.

Do you look at the jaw too?

In this case, we did. When the jaw shifts, the neck vertebrae right below it shift with it, and tension stays around the head and neck.

We worked on the feet and the jaw together. For the feet, we used orthotic inserts to support the collapsed base; for the jaw, a device worn during sleep helped set its position. On top of that, we added Chuna and exercise therapy to release the tight fascia at the deep front and back of the neck.

How long does it take?

For this person, we planned five to six months, with weekly visits plus exercises at home. Because several areas were tangled together, we planned for longer than when looking at just one spot.

For people who come from far away, we plan fewer visits and more to do at home. We don't want the difficulty of coming often to become a reason to give up on treatment.

What are the limits of this judgment?

That the feet, jaw, and arm numbness are all connected is a pattern we saw in the clinic, not a cause-and-effect relationship proven by tests. Other explanations remain possible.

One more thing. Numbness and tremor can also come from other causes. The possibility of a problem with the nerve itself or another condition must be ruled out first. This column is about what comes after that has been ruled out. If numbness started suddenly or comes with a feeling of weakness, other tests come first.

What we looked at	What we saw	Weight of evidence
Shoe heels	Badly worn on one side only	Clinic observation (no comparison group)
Calluses	Concentrated on the outer edge of the right foot	Clinic observation (no comparison group)
Foot arches	Too high · weight shifted forward	Clinic observation (no comparison group)
Jaw and upper neck	Jaw shifted left · 1st–2nd neck vertebrae out of line	Clinic observation (no comparison group)
Treatment period	Once a week · five to six months	Planned value (varies by person)

We check by hand what doesn't show up on tests. Tests look at shape; we look at how that body stands and moves.

If being told "nothing is wrong" has left you frustrated, come see us. We start by pointing out what's still there.

How much things change differs from person to person, depending on how many areas are involved and how long it has been going on.