Help! I'm really confused!
 

Bad sciatic pain, responded pretty well to physical therapy

Picked up large, fairly heavy box (foolishly, I now know!) and felt pain come back. Now pain is in buttock and hamstring. Not responding to PT, actually worsening. Hard to walk - can barely lift leg.

MRI on Tuesday, 4/8/14. L3-4 lateral disc herniation. "Mass effect on exiting nerve root"

Pain Clinic on 4/9/14. Schedule me for Epidural Steroid Injection on 4/25.

Go to primary care physician yesterday for follow-up. He says I have "foot drop" and need emergency surgery. Go to hospital. Neurosurgeon orders new MRI. Am told I do not have "foot drop". Am also told that the herniated disc I have cannot be responsible for pain in leg. Cautions against injections.

What should I do next?

Hi there,

Always extremely frustrating when you get 2 different opinions, it can be a nightmare knowing what to do.

That's a huge difference, one saying you have foot drop and another saying you don't, you'd think the neuro would be more on the ball but who knows.

Did the neurosurgeon say why he cautions against injections?

What did he suggest doing next?

I have herniated discs in my cervical spine, one pressing on the C7 nerve, had an epidural steroid injection 2 weeks ago, pain got worse to begin with but now I can feel a difference in my neck 75%.

Won't lie though, have had bad side effects, worse arm pain, pain in left leg, sky high BP etc...some people they do work for though and they swear by them, others they don't.

I always thought if a nerve is affected in the lumbar region you can feel pain in your butt and leg??

Cervical you get pain in the arms but...now I'm having numbness/pain in left leg.

Did the neuro suggest what to do next?

Hi Uconnrob
 

Hello, and I am sorry to hear you are having back issues. I would go for another opinion before you do the injections. This is what doctors sometimes do when they don't know what else to do. I am not thrilled with them. Also if one doesn't work, the rest usually don't either.
Since you do have an effect on the nerve root (ouch) this would be reason enough to get another neurologist to confirm. Don't do the surgery until you have that other opinion. If one doctor says get a shot, and another says get the surgery, I would be confused too. Seek out another opinion before doing injection or surgery. More opinions the better. ginnie:hug:

Hi their,Uconrob Ginnie is correct, this brings back bad memories 4 years ago i had a L3/4 fusion with the same symtoms you are having.As far as the injection that is really unusual for a surgeon to make that comment knowing that is part of the non-invasive treatment.Definitley get second opinion that was the exact findings i had on my mri,i was at a point of falling down.Did you question the Neorosurgeon?As far as your PCP diagnosing you with foot drop he could be confused with you not being able to lift your leg not your
(forefoot) i also have mild foot drop on my r/foot i wear a foot up brace and it helps.Even severe foot drop have non surgical treatments.GOOD LUCK