Spinal Stenosis with nerve root impingement and foot drop Surgery or no surgery?

[Blueberryboo]

Hi, I'm 52, I have been battling what I thought was a Normal Siacaitic nerve pain for over a year now. Had steroid injections and medrol dos paks until I woke up one day and couldn't walk at all bc the pain was so severe and my left foot I couldn't move.i. I thought I was maybe becoming paralyzed.. I had to call an ambulance to get to the Doctor for the first time and had to go to 3 different places before finding an answer. After a week of waiting for Ortho appt. I got up and tried to walk with a walker. I slowly worked my way to walking again. The foot drop has not gotten any better. I trip and fall sometimes if I'm not careful. They want to do surgery with a rod and screws. At L5 And S1. He said my pain would be gone but can't promise me if my foot drop with resolve. I'm scared of the surgery but I don't want to lose my functioning either I'm very active and it will hinder me also. I climb ladders and things they are telling me to stop. But this is my job and my lively hood. Should I have surgery or will s Chiropractor help? How much range of motion will I lose with surgery? I'm so really scared and unsure of which way to go

[Geripop]

Hi Blueberryboo, I’m so sorry you’re struggling with spinal stenosis and have footdrop from it. I had a similar surgery in 2018 and it made a huge difference pain-wise getting decompression surgery and stabilising my spine.

I’ve been left with leg weakness and footdrop, can’t bend the same and have lower back muscular pain and still some nerve pain down my leg but nothing to how it was before. I have to use crutches and an orthotic for the footdrop but once those nerves were damaged it was always unlikely they’d fully recover.

I’d struggle to see how a chiropractor could help as stenosis means the disc or bone spur is pushing on your spinal cord or onto your nerve endings. Potentially a chiropractor could make it much worse if they try to manipulate your back as it’s very small differences you’re looking for and moving your discs or vertebrates need rather a lot of force. Your orthopaedic doctor could advise you better on your individual case though. Sadly spinal stenosis usually means a lifestyle change needed going forward, I’ve had several stenosis and am now late 40s but disabled and with some paralysis from cervical stenosis surgeries. My pain is reduced but medical issues remain.

[Blueberryboo in reply to Geripop]

Thank you, for your advice. Trying to head off my other foot from doing the same as the left. You gave very good advice. I appreciate your honesty. But I'm trying to accept this but it's really difficult I have been trying to work. I don't qualify for disability bc of work credits aren't there that I need. Really I'm just trying 5o figure what to do .

[Twinkle3131]

Hi

Like Geripop I had major decompression surgery and woke to find the leg pain gone. The surgeon(a wee darling) asked how my pain was . My reply was"it's gone". He was a bit stunned and said that I had a very large'smiley face incision across my lower back. I was not bothered by that at all and was racing around the would on Day 2 with an underarmpit walker. I had reached the point where I knew I had nothing to lose and even if I became paraplegic the pain would be gone. So I guess my comment would be only you will know when you are willing to give anything a go. I did not have foot drop rather a nasty called Adhesive Arachnoiditis which I still have. I really hope you are using CBD for pain relief. The science is loading every day about the efficacy of the product. I am very strong about using pharmacological standard of Marajuana products so I know how much I take at any given time. Good luck from NZ anyway.

[Emma2017]

Hi there. I would stay away from the chiropracter. They are good but not for this issue in my opinion. I had 3 microdiscectomies and finally a fusion of the L5S1 in 2020. I had not much choice due to CE but it was the best decision I ever made. After the fusion my life has improved greatly. I threw away the crutches after some months, reduced and then stopped the pregabalin. So of course there is no guarantee after any surgery but I would go for it.

Good Luck

[Blueberryboo in reply to Emma2017]

Hi I was wondering if you had to have a rod. If so can you feel it when you move and why were you on crutches? I'm sorry I'm just trying to figure out what I'm in store for. I'm scared and so unsure of what to do. I just wish I never had any thing wrong with my back. I guess pulling and tugging on patients probably didn't help.... I was searching for something less invasive but would work and keep my right leg from and foot from dropping. If you had foot drop did it get better after your surgery?

