Nerve damage??

[str8shooter5]

I read alot of threads where people have had "hot feet or hot legs" both before and after surgery is this definately from nerve damage?? because i have had a burning feeling that comes and goes in my back at waist band height just to the left of my spine..... was told it would go away after surgery well i am 26 days post op and still get it now and then but before i had my surgery i had an EMG and was told i had no nerve damage so where is the burning pain coming from???

[jessmith07]

When I had my laminectomy back in September 2008, the disc had been herniated for at least 6 months and compressing the sciatic nerve. During that time, I was walking 15-20 miles per week, going to the chiropractor 2-3 times per week, and doing the various other PT-type things that my doctors were telling me to do. All the while, the herniated disc was rubbing on the nerve, causing damage. When I finally gave in and had the surgery, I felt much better initially, but after a few weeks, the nerve pain was at times as bad or worse than before the surgery. My doctor said to be patient; it took about four months for the nerve to heal and the nerve pain to finally go away completely. So hang in there...

[cls]

str8shooter5,

I am a little over 2months post-op L5/S1 fusion and have had very little relief from the nerve issues that I had prior to the fusion and have had new nerve pain that seems to flair up the more active I am. In the evening is when the burning sensation comes on after I have been up and moving around all day. I am hoping there are others out there like jessmith07 who have had recovery from the initial nerve "damage" and that there is good reason to believe "that this too shall pass"!! I hope you heal too.

[treefrog]

I think the question is whether the sensation of heat is verified to be a symptom of nerve damage? That str8shooter5, is saying that he had an EMG that did not show nerve damage, so is his sensation of heat caused by undiagnosed nerve irritation, or something else.

The only one who can say for sure (and even then, maybe not) would be a doctor.

I would say, that I believe it could be from nerve irritation (maybe not nerve damage). It could also be from medication. And it could also be the reaction of your body's healing mechanism taking place.

If it is nerve damage, it can take years for nerves to repair themselves. You are still very early in your recovery. I don't think I would be overly worried about this, if it were me. I understand that during recovery, your body can have all kinds of weird sensations.

But if it is bothering you, and you are worried about it, call your doctor.

[jessmith07]

I agree with Cathy...I wouldn't be too concerned just yet, as it's only been a month since your surgery. You need time to heal, as it likely took years for your back to deteriorate to a point of needing surgery.

I, for one, will admit that it was very hard for me to be patient after my surgery...I was expecting immediate relief. I am a very active mother of seven, and I also work full-time. "WHAT? I don't have TIME to heal!!" Plus, my doctor didn't exactly prepare me for all the possible outcomes. That REALLY irritated my husband, but I can see the doctor's POSSIBLE reasoning for this...perhaps he didn't tell me anything other than this OR that can happen (and not the myriad of things in between) because the human mind can and does affect the healing process, and to fill it with too much information at the beginning of the healing process could possibly slow it down. This is MY opinion, anyway, or maybe he was just too darn busy to take the time...

Again, YOU KNOW your body, so don't be afraid to be forceful and insist on more testing if your instincts are telling you that it's still "not right". That's exactly what I had to do, and it turned out I was right. The herniated disc that was operated on continued to deteriorate (as well as the one above it) and while the laminectomy did relieve the nerve pain, now, 7 months post-op, I need a 2-level ADR. But at first, my surgeon wouldn't listen...so I had to INSIST!

[Nairek]

You should mention this to your doctor. I had symptoms of this before my surgery & then it changed after my surgery. I have 1 foot which is much colder (or warmer depending on how you want to look at it) than the other. When I was in the hospital, I mentioned how it was different & no one could give me an answer as to what it was from.

When I mentioned it to my pain mgmt doc, he put me on a "watch" for something called Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

I'm not quite convinced that this is what I have though. I still think that I have some really ticked off nerves.

[guymontag]

I had a microdisectomy performed in JUly 08. Was pain free 5 weeks and then had a little stumble at work and developed a very painful right butt pain when I sat. Was recovering slowly but I stupidly jumped on an elliptical trainer and over did it. That was 2 months ago and now I have almost every sort of nerve pain under the sun through my legs. It started off as a massive burn through my entire legs and now its died down to occasional burn spots e.g. feet, inner thighs, just above the knee etc. more so if I have a busy day. I've even got the feeling of bits of sand under my skin when I squat. + cold patches on my legs that change and the old water running down your legs and in the small of your back.

