[JoeP148]

Hey, New to the forums here and I stumbled across the site while looking for information on calf weakness because of a herniated disc. I have a herniation at L3-L4 and a bulge at L4-L5. According to the radiologist, i'm looking at nerve compression at both levels, with mild stenosis.

Here's the deal, I have had pain for months and it suck, but it is manageable. About a month ago, after some home inversion therapy my right hamstring was super sore. I woke up the next morning with a limp, unable to do a calf raise on the right leg, unable to flex the outside of the calf or my gluet. I am also unable to raise my big toe. Walking with a limp and unable to run or be active.

I know that all of these symptoms are from nerve compression. But what I don't know is are they permenant nerve damage? Should I be walking staying active or lying in bed? Icing or Heating? My GP sent me to PT and gave me some mobic. I went to PT asked them about my issues and they have me build up my core, thats about it. I finally got a referral to talk to a Neurosurgeon, but since I am in the military I need to wait for this to be authorized, been a week still waiting just to schedule an appointment. To make matters worse. There are no local NS so I will have to fly to a location where there is an NS. This will require me to process a s*** ton of paperwork just to get a consult.

Meanwhile, I have been scouring the internet, reading message boards and medical information sites looking for information on leg weakness. It's all the same stuff I already know. I haven't seem to find any success stories for calf weakness, I do see a lot of people who do not recommend surgery of any type. So what are my options? I'm useless as a soldier since I can't walk, run or do anything that pertains to my job? Do I just play the waiting game and see if my calf returns? I guess I'm really looking for someone with simmilar issues that has any positive outcome from their situation. Or, any insight into how I can make my situation better or what treatment / surgery worked for them.

[Leesa]

Does the whole leg hurt from the back down, or is it just the calf? It sounds like sciatica to me, but usually it hurts on the outside of the leg down to the foot, although not ALL the time.

I have severe sciatica and (believe it or not) I've had it for 27 years. The sciatic nerve has been permanently damaged. And it hurts!!! No surgery will work for me because the disc isn't bulging. I've already had surgery at L3-4 and L4-5.

If I were you, I would get a referral to physical therapy and stay with it for as long as you can (especially pool therapy.) Surgery is for mechanical problems ONLY. Surgery is NOT for pain. Chances are excellent that you'll still have the same pain or worse after surgery. Also there is the "Domino Effect" which the doctors don't tell you about. This is where the levels above/below the surgery site fail. That's because they have to take on more of the load after surgery. Then you need more surgery. And after you've had more surgery, you'll need more surgery due to THAT "domino effect." It's a vicious circle.

Later studies have shown that people who have had surgery have gotten the SAME results as people who have gone thru physical therapy!!! What about THAT!!! That's a lot of pain to go thru for basically nothing!

I would try any/ALL conservative methods before opting for surgery. And the ONLY reason I would have surgery is if I was in danger of permanent nerve damage or if my spinal cord was being impinged. When I had my surgery, it was before the internet -- I had no way of researching or talking with other people who had undergone similar surgeries or had similar problems. So I was pretty STUPID -- and just went ahead with the surgery. NO WAY will they ever touch me again -- but they can't anyway. I'm inoperable.

I wish you the very best. Please take care and let us know what happens, will you please? I'd appreciate it! God bless! Hugs, Lee

[JoeP148]

Leesa,

Thanks for responding, I'm hesitant to go under the knife but many websites have said that my symptoms are an extreme case which requires surgery in order to prevent nerve damage. I don't know of any cases where PT healed weakness in legs, but I'm optimistic here!

I have no pain in my right leg at all just some numbness on my right shin. I do have a reduction in my basic motor functions in my right leg which leads me to believe that I have nerve damage. I cannot raise the tow or do calf raises.

My pain is in my left leg. The pain starts in my lower back and radiates downward to my hip groin area along the front to my left shin. It is rare that I get the typical sciatica pain down the back thigh. This pain is significantly increased when I sit, especially with no lumbar support.

I'm seriously open to any methods, techniques, herbal remedies or anything else that can fix this without surgery. I asked my PT for spinal decompression but they won't do it. I'm also reluctant to do a whole lot of excursuses that increase my nerve pain as that seems to just aggrevate my condition during cool down.

Also, I have to go to a military provider for my treatment. I am authorized a second opinion but the time frames associated with that aren't practical as I will be waiting a while just to see this neurosurgeon. What are my options here?

[JoeP148]

I'd like to upload my MRI image but I don't have enough posts, can an admin or moderator help me with this?

