Hi! Just got back from my 6 mo check-up for lumbar-fusion surgery. Doc said everything looks great-hardware is in tact well and bone graph has done very well. BUT... while examining me he noticed my legs seemed stiff and my reflexes aren't right esp in my feet and legs. He says they are "too brisk" and very different from when he last examined me. He has ordered an Cervical MRI to have it checked out. He looked at my Head scan from last year and said that was fine, so he wants this done. I think he said something about checking to see if there is a cyst or tumor. Any help on this???? I finally get good news on my back and now this. Hopefully it's nothing-it's been a very rough 6 months. Thanks! Tami
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Bad reflexes and stiff legs??
- Thread starter Bitzy
- Start date
revenge_taker05
New member
just how bad was your herniation? was it even close to contacting your spinal cord at all? hyperreflexia(too brisk reflexes) is usually a sign of some level of actual cord contact/involvement. it is a motor issue that has connections to either your cord or the motor nerves in your legs. they both(meaning both sides on either side of that spinal cloumn) would have had to have been affected tho for this to be in both legs if that were the case. did he happen to mention the words "myelopathy" or "clonus" with regards to explaining the leg and feet findings? do you feel ANY level of actual spasticity in your legs, either one? if any of what i just mentioned is actually there,this could indicate some level of cord involvement to some degree. something really is not right in there if this was NOT there when you last saw him post op. when exactly did he examine you last before this particular visit?
is there a particular reason he is wanting the c spine MRI? what did he tell you the actual reason was for this in the first place? was there some finding that showed up on your brain scan but in the c spine?(any MRI of the brain would usually include the first few c spine vertebrae on the film too just not really clearly). i am just wondering where in the heck he actually came up with even mentioning any type of 'cyst",ya know what i mean? what promted that?
do you have actual copies of all and any MRI or other testing results in your posession? if not, i would highly recommend to you that you just obtain them now and keep getting any copies of any real testing that is ever done on your body from here on out. the one reason that is most important to you the patient being is you are not always told everything that is a hard finding in any given test result, espescially when it involves any specialist who orders that test. they just do not always do this for their patients, even when there was a pretty significant finding present, but since it did not have to do with what you came to see that specialist for, they just do not always tell you this stuff, trust me on this one.
this actually has happened to me personally and i am finding in just having posted on the spinal and back boards,and others here too for many years that this occurs many times with other patients as well. it is sick to do to a patient but it unfortuently does happen, way too often to us. also obtaining ALL of your own medical records from every single doc or surgeon you see should be an ongoing thing too. i obtain all test results asap, then also, after any given surgery is over and i am discharged from their care, will obtain every document included in my medical file from that surgeon too. it really is to your benefit to just help you to stay on top of your own medical care, and to also know just what your docs overall 'impressions" are of your condtions which are in the clinic notes that get made after any visit you have with any doc.
i am just wondering what really led to the comment about this being somehow related to a cyst or tumor??? that one came kind of out of left field ya know? but DO obtain those test results from before and ask to have a copy of the latest either sent to you at your home(you just tell the place when you go for that MRI that you want a copy and they will give you a form to fill out, done this over and over myself) or you have the right to ask your doc to make a copy of your own report at the results visit too. i am willing to bet that something actually showed up when they did that brain scan(just why was that brain scan ordered in the first place?) on you but in that c spine somewhere for him to actually make that insane comment to you. you just DO have rights to all of your own medical records and any and all testing done too.
please let me know what shows up on that MRI,K? if by some chance you do have copies of that brain scan and the actual pre surgery lumbar MRI reports? if you could just type out exactly what was in that summary at the very end of both reports, it would help me alot to help you here in the best ways. or when you obtain them please type them out for me? believe me,the way any radiologist actually words any given finding and the actual words that are used to describe it really DO matter. good luck tami, FB
is there a particular reason he is wanting the c spine MRI? what did he tell you the actual reason was for this in the first place? was there some finding that showed up on your brain scan but in the c spine?(any MRI of the brain would usually include the first few c spine vertebrae on the film too just not really clearly). i am just wondering where in the heck he actually came up with even mentioning any type of 'cyst",ya know what i mean? what promted that?
do you have actual copies of all and any MRI or other testing results in your posession? if not, i would highly recommend to you that you just obtain them now and keep getting any copies of any real testing that is ever done on your body from here on out. the one reason that is most important to you the patient being is you are not always told everything that is a hard finding in any given test result, espescially when it involves any specialist who orders that test. they just do not always do this for their patients, even when there was a pretty significant finding present, but since it did not have to do with what you came to see that specialist for, they just do not always tell you this stuff, trust me on this one.
this actually has happened to me personally and i am finding in just having posted on the spinal and back boards,and others here too for many years that this occurs many times with other patients as well. it is sick to do to a patient but it unfortuently does happen, way too often to us. also obtaining ALL of your own medical records from every single doc or surgeon you see should be an ongoing thing too. i obtain all test results asap, then also, after any given surgery is over and i am discharged from their care, will obtain every document included in my medical file from that surgeon too. it really is to your benefit to just help you to stay on top of your own medical care, and to also know just what your docs overall 'impressions" are of your condtions which are in the clinic notes that get made after any visit you have with any doc.
i am just wondering what really led to the comment about this being somehow related to a cyst or tumor??? that one came kind of out of left field ya know? but DO obtain those test results from before and ask to have a copy of the latest either sent to you at your home(you just tell the place when you go for that MRI that you want a copy and they will give you a form to fill out, done this over and over myself) or you have the right to ask your doc to make a copy of your own report at the results visit too. i am willing to bet that something actually showed up when they did that brain scan(just why was that brain scan ordered in the first place?) on you but in that c spine somewhere for him to actually make that insane comment to you. you just DO have rights to all of your own medical records and any and all testing done too.
please let me know what shows up on that MRI,K? if by some chance you do have copies of that brain scan and the actual pre surgery lumbar MRI reports? if you could just type out exactly what was in that summary at the very end of both reports, it would help me alot to help you here in the best ways. or when you obtain them please type them out for me? believe me,the way any radiologist actually words any given finding and the actual words that are used to describe it really DO matter. good luck tami, FB
Hi Tami. You've got the spinal tag team here!
