I was wondering if anyone could share how their backs feel if they have PN in them or small fiber neuropathy. I have had full body symptoms for about 5 months. It maybe caused by a strep b infection I had in my back. Last week I noticed different symptoms in my back along the sides of my spine. I have felt a surface sunburned feeling, burning, and muscle tightness. I just went back to work about 4 weeks ago also. My neuropathy seems to have new symptoms every month. It scares me. I have tested negative for everything from mri's to blood tests. I have tried to get them to test me for lupus, metals, and vitamin d. I got a referal to our local university, but it is in 6months. I am going to try to get into the cleveland clinic also. Hopefully sooner than 6 month. Well, please let me know any symptoms you have in your backs. Thanks!

I have a lot of back pain, never even thought it could be PN. All of mine came from past surgeries, or the one I need to do. I have a failed laminectomey , which left me with khyphosis , scoliosis, and radiculopathy. My 4 level cervical fusion now has osteophytes on the left.

I'm checking into lumbar surgery, I have burning and numbness in both legs.
And just to add to this mess, I was dx with fibro. And confirmed arthritis in most joints.

--radiculopathy, or compression of the spinal nerve roots, which are the first peripheral nerves that connect to the spinal cord, is merely a particular kind/location of neuropathy.

Generally, though, radiculopathy has rather specific symptoms, corresponding to the dermatome of the nerve roots affected.

Hi drwk,

I recognize your handle, but don't recall any specifics, so please forgive if I state the obvious here....

I have PN (which I suspect includes some small fiber damage), and I have nearly identical symptoms along my spine, but AFAIK, my spinal symptoms are from severe/advanced osteoarthritis, which in turn has caused degenerative disc disease & subsequent spinal stenosis, which causes a lot of pain and other symptoms. My PN seems to be limited to my feet and lower legs. All I'm saying here is that your spinal symptoms could be related to PN, and/or they could be something else entirely.

I understand the fear, and I understand the frustration with the medical system (and with what we would all like/wish the medical system to be like).

Doctors have reasons for what they test for, and in what order they test - usually to rule things out in the order of most probable to least probable. Unfortunately, they can't test for everything all at once, and these things take time. Also, testing is not perfect and/but that's a whole 'nother ball-o-worms.

As far as vitamin D goes, (and m/any other supplements as well) is there any harm in going ahead and taking some? I'm not talking about megadosing, but healthy dosing. Here's an example (but you may want to go into this further):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin..._intake_levels

I assume you have some reasoning for the specific tests you want, in the order you want them (just as the doctors have their criteria). I've found it helpful, when requesting tests from doctors, to do my homework and have documentation & evidence for my requests, and also to discuss their reasons for disagreeing, and ask questions if/when they are not forthcoming. Just as we have to help them help us, we have to ask their help in our helping ourselves (beyond the traditional doctor-patient relationship). If you don't have confidence/trust in, and good communication with, your doctors, you don't have the right doctors.

In the meantime, I would (if you haven't already) ask the local university to get on their cancellations list, download & become familiar with the Liza Jane Spreadsheets
http://www.lizajane.org/
and read up on any supplements you can take and things you can do in the interim. (The maxim being: If it can't hurt to try it, then it can't hurt to try it.)

Doc

If you are having problems with your feet and legs, your gait is usually thrown off which can effect your lower back. And the reverse is the same.

We just can't win.