[Chemar]

Hi
You can add it as an attachment...look below the posting box when you are typing a reply and you will see the section to Add Attachment...you then upload it from your computer

[ginnie]

Welcome to neuro talk. I hope you can post your MRI. Leesa is really good at reading them and may help you to figure it out. I agree with her about surgery. Only as a last resort where nerve damage could be permanent. I had to have surgery, mine turned out well. Others are not quite as good a result. Mine was cervical and I did have the domino effect as leesa told you about. I wish you all the best, and I hope you get to see that neurosurgeon soon. ginnie

[Leesa]

Joe, the pain does NOT go down the back thigh. And many times it CAN radiate to the front to the shin. The key word here is "radiate."

I many times have pain in my shin. And many times the pain is NOT "regular" or "normal" for sciatica. But I DO have sciatica!! It's just that it radiates from other areas.

How long has this pain been going on, from start to finish? Because the AVERAGE time to become permanent, is 18 months. If it hasn't been resolved in that amount of time, the damage is permanent. I hope you haven't been going thru this for that long. I would certainly hate to think You'd have to end up like me. This has been miserable, trying to find a doctor who had the GUTS to treat me. The stupid government has hassled doctors so badly, that they're all AFRAID to prescribe the proper medications to keep us comfortable.
I was lucky enough to find one that thumbs his nose at the government.

Try to attach your MRI to your post. I'm NOT that good at reading the FILMS. I'm better at deciphering the written reports! A member here, Dubious is MUCH better at reading the films, but I'm not sure he's here. Some people were very nasty to him recently, and he may have left, although I begged him to stay. I hope he did.

Hope to talk to you soon. Hugs, Lee

[Jomar]

You might ask for an advanced PT, and have them do a fresh assessment /evaluation. If the previous PT was only doing core work for you, they are not addressing all the possible issues.

Can you see anything noticeable on the MRI images?

Have you explored sciatica & related videos on youtube?

[pete81241]

i've had what you have for almost 50 years. for a good year i was dead in the water. i did physical therapy and slowly the strength came back in the leg. i did go on to enjoy skiing, rollerblading , swimming and bike riding when i was injured there were no mris and ct scans. nor were there fancy decompression machines. if you dont have arthritis in the spine do go for the decompression it may do the trick.
be real aggressive on pt and stretching. find exercises that enable you to get in positions that dont hurt.
there was one exercise that really helped me. in fact just after two days of working my butt off with it the pain was almost gone. i got on my back and stuck my legs straight up and then slowly spread the legs out and brought them in. it strengthens the midsection and sucked those discs back in.
your big toe and calf trouble are indicative of pressure from the L4 L5 disc. if L3 were involved you would have more pain in the knee area.
in time for me [30 yrs] everything finally went. from L1 to S1. now i'm crippled. i did try surgery when i was unable to walk but it was too late.
but i did get 30 decent years after being like you are now.
get a few opinions from the neurosurgeons and try what i mentioned and best of luck.....pete

[JoeP148]

Attached is my MRI results...

1. L3-L4 has a large left paracenteral disk herniation, causing nerve compression and mild stenosis.
2. L4-L5 has a medium disc bulge causing nerve compression on the root sleve and spinal stenosis.
3. The (forgot the name of the muscle)?? is unremarkable in size and signal intensity.
4. The Bone Marrow is unremarkable.

I am no expert but I think my L4-L5 may have DDD, lets hope not .

Leesa to anwser your question I have been having pain since mid Febuary and have been having muscle weakness since mid March.

I am very motivated to conduct some aggressive physical therapy however, I have been told that if I feel pain while conducting stretches I am doing damage and shout stop. Well, my current PT regime is painful. sooo, I am picking and choosing the excersises that don't hurt like you said pete.

Thank you for the information pete I am taking your advice into consideration for sure. I'm trying to stay out of surgery. My biggest problem is that I am a grounded pilot. The Army isn't about to wait 6 months to a year to see if I get better, meanwhile paying me flight pay and my salary while I am doing nothing for the Army. This means the Army wants to see results now, and the current climate of active duty aka sequestration means they might just cut me loose if I don't have a plan for my recovery, this situation has the pressure up and I have a lot of time to research and figure out a plan. Granted, I have the rest of my life and health to think about but I am dedicated to my job and my country and I'll do everything I can to stay in the military, while maintaining my health.

Pete, thank you for your advice, I will start working more on the stretches that don't hurt me.

During the week, I do a ton of physical therapy and try and stay active, on the weekends I stretch, and lay in bed with a heat pack trying to rest my back and get ready for the next week. I don't feel that the PT is helping but I will stay optimistic and continue until my neurosurgery appointment. I have an appointment with the chrio on monday, NO MANIPULATION! all I want is spinal decompression, I am still skeptical about chrios....