Loss of power in foot/nerve damage

Bogman Billy · 01-11-2014 9:43pm #1

Hey there,

I have had back issues on and off down the years. 6 months ago I woke up with mild-medium back pain, 2 hours later the outside of my foot and 2 small toes were numb. I have less power and can't push off on my right foot ie stand on my toes on right foot, so I have a limp when walking. I now have zero pain.

Orthopaedic surgeon told me the nerve had been damaged by the disc but that the disc was now not the problem as I have no pain. He said it may improve and to try physio etc but nothing has worked after 6 months. He pushed against my foot etc and there is power there but not full power.

Has anyone any experience of this problem? Thanks

byhookorbycrook · 01-11-2014 10:57pm

Consider a referral to a neuro?

Bogman Billy · 01-11-2014 11:21pm

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Consider a referral to a neuro?

Yea thanks, i'm looking into that but want to make sure im going to the right type of doctor.

The orthopaedic surgeon said research shows it'd be counterproductive to try injections or open me up as the disc isn't the problem now.

Really feel like it needs a some sort of stimulation or boost. It's not completely dead, just not enough power to push off when i'm walking.

Whats the difference between a neurosurgeon and a neurologist?

Ocean Blue · 02-11-2014 10:55am

Bogman Billy wrote: »

Hey there,

I have had back issues on and off down the years. 6 months ago I woke up with mild-medium back pain, 2 hours later the outside of my foot and 2 small toes were numb. I have less power and can't push off on my right foot ie stand on my toes on right foot, so I have a limp when walking. I now have zero pain.

Orthopaedic surgeon told me the nerve had been damaged by the disc but that the disc was now not the problem as I have no pain. He said it may improve and to try physio etc but nothing has worked after 6 months. He pushed against my foot etc and there is power there but not full power.

Has anyone any experience of this problem? Thanks

I have the exact same problem after a bad back problem and subsequent discectomy. Numbness and sensory changes in areas on both feet, unable to push up onto my toes in one foot. The power tests the surgeon and physio did show I do have some power when pushing/pulling against them but when I'm upright and weight bearing I can't push upwards at all. I'm doing physio currently and if no improvement after 8-12 weeks the surgeon will refer me for an MRI with contrast and for nerve conduction studies to figure out how badly the nerve is damaged and whether recovery will ever be possible. After a month or so of physio I still can't push up at all but if I use a counter to support myself and get up on my toes I can stay their for a couple of seconds whereas before my whole leg just collapsed down immediately. So I'm optimistic I'll continue to improve.

An important thing to keep in mind is that damaged and irritated nerves can improve for up to 18 months so it's very hard to make a definite conclusion before then. I personally have had recovery of sensation in other parts of my legs 12-14 months after the issue initially started.

Gosub · 02-11-2014 11:04am

Probably not what you want to hear, but... Following a major operation on my back in October 2005 I noticed that my feet were numb, with other weird stuff going on, including lack of power and loss of reflexes. I brought this up with the neurosurgeon that performed the op and she said it might improve, it might not.

Nine years later, it's still the same. I was in a very bad situation with my back at that stage though. The neurosurgeon gave me a only a 25% chance of being able to walk after the op, so I'm happy with the result.

Ocean Blue · 02-11-2014 11:39am

Gosub wrote: »

Probably not what you want to hear, but... Following a major operation on my back in October 2005 I noticed that my feet were numb, with other weird stuff going on, including lack of power and loss of reflexes. I brought this up with the neurosurgeon that performed the op and she said it might improve, it might not.

Nine years later, it's still the same. I was in a very bad situation with my back at that stage though. The neurosurgeon gave me a only a 25% chance of being able to walk after the op, so I'm happy with the result.

I had a close call too. Disc totally ruptured and spinal canal 95% blocked. Very lucky I'm not incontinent or have other permanent damage. So loss of power I can accept in the greater scheme of things. Only real impact is inability to run as i can't push off forcibly and a bit of limping when I'm tired. But as your surgeon said you just don't know the long term effects until time has passed. Some people improve, some don't.

Gosub · 02-11-2014 1:35pm

The worst thing for me though isn't the loss of feeling and power or the loss of balance... it's when you get an itch on a numb place and you can't feel the scratch! :eek:

Bogman Billy · 02-11-2014 3:43pm

Ocean Blue wrote: »

I have the exact same problem after a bad back problem and subsequent discectomy. Numbness and sensory changes in areas on both feet, unable to push up onto my toes in one foot. The power tests the surgeon and physio did show I do have some power when pushing/pulling against them but when I'm upright and weight bearing I can't push upwards at all. I'm doing physio currently and if no improvement after 8-12 weeks the surgeon will refer me for an MRI with contrast and for nerve conduction studies to figure out how badly the nerve is damaged and whether recovery will ever be possible. After a month or so of physio I still can't push up at all but if I use a counter to support myself and get up on my toes I can stay their for a couple of seconds whereas before my whole leg just collapsed down immediately. So I'm optimistic I'll continue to improve.