You are describing my symptoms exactly. My legs were stiff and as the day went on I went from taking shorter steps to taking baby steps they got so stiff. And my reflexes were off the wall. Since I had both my knees replaced due to arthritis, I went to my orthopedic surgeon and he asked me if I had any problems with my neck? No, I told him...just my lower back. He looked at me and said if he didn't know differently, he'd think I had cord compression in my neck.
Fast forward a year. While shoveling snow I felt my whole body go numb and stopped immediately. I reported this to my doc and he did a cervical MRI. Turned out I had 3 herniated disks I knew nothing about. They had herniated towards my spinal cord and not towards the nerves that exit the cord so I had no pain(apparently the cord, like the brain, has no nerve endings of it's own). But my spinal cord was down to half normal width. I was immediately sent to a neurosurgeon. I was rapidly becoming paralyzed.
Fourteen months after complaining to my ortho about stiff legs I had a brand new surgery to reshape the spinal canal without fusing the vertebrae. It's called a laminoplasty. I woke up from surgery with normal legs again. And my hand clumsiness I had attributed to just being a klutz went away. My numb toes that had been blamed on a recent diabetes diagnosis, went away. But that symptom of stiff legs I will never forget. I felt like a toy tin soldier.
The reason they look at the neck is that by the time the spinal cord reaches your lower spine all you have are the different nerve fibers that go to the legs so you mainly get that stiffness in your lower legs only(your spinal cord actually stops around or above your waist level). But the cord in your neck holds all the nerves to your lower body and the pressure actually transfers from a pressure point on the outside of the cord to the deeper fibers inside so spinal cord compression in the neck often shows up first in the toes or legs.
If your doc does find something in your neck, come on back and join us in the Spinal Cord Disorders board and meet others with the same problem and what they had done to treat it. I hope you don't but we're here if you need us and it's a great place to make friends!
good luck.............Jenny
You are describing my symptoms exactly. My legs were stiff and as the day went on I went from taking shorter steps to taking baby steps they got so stiff. And my reflexes were off the wall. Since I had both my knees replaced due to arthritis, I went to my orthopedic surgeon and he asked me if I had any problems with my neck? No, I told him...just my lower back. He looked at me and said if he didn't know differently, he'd think I had cord compression in my neck.
Fast forward a year. While shoveling snow I felt my whole body go numb and stopped immediately. I reported this to my doc and he did a cervical MRI. Turned out I had 3 herniated disks I knew nothing about. They had herniated towards my spinal cord and not towards the nerves that exit the cord so I had no pain(apparently the cord, like the brain, has no nerve endings of it's own). But my spinal cord was down to half normal width. I was immediately sent to a neurosurgeon. I was rapidly becoming paralyzed.
Fourteen months after complaining to my ortho about stiff legs I had a brand new surgery to reshape the spinal canal without fusing the vertebrae. It's called a laminoplasty. I woke up from surgery with normal legs again. And my hand clumsiness I had attributed to just being a klutz went away. My numb toes that had been blamed on a recent diabetes diagnosis, went away. But that symptom of stiff legs I will never forget. I felt like a toy tin soldier.
The reason they look at the neck is that by the time the spinal cord reaches your lower spine all you have are the different nerve fibers that go to the legs so you mainly get that stiffness in your lower legs only(your spinal cord actually stops around or above your waist level). But the cord in your neck holds all the nerves to your lower body and the pressure actually transfers from a pressure point on the outside of the cord to the deeper fibers inside so spinal cord compression in the neck often shows up first in the toes or legs.
If your doc does find something in your neck, come on back and join us in the Spinal Cord Disorders board and meet others with the same problem and what they had done to treat it. I hope you don't but we're here if you need us and it's a great place to make friends!
good luck.............Jenny
Thanks for your responses and feedback. I appreciate it. I will keep you informed after my MRI on June 23rd, but my follow-up appt isn't till July 6th.
My brain scans last year were due to bad migraines. My doctor does show me all scans and goes thru them with me(I do pick up copies too). The head ones do not show any part of the neck at all. I did see my neurologist yesterday for a follow-up for my migraines and I told him what my surgeon had concerns about with my legs and reflexes and he said it could be side effects from Effexor(anti-depressant) that I'm taking. (I have been on this for years though) and he said it was good he was getting it checked though, but he really thinks it's from the meds. I guess we'll see soon. Thanks! Tami
My brain scans last year were due to bad migraines. My doctor does show me all scans and goes thru them with me(I do pick up copies too). The head ones do not show any part of the neck at all. I did see my neurologist yesterday for a follow-up for my migraines and I told him what my surgeon had concerns about with my legs and reflexes and he said it could be side effects from Effexor(anti-depressant) that I'm taking. (I have been on this for years though) and he said it was good he was getting it checked though, but he really thinks it's from the meds. I guess we'll see soon. Thanks! Tami