Originally Posted by allentgamer

Hi all, and happy new year to everyone!

I have sort of a dilemma. In a few days im scheduled to see a neurosurgeon about possible lower back surgery. The doctors keep telling me that it needs to be done because I drag my right foot. But I think it may not be from my lower back problems.

I am not real sure the problem is from the lower back, or from what caused the RSD.

What I think is that back in 2000 when the femoral artery was blocked for a week, and then the terrible surgery to remove the man made clot is what caused the foot drop problem. Since I have had trouble with ankle weakness ever since.

Could that cause foot drop?

The back was hurt after the embolectomy while I was still trying to work. I picked up a full keg of beer and twisted wrong because of the leg and ankle weakness in my right leg. It hurt the back pretty bad, but like I said the leg was already bad, and the ankle was already real weak.

I cant remember if it the foot was dragging or not before the back injury or not, but suspect that it already was because the ankle has been what has been giving me the most trouble from the start.

It would be terrible to go get surgery, then find out that it wouldnt have helped. The doctors wont even listen to me about my theory, and I am hoping the surgeon will at least let me tell about my theory.

This is a pretty scary thing im confronting, and would love any input. I did not know where else to go with this, but knew this is the best place because there is so much knowledge here.

I would hate to make the RSD worse, but if this might help me out of other pains it might be a good thing???