[Emma2017 in reply to Blueberryboo]

Hi there, no I got a titanium replacement disc. I was on crutches as I had problems after the first operation, out of anybodies control. It took me a while to get rid of them but am fine now, the leg just was not responding as it should, had some foot-drop too and they gave a device to lift my foot when walking, but all normal function is back now and am walking between 3 and 5 K most days. Some days my back feels really heavy kind of thing when I am walking but it is a minor thing really. In your case they may just suggest a microdiscectomy to start with which is far less invasive.

[esstherb]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with footdrop. This is my own experience with foot drop - having been involved in a traumatic RTA and endless surgery, i had foot drop in my right foot. So I place a rolled towel at the end of my bed and very morning before i got out of bed i used the towel to help pull my foot towards me and i did this several times a day and at night I slept with a lot of pillows pressed against my foot keeping it upright. In a few weeks my foot slowly started to function and i overcame this. Today I run half marathons.

[LythamJohn]

DO NOT go to a chiropractor as this could make your symptoms worse. Your problem isn’t related to a joint alignment so despite what the chiropractor might say your risking making your condition worse. The surgery will improve your symptoms but the foot drop may never improve due to the damage caused but the nerve being trapped. However, if you don’t have the surgery your symptoms may continue to deteriorate. Whilst any surgery carries some risk what your surgeon is proposing isn’t dangerous nor does it have a long recovery time.

Personal Independence Payment is the benefit you should be looking at. The criteria for the mobility is to be able to walk 20 meters reliably before the onset of severe discomfort. This means you could be able to walk but the walking causes you a lot of pain/server discomfort.

[air4ce]

Sadly, you should get the surgery. I had the same problem and developed severe problems. Dsic herniated at L3, left it alone from 1996-2009. Used a ton of medication for pain. I woke up one morning and could not walk. My legs were paralyzed, had immediate surgery to remove the complete herniated disc along with deflating other bulging discs etc. Anyway, the pressure was removed, it took time to rebuild strength in legs to walk. The nerves in my right leg went bad to the point of having muscle atrophy and foot drop. And still to this day the problem of foot drop etc. continues. Damaged nerves may or may not regenerate. It is a 50/50 battle. After 13 years of not taking care of the herniated disc, here is what happened: first, I lost control of bowels, bladder, ended up with blood clots in left leg, right leg foot drop, muscle atrophy, and complete toe paralyzation in both feet. There were no rods or screws placed in my back. Calcium built up the structure of fusing my vertebrae in the respectful spot. Anyway, it is your choice to have the surgery, but remember what happened to me. It is no fun pissing through a catheter and using rectal stimulation for going number 2. Turning back time and doing things over would be a blessing. Good luck with your decision!

[Kemptville]

Hi Blueberryboo

I am 78 and had spinal stenosis diagnosed. I tried injection of steroid and local anaesthetic which did not help. Surgery was suggested and because of the pain I was suffering I agreed. Post op the pain relief was instant and after 2 weeks I could walk 2 miles. Then things started to deteriorate until I was back on crutches and in as much pain as I was originally. A post op scan showed the op had been successful and the surgeon was at a loss to say what was happening. I was referred to a neurosurgeon who thought I had a piece of disc trapped under my L4 nerve. Another operation was carried out which confirmed the diagnosis and the piece of disc was removed, I am now 5 days post op and the pain has completely gone.

I know how frightening it can be, but I would suggest that surgery would offer the best chance of recovery. If you do decide on an operation try to get a neurosurgeon to do it.

[Blueberryboo]

Thank you all for your advice. I'm awaiting my appt date for surgery. I feel some better about it but on the other hand the closer I get to the surgery date I feel like changing my mind which I know isn't the thing to do now. I will keep posting as to how.it goes. I can say this has helped me alot having you guys to talk too.