An important thing to keep in mind is that damaged and irritated nerves can improve for up to 18 months so it's very hard to make a definite conclusion before then. I personally have had recovery of sensation in other parts of my legs 12-14 months after the issue initially started.

Thanks for that, what kind of work is the physio doing on you? Mine's doing accupuncture but really don't feel it's any good, although he reckons i have more power pushing against his hands after he's finished with me every session, he's experienced with a good name.

Yea the consultant told me it could take 18 months to recover if at all but i'd like to see some sort of improvement by now

Bogman Billy · 02-11-2014 3:45pm

Ocean Blue wrote: »

I have the exact same problem after a bad back problem and subsequent discectomy. Numbness and sensory changes in areas on both feet, unable to push up onto my toes in one foot. The power tests the surgeon and physio did show I do have some power when pushing/pulling against them but when I'm upright and weight bearing I can't push upwards at all. I'm doing physio currently and if no improvement after 8-12 weeks the surgeon will refer me for an MRI with contrast and for nerve conduction studies to figure out how badly the nerve is damaged and whether recovery will ever be possible. After a month or so of physio I still can't push up at all but if I use a counter to support myself and get up on my toes I can stay their for a couple of seconds whereas before my whole leg just collapsed down immediately. So I'm optimistic I'll continue to improve.

An important thing to keep in mind is that damaged and irritated nerves can improve for up to 18 months so it's very hard to make a definite conclusion before then. I personally have had recovery of sensation in other parts of my legs 12-14 months after the issue initially started.

Thanks for that, good to hear you are showing improvement. What kind of work is the physio doing on you? Mine's doing accupuncture but really don't feel it's any good, although he reckons i have more power pushing against his hands after he's finished with me every session, he's experienced with a good name.

Yea the consultant told me it could take 18 months to recover if at all but i'd like to see some sort of improvement by now

Ocean Blue · 03-11-2014 12:31pm

Bogman Billy wrote: »

Thanks for that, what kind of work is the physio doing on you? Mine's doing accupuncture but really don't feel it's any good, although he reckons i have more power pushing against his hands after he's finished with me every session, he's experienced with a good name.

Yea the consultant told me it could take 18 months to recover if at all but i'd like to see some sort of improvement by now

She hasn't had to do very much hands on work, other than massaging a very tight piriformis. She is really just overseeing a rehabilitation programme after my surgery. She assesses improvement frequently then adds and advances exercises, focusing on both mobility and strengthening. Don't know the actual names of the exercises I'm afraid!

One thing I have found though is that there is a massive difference between the HSE physio I'm attending now (I was referred by the hospital) and the private physio I attended previously. The private physio just treated whatever was acutely bothering me at that particular time. E.g. Sciatic pain - massage/dry needling in lower back, buttock & leg. They never tried to get to the true root of my back and leg problems. The HSE physio is obviously coming from the angle of rehabilitation but it's just such a different approach. It's really holistic - it's about strength, mobility, balance. She isn't just treating my back, she is working on strengthening my entire body. I'm dreading when I'm discharged from the public clinic!

Bogman Billy · 28-03-2016 7:06pm

Hi all,

just an update here, I'm now 20 months in and no sign of any return of power in my foot,

numbness doesn't seem to be any trouble now, maybe I'm just used to it but i still have a fairly noticeable limp which I'm very conscious of. Even going for a walk on a nice day is irritating as it's uncomfortable after 5 mins constant walking and my right calf gets sore as there is considerable muscle wastage

I'm considering going to get an electromyography (EMG) or some kind of nerve conduction study to see if I should give up on any recovery and move on.
My GP put me off this a year ago as he suggested that it wouldn't really do anything for me only let me know if its a dead duck or not.

Anyone have any experience of this?

ExMachina1000 · 07-03-2021 11:47am

This is what I'm currently going through. Started in October after a short period of lower back pain. My right foot started to really hurt when even standing. Constantly looking for excuses to sit down in work. My arch has partially collapsed, calf and hamstring are weak. My big toe is swollen and flattened from change of gait. I had mri which showed various wear and tear with s1 nerve compression. Emg confirmed this. I'm waering orthotics now and have been waiting months for an appointment which is tomorrow!

This is really depressing and affecting every day of my life

Loss of power in foot/nerve damage

Comments