Numb foot may mean I cannot drive anymore

[Spursboy]

I have suffered with pain in my lower back for 7/8 years, after an MRI scan I was diagnosed with Degenerative Scolious at L4/5 and L5/S1 plus Grade 1 Degenerative Spondylolisthesis at L4/5 plus a few other things including a trapped nerve.

This causes me severe back pain especially when standing or walking, on a good day I can manage to walk a couple of miles, which is very painful and I need to sit a few times.

I have had various injections and surgery to release the nerve which made no improvement plus various pain killer medications, non of which has helped, latest from my GP and the Pain Management Clinic is that I will just have to live with it!

My main concern is that at the moment I am suffering from severe numbness and pins and needles in my right foot caused by the trapped nerve and it is getting so bad that driving is becoming a problem, my foot feels like a numb block on the end of my leg and it is getting difficult to feel the pedals.

Any one else had similar problems who could offer possible suggestions.

Thanks for reading.

[cyberbarn]

There are many different adaptions that can be done to cars to help people stay mobile. You might want to investigate. Do you get PIP? It would be worth looking into that too.

motability.co.uk/products/a...

[micox]

Snap Spursboy. Had the exact diagnosis 11 years ago and I had to give up driving (I'm 82 anyway) at the turn of the year because I couldn't feel the pedals. Because I was unable to use my right leg from the start - the trapped nerve destroyed the use of the leg and I can stand for a couple of minutes before the pain gets too severe, I was only licensed for auto. I had thought of hand controls but I'm well aware of the bad state of the local authority and I never get the conversion through them, especially with my age, and there's no way I could afford them. So I'm housebound in a wheelchair and in the rural area where I live public transport is as good as non-existent. Good luck with your treatment. As a spurs supporter it should go better than mine.😅

[Spursboy in reply to micox]

Thanks Micox, sorry to hear that you are in a wheelchair, at least at present I can walk a few miles, might be painful but at least I can do it, especially in the lovely Devon countryside, by the way I'm 80 so not far behind,Regards.

[micox]

Ahhh. Norfolk for me but I spent a lot of time in Devon N&S - love it. Keep in touch - you're too old to play soccer.

😜

[Toui]

Hi there - sorry to hear about your pain. I am in a similar situation. Slipped disc caused Cauda Equina Syndrome. Surgery helped for 5 days the the pain came back with a vengeance. It took a year to diagnose Arachnoiditis which is a condition that affect the Cauda equina and causes neuropathic pain and numb feet and legs.. it feels like having lumps of cement at the end of your legs. I can only walk 120 yards then have to go in a wheelchair.

I applied for a PIP and I also got a war veterans pension with the mobility supplement which means that I have a Motability car with hand controls. It has given me a new lease of life since I am still working.

I am due to have a nerve block injection on Thursday, and I have been referred to a specialist team in Nottingham that specialises in spinal cord stimulation. In the meantime they have put me on opiate patches which has made a big difference for the pain.

Please check out arachnoiditishope.com, it offers some good advice. Take care and good luck.

[Spursboy in reply to Toui]

Thanks for the advice will check it out.