LizaJane,

Thank you for explaining the L5/S1! You hit the nail on the head as far as my symptoms go! On my MRI you can see the L5/S1 lying against or pressing against a nerve root. However, my MRI report ONLY speaks of facet degeneration; pretty bad on the left and mild on the right. The pain refers exactly to where you speak of; including the outer part of my feet and ankles.

What I was THRILLED to read was that you said it will mimic peripheral neuropathy. My neurologist has run a billion tests not once, but twice. The final diagnosis was idiopathic PN...which means of course; all tests negative but they don't know what caused it. She also told me it barely showed up on the EMG and QSART. So, all of this time I thought I had PN! And I thought this because I had a fusion in my neck in 2004. Six months after that fusion I had burning in my hands and feet. BUT my C5/C6 was bad too until just recently when I had it fused. Well, guess what? The PN is gone in my hands...totally. It remains in my feet but just a little. The bottom line is...instead of PN I really now believe that all of this was simply radiculopathy! I can't understand why nerve root impingement wouldn't have shown up on an EMG but it didn't. In the meantime I have also seen a podiatrist just to have him check on my orthotics. The first thing he asked, and he was a new guy I just got, was, "Do you have a pinched nerve or problem with your L5 or S1?" I had not said a word until he examined me. It was amazing! I guess he could tell by my reflexes. He told me he didn't think I had PN at all but radiculopathy instead. So, I am so hoping this is the case. I know that must sound crazy. But with idiopathic PN it was worrying me to death! Now, it seems I have an answer to what is really going on. Oh, and I also have a rectocele. So, sometimes it is difficult to determine what is what.

I see my Neurologist today and I am going to mention this to her as well as to take my lumbar MRI report.

Thanks again for clearing this up for me anyway!