Left nerve pinched, Right leg weakness?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GnP2222
  • Start date Start date
G

GnP2222

Guest
Good evening everyone, I am reading and looking at my MRI and it says that there is a bulging disc at L2/L3 that is greatly encroaching on the left nerve root. Um, okay I see that. But all my leg pain and weakness has been in my Right leg. Is it possible to have a "lefty" condition that makes a "righty" problem? ;) Or perhaps it's possible that this encroachment in my left area is "pushing" my cord to the right and causing my right problems?

I would so greatly appreciate any personal histories or information you could share.

Thank you so much! :) GnP2222
 
It is called contralateral symptoms. This usuallly can happen with a broad-based posteriour central-paracentral herniated disk with the apex deviated away from the side of the symptoms. One theory is that the herniation causes a pulling on the nerve on the other side. I went through this and it can be very frustrating. All my pain was on the left but my herniations were on the right. One surgeon told me he would schedule me for surgery if the pain was on the side of the herniation.

All that I can advise you to do is bring this up with your doctor and see if your herniation is such that perhaps it is causing contralateral pain.

Herniated disc often cause no pain at all so that is why surgeons are hesitatant when the symptoms don't match the herniation. Good luck.
 
Pooby, thank you so much for that info. I will look up that new term that you just taught me. I understand what you mean about the "no pain in the back" thing. I have pain and weakness in my right leg for a couple of years. But I don't really have back pain. But I have been getting these sudden 'give way' feelings in both legs at the same time. So my physical medicine specialist thought it might be my back, but somehow w/o back pain. I don't see him to go over the results until Wed so I wanted to gather some good info together to ask questions with.

Thank you so very much for replying. I hope you are doing well.
 
I don't have back pain either, just right leg pain especially just above the ankle on the outside and foot nurabness, all from an L 5 S 1 ruptured disc. I don't have weakness yet, but I am watching out for that. Ask your doctor if physical therapy and getting some exercises to build up your back might help.
Thanks.
 
Leg pain is indicative of nerve involvement. Just as a bad hip can cause knee pain or a neck herniation can cause arm and hand pain lower back herniations can cause leg pain. Just look up a dermatome chart. This chart demonstrates the nerve pathways.

The pain is called radicular pain. It is from the back there is nothing wrong with the leg. I have found narcotics don't help much with this type of pain but the anticonvulsives can have amazing results once the proper dosage is attained. I personally have been on gabapentin for over 2 years.
 
Back
Top