K
kdmari
Guest
Hi there. I ruptured a disc (L5/S1) a little over 3 years ago. The neuro I saw said it was the largest rupture he had ever seen. I was unable to walk for 2 months and lived with unimaginable pain during that time... I spent weeks on my hanRAB and knees as I couldn't sit, stand or lie down without agony. I was 36 years old at the time, in excellent shape, with no prior history of back problems.
The neurosurgeon said they don't like to operate until 3 months has passed with no improvement. He said usually disc injuries resolve on their own within that time frame, and in my case he was right... at about the 3 month mark, the pain finally went away. What didn't go away was the constant nurabness in my right foot and leg, all the way up to my knee. Several months of physio did nothing to improve the situation. In time I was able to walk as before, although never with the endurance I had before the injury. My leg tires quickly and something as simple as grocery shopping really wears me out.
Recently the nurabness seems to have become more pronounced on the outer right side of my heel and the middle part of my foot and my foot/leg is getting more fatigued than usual when walking. I feel like the 'band' around my foot has become tighter, if that makes any sense. I'm just wondering if at this point I'm being foolish to not see a neurosurgeon again? Could the worsening nurabness, etc, be a sign that there's nerve compression that's in critical need of being looked after? And at this stage in the game, 3+ years later, could surgery help me out much, since the nerve never healed? I'm terrified of surgery, but I'm starting to be nervous about my future mobility. I'm also living in a different city now so can't return to the same doctor I saw previously.
I would sure appreciate hearing from someone who has gone through something similar and may have some advice for me. Thanks for reading. I apologize for the long post. :-/
kd
The neurosurgeon said they don't like to operate until 3 months has passed with no improvement. He said usually disc injuries resolve on their own within that time frame, and in my case he was right... at about the 3 month mark, the pain finally went away. What didn't go away was the constant nurabness in my right foot and leg, all the way up to my knee. Several months of physio did nothing to improve the situation. In time I was able to walk as before, although never with the endurance I had before the injury. My leg tires quickly and something as simple as grocery shopping really wears me out.
Recently the nurabness seems to have become more pronounced on the outer right side of my heel and the middle part of my foot and my foot/leg is getting more fatigued than usual when walking. I feel like the 'band' around my foot has become tighter, if that makes any sense. I'm just wondering if at this point I'm being foolish to not see a neurosurgeon again? Could the worsening nurabness, etc, be a sign that there's nerve compression that's in critical need of being looked after? And at this stage in the game, 3+ years later, could surgery help me out much, since the nerve never healed? I'm terrified of surgery, but I'm starting to be nervous about my future mobility. I'm also living in a different city now so can't return to the same doctor I saw previously.
I would sure appreciate hearing from someone who has gone through something similar and may have some advice for me. Thanks for reading. I apologize for the long post. :-/
kd