I just hope I haven't developed Adhesive Arachnoidits. Time will tell. I'm seeing a neurosurgeon on Monday. I hope to get an electro conductive test done. I will lett yo know what he says.

But thought i'd just chime in I still think chemical radiculopathy is understated. E.g. chemical irritants from your disc irritating your nerves. Obviously in your case you don't have a disk now(am I correct?), but when they took the disc out you would assume that during the op the nerves would of got a workout in some way. I reckon in another 4 -6 months that feeling would have gone away.

[guymontag]

Well the Neuro has said there is no evidence of Adhesive arachnoiditis. Didn't really seemed suprised at my symptoms of burning pain. Nor could offer any sort of explanation, except it may or may not go away.

Sure didn't make me feel any good, but I guess that's life. I've also had another Neuro say a similar thing and my ortho surgeon again couldn't give me any explanation as to burning pain.

I hope it does get better Str8Shooter. my buring pain is tending to come and go. It tends to flare up with any sort of activity and yet be not present on another day where I thought it would flare up.

Beats me??? Only God knows.

[JeffreyD]

If you don't mind me asking, what criteria was used to establish that you do not have adhesive arachnoiditis? Myelogram? MRI? Nerve Conduction? symptom evaluation?
Thanks,
Jeff

[guymontag]

Originally Posted by JeffreyD

If you don't mind me asking, what criteria was used to establish that you do not have adhesive arachnoiditis? Myelogram? MRI? Nerve Conduction? symptom evaluation?
Thanks,
Jeff

Mostly MRI. Essentially my scar tissue buildup is not significant as to cause Adhesive arachnoiditis. Also no nerve clumping.

The funny thing was, I was actually feeling a lot of the symptoms of AA over the past 2 month. Burning in the feet, legs, feeling of sand or ants under my skin. Big flare ups of burning pain after activity. It went on for over 2 months. I couldn't work because of the nerve pain. But my microdiscectomy was july 08. The catalyst for all this massive nerve pain was doing 10 minutes on an elliptical trainer. Before that I was just coping it sweet with neuropathic pain running down 1 leg and not being able to sit for 10 minutes.

In the past few days the burning pain was tapering off and not lasting very long and today has been the first day since I haven't had that burning pain after working a full day.

So. I don't think I've got AA. Doctors certainly don't think so. Its a most horrible disease, I'd put it worse than having terminal cancer. At least there is an end point, but not with AA. Just massive chronic pain.


1 thing I gotta add. Doctors here in Australia look at you funny if you ask them something like "do you think this could be Adhesive arachnoidits". After dismissing it outright. one said. Your reading too much... I think a lot of doctors here don't want educated patients. I also think a lot of them just treat the scan not the patient, even when they say otherwise. I don't know about Drs in the U.S. just the ones here in NSW Australia

[B13s]

In my case it took 3 years for the burning sensation in the legs to finally subside after the surgery. And it wasn't just a burning - I had a lot weird sensations. I still get it from time to time in case I do a bit too much physical activity, but it lasts only few days. I was also woried about adhesive arachnoidits and had few MRIs which didn't show much, EMG was also always normal - before and after the surgery. 1 month in your case is really nothing - it's probably not what you want to hear, but with back issues you need a lot of patience...

[Maria]

I had really severe burning pain after 2nd spine surgery in both buttocks down both legs esp. in glutes and calves going into feet (feet at times all other areas contantly). The pain was horrific! It last 5 years and then wore off during the 5th year. I took Elavil at the time for it then after I stopped Elavil was on Neurontin for 12 years for this pain. Now I've been off Neurontin for 2-3 years and and not having burning pain

But it was a b'tch to live with that long!!! Short lived pain is Ok to me after surgery... prolonged pain .. it's really so draining! I agree w/patience post back surgery and I think it begins post surgery early recovery to try not to mess things up if initially good.