Back pain/Leg and foot numbness

[Jamajo]

Hi, I had a craniotomy last April and went back to work in October. About 3 months ago I started getting pain in my back and ignored it. The pain got worse and started affecting my right leg. I went to my GP who 5 weeks ago told me it was sciatica, gave me amitriptaline and codeine, organised an mri and physio. Ive had to stay off work and this has devastated me. Im yet to have the mri but I have been to physio. The man I saw examined my numb right leg and said "your nerves are not happy". He said its either 2 of my spinal cords trapping a nerve but could also be a delayed reaction to having had brain surgery and the brain not sending the correct signals to that part of the body. My leg and foot are still numb, I can hardly walk and have been housebound. It has affected what little progress I had made with regards to my mental health. I feel I have gone backwards. What I want to know is, is it possible that this could be linked to having had surgery after several months? Will it go away? I cant imagine my life without my job and never being able to walk properly again. Im extremely down and have noone to talk to.

[Kirk5w7]

What we have to remember as brain injury survivors is not everything is attributable to our brain injury.

There are many many people who suffer from sciatica every year and most of them gem will not have had a brain injury or neurosurgery. They too will be wondering if t his is going to be permanent.

I am 7 years on from my brain injury, 7 years older and now 66 years old. I have to ask myself are some of the issues i face now because of my age and lifestyle? Would i have faced these issues anyway? Mu GP cannot tell me because we cannot predict these things.

It is the same with your sciatica it may have been caused by the neurosurgery it may be because of some action you did. As to whether it is permanent that cannot be foreseen either. Follow the treatments as prescribed and time will tell.

I do hope all works out well for you, personally i had to give up work after my BI you have been very lucky to be able to return to work, there is no reason why you shouldnt recover and return to work again soon.

Janet x

[eddstjohnoneday]

its more than likely it could be a prolapsed disc if i was you love because you havnt had mri yet id go to a e i no the symptoms i have it now both legs and if your leg is numb and

can't walk properly you need to go love they shouldn't of done phsio without mri and by what your symptoms are need mri you must be in a lot of pain love please go to a e its exactly what i had as i coudnt walk and the onlyway i got leg limping and sorted out was mri went to a e its not back pain disc prolapse trapped nerve and really take it easy

ive said this from the heart im not trying to worry you love please go you cant wait for mri

a e will reconize your back need simmediate intervention hug eddie

[Cose]

Hello go back to the hospital and don’t leave until they do the MRI .

You have to push to get answers doctors are not gods you have a right to know whats going on go to a different place if you have too. I learned to push to get answers if I would not of done this I would never have found the treatment for my son and I am in the medical field.

Good luck and be persisting

[Lynd]

I have not got brain injury but what you are describing is I am pretty sure sciatica. I had it very bad a few years ago and I am left with exactly the same problem you describe. I went to see a physio but didn't improve at all.

It is a real pain to live with.

Have you seen a physio?

It does ease off a little but the numbness and tingling are something you have to get used to unless you consider back surgery. I would not do that unless I was in severe pain.

[Jamajo in reply to Lynd]

So it never goes away?

[Lynd]

In my case no. However yours might go away so don't give up. I don't have pain just discomfort from it. When I first had it I couldn't walk with the pain. Be guided by the physio.

Good luck.

[moo196]

Have you consulted an osteopath? They are most likely to be able to help you.

[Jamajo in reply to moo196]

I havent, but I may look in to it after reading up on what they can do. Thank you.

[Shehisa]

Wow, I had Burr hole surgery and developed this same leg pains you are talking about. My surgeon said the same thing, I'm scheduled for an MRI. But my surgeon said it has nothing to do with my TBI