I posted questions on this many places and have received no answers at all. I think it is because nobody has dealt with this? I have 30 years back problems, surgery for herniated disk 10 years ago, most recent MRI with contrast showed 2 bulging disks L 1 and L 2-3, above where I had surgery, one is pinching a nerve. Had epidural injection, symptoms moved from one side to the other back and forth a few times. I thought I was doing better, but foot drop BOTH legs came on within minutes yesterday out of the blue while I was just standing. I could barely walk at all, went to ER, had NO reflex right foot at all, left a tiny bit, I was given steroids for the inflammation that doc found still in my low back, and a walker, and told to see my pm doc tomorrow. Does anybody know what the treatment for this is and what caused it? I am a little better today, but now LEFT leg is turned out and foot is tingling, the exact opposite side of the pinched nerve.
Foot drop requires immediate evaluation and most likely repair of whatever is impinging on the nerves which is causing the foot drop. Depending on what they find it can require disc removal, fusion, etc. But immediate full evaluation by an orthopedic spine surgeon and/or neurosurgeon is necessary.
Thankyou for replying. I am going today to get referred or see a neuro. I poured over the internet and saw that this may have been caused by the injections I had. I have had these before with no problems at all, but this is so major, I would rather have problems with pain then not be able to walk. I am getting better very slowly each day, but this has opened my eyes immensely to some of the treatments I get, and scared the heck out of me.
The good news is foot drop and severe foot symptoms often cause surgeons to see the issue as major and they often move fast. My neighbor (male, age 55) had some numbness in his foot for a few weeks and suddenly one morning had foot drop. He went to his primary care who was in a panic so the primary care physician called the orthopedic spine surgeon to insist he be seen right away (they skipped right past the referral process). Two weeks later he was operated on, MRI hadn't shown severe problems but surgery showed entire disc was sitting on the nerve so it was cutting off all nerve signals. My neighbor had no back pain and no other symptoms before this happened. So he actually had less pain post-op than I had (even though we both had a fusion). His was a 1 level fusion and mine was 3 level.
Thankyou again for your reply. I have appt. tomorrow morning with the PM doc I have been seeing and asked her for a referral to a neuro. She just wanted to see me in person to check me and then refer me, or talk to me on the phone but we missed each others calls. My symptoms change a little daily, right leg better today and more strength, left foot worse, it was the opposite 2 days ago, and am still using walker. Thanks again and will post what I find out tomorrow.
