Help!

[Ash]

Hello,

I had an ADR put in a abit ago for my l5/s1. It was about 6 months ago. Everything was going good until i picked up something a bit heavy, about 60 pounds. I lifted correctly, bent with the knees not with the back etc.. At first I didn't feel any different, it wasn't until a bit later I felt something in my right leg/foot. My right leg/foot now feels a bit tingly and numb ish, well not numb, but it feels lighter then my left foot and feels odd when i walk. I now have burning pain around my wast again and a bit in my butt. I don't have any leg pain etc, probably due to my L5 disc. Prior to surgery I had DDD of the l5/s1 disc and a micro bulged in my l4 disc. After surgery i felt great, all this pain was gone.

I am pretty sure the disc didn't move. My surgeon indicated that they have never seen a disc move before. And to wait 6 weeks. Well it's been 7 and it hasn't improved.

I am beginning to suspect that it's my L4 disc. Lower back feels compressed.

Sitting makes it worse, standing kinda irritates it, but feels better then sitting. Walking makes it feel better. If i take a nice hot shower it feels better. When I wake up in the morning I feel good with the exception of my right leg/foot. As the day goes on it get's worse. Probably due to gravity pulling my spine down.

It's odd too, sometimes the burning pain can be more on the left, or sometimes on the right, or both. It almost feels like it moves.

Prior to surgery, I would see my chrio and hang like a bat on my inversion table.

I'm not really sure what to do anymore..can i still hang on my inversion table? What should i do to decompress?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ash.

[mmglobal]

Inversion table is a doctor question. I do know people who use them post-ADR, but you'll want to follow the recommendation of your doc.

Yes, moving of the disc more than a few weeks out is quite rare. I would think that with changed radicular symptoms, they would have been motivated to do some xrays.... have they been done yet?

Was L4-5 already compromised before your L5-S1 surgery?

Mark

[Ash]

Originally Posted by mmglobal

Inversion table is a doctor question. I do know people who use them post-ADR, but you'll want to follow the recommendation of your doc.

Yes, moving of the disc more than a few weeks out is quite rare. I would think that with changed radicular symptoms, they would have been motivated to do some xrays.... have they been done yet?

Was L4-5 already compromised before your L5-S1 surgery?

Mark

The doctor said, micro instability with L4-5 prior to surgery. I'll see about xrays. I would think if the adr slipped i would be in a vast amount of pain.

From what i described, what do you think? L4-l5 disc bulge? The problem is that I don't know what a l4-l5 disc issue feels like.

Thoughts?


Ash.

[mmglobal]

Speculating doesn't help. The odds of the disc moving are quite low and even if it wasn't, "horriblizing" also doesn't help.

Look for dermatome charts that tell you the distribution of symptoms for the different nerve roots. For me, the 4/5 issues were around the outside of the calf and across the top of the foot, where L5/S1 was the heel and bottom of foot.

[Maria]

Sounds a bit like what happened when my L4 bulged (had previously had an L5S1 discectomy and at first was worried that rebulged and had more probs but turned out to be L4. Not to be outdone L5S1 at some point rebulged too..

How long ago did the lifting then new symptoms happen? Just wondering in terms if a wait and see if it goes away period has already passed. It would seem some new films would reveal if there is something going on at L4 to be concerned about or have a treatment plan initiated to the area if it is L4. Good luck with whatever might be going on and if you are so inclined please keep us posted.

[Ash]

I finally got xrays, disc has not moved a budge. So i am not sure what would be pinching my nerve to cause this amount of pain. What other test can a Dr do besides an MRI since that will not work any more? CT Scan?

Ash

[Maria]

I'm guessing that you still have the same symptoms? Anyway you mentioned getting xrays. I don't think xrays will tell you if the L4 disc is compromised or if there is soft tissue type of concerns although it seems to have given you some answers re the ADR not moving so that much is good.

Are you feeling about the same, better or worse? Have you seen your surgeon already? How many weeks post ADR surgery are you? I'm guessing that the only way you'll know if there's something going on with another disc is by MRI and even then I don't know if it will show something unless there's some there a bit significant there to show). What's considered a "mild" bulge of L4 could possibly be giving you symptoms but then again might not be significant enough to the surgeon or provider to think it's giving you what you're feeling.

I'm wondering about muscle spasms (although would think they'd be alleviated in about 3-4 weeks). I get an injection of 60mg Toradol IM every month to help me out with lumbar muscle spasms (and cervical) and it works pretty darn good to alleviate most of my symptoms. It's just a non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.

Anyway please keep us posted. I think trying to lift 60lbs is a pretty good load post op so personally I'd avoid lifting this much (or even 20lbs) until seen and cleared by the surgeon again. I know that's not always possible though when it is I'd try to strive for that ..especially for those that have to consider release to work type of situations.

[Ash]

Originally Posted by Maria

I'm guessing that you still have the same symptoms? Anyway you mentioned getting xrays. I don't think xrays will tell you if the L4 disc is compromised or if there is soft tissue type of concerns although it seems to have given you some answers re the ADR not moving so that much is good.

Are you feeling about the same, better or worse? Have you seen your surgeon already? How many weeks post ADR surgery are you? I'm guessing that the only way you'll know if there's something going on with another disc is by MRI and even then I don't know if it will show something unless there's some there a bit significant there to show). What's considered a "mild" bulge of L4 could possibly be giving you symptoms but then again might not be significant enough to the surgeon or provider to think it's giving you what you're feeling.

I'm wondering about muscle spasms (although would think they'd be alleviated in about 3-4 weeks). I get an injection of 60mg Toradol IM every month to help me out with lumbar muscle spasms (and cervical) and it works pretty darn good to alleviate most of my symptoms. It's just a non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.

Anyway please keep us posted. I think trying to lift 60lbs is a pretty good load post op so personally I'd avoid lifting this much (or even 20lbs) until seen and cleared by the surgeon again. I know that's not always possible though when it is I'd try to strive for that ..especially for those that have to consider release to work type of situations.

I am 7 months post surgery. I was pain free for 3 months.. The numbness down the right leg is getting abit better, but I have the pain around the sides again, some days it's good, other days it's bad. Most days it's on the right side of my hip, every now and then its on the left. I do have the burning pain at the l5/s1 level however depending on what I pinched could be causing the other misleading pain..

Thoughts?

[mmglobal]

Find a dermatome chart.... search this forum for dermatome and you'll likely find links to some. Is the distribution of the leg pain and numbness more for L4? L5? S1 distributions?

It sounds like your L4/5 was already compromised before you L5/S1 surgery. It's possible that you aggravated that. I'd think that the doctor (having ruled out problems with the ADR) would want to treat this like a new problem and do conservative treatment... anti inflammatories, PT, rest, ice.... All the appropriate, "I'm not a doctor" qualifiers belong here.... please take everything I say with a grain of salt.

Mark

[jsewell]

I know it has been half a year since you posted, I was wondering how you are. If not better, I would suggest you have an EMG it will tell what your nerves are doing. I have had quite a few and they give great information.
judy