Recovering from leg weakness after discectomy

mstikes · #1 (**permalink**) 03-26-2012, 09:48 PM

My Discectomy is this Friday and hope all goes well. I have a large L4-L5 herniated disc that has weakened my left leg so much that I now have to walk with a cane Pre-op ! My left calf muscle has shrunk by about 80 % and my right leg is now also starting to weaken .

Does anyone with that much leg weakness has been able to recover enough of their strenght to be able to walk normally after the discectomy ?

mmglobal · #2 (**permalink**) 03-28-2012, 09:40 PM

Greetings from Bogen, Germany. Welcome to the forum.

The lumbar nerves are very durable. I have seen several people have their strength return from both cervcial and lumbar surgeries. I'll not make a huge distinction between discectomies and ADR surgeries because what you are talking about is decompressing the nerves. If you decompress them and they are not permanently damaged, they will recover. In my experience (handling over 800 cases, I believe the percentage of people with permanent, substantial damage is very small. Read Melanie's story on the GPN website linked below. She could not lift her leg off the bed and was completely disabled for many years 1 day after her ADR surgery, the strength had returned.

Before my ADR surgery, I had severe pain in my leg and foot and only enough weakness to stumble frequently. I got 90-95% relief from pain and never stumble anymore unless I'm drinking!

Good luck! Please let us know how it goes.

Mark

mmglobal · #3 (**permalink**) 03-28-2012, 09:44 PM

That is a huge herniation in your avatar, but I can't read the date. How long have you had that. (I assume pretty long if you have lost so much muscle mass?)

If you have had such a huge herniation for more than a very short while.... why didn't they go after it sooner?

Mark

jsewell · #4 (**permalink**) 04-03-2012, 03:32 PM

Mstikes,
I had a severe herniation in my cervical spine which caused a lot of weakness in my left arm. It was completely resolved with my anterior diskectomy and fusion in 2007. I wish you the best. Let us know when you are feeling up to posting after your surgery.
judy

mstikes · #5 (**permalink**) 04-11-2012, 04:06 PM

To answer Mmglobal question the MRI in my avatar showing a big herniation was taken in November. Here'es a larger picture ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

I am now 2 weeks postop and even though the lower back leg pain is almost gone both of my legs are now very weak. I would grade my left leg a 1/5 and my right a 2/5. What kind of Physical therapy should I start to have a chance to recover some leg strenght ?

mmglobal · #6 (**permalink**) 04-11-2012, 09:48 PM

mstikes,

I don't see the axial (horizontal) slices that correspond to the herniation. How are your legs weak? If you are talking about the big muscles that pull your knees to chest, my (layperson's) understanding is that it must be coming from higher than L4. I'm on the way home from Europe now. Feel free to call me Thursday or Friday at the number on the GPN website linked below.

Mark