Car accident - My legs are numb - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

naughteblonde · 09-14-2003, 03:33 PM

Hi there
Was in a car accident on the 4th and had my spine pretty badly jolted. For the past two years Ive had arthritis in my hips, knees, ankles and lower spine (also bowel disease, urethritis, mouth ulers etc), the accident has caused a major flare of the symptoms. The docs at the ER xrayed my spine but couldnt tell if changes were from arthritis or accident but said there was no obvious twisting/dislocating. Pain ranges from shoulder level down to hips, through stomach and around my ribs. Was very difficult to move my back and still is. Taking Vioxx and Diazepam. About 5 days ago my legs started going numb which is odd because usually Im in a great deal of pain, it feels like Ive been sitting in freezing water for hours so I cant feel when things touch me properly. Doc is bamboozeled as it is not in patches, it is entire lower half numbness. Can still urinate fine but controling my legs is getting rather difficult. Anyone experienced this? Could this be a side effect of the vioxx as it is doubtful its the diazepam. Any ideas????

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'Never judge a man till you've walked a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares? He's a mile away and you've got his shoes.'

schragie · 09-14-2003, 04:11 PM

So sorry to hear you were in an accident. Maybe you should get an MRI because x-rays wouldn't show any soft tissue damage you might have sustained--like a herniated disc, for example.
Hope you feel better soon!
Lisa

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1999 fusion C5-6 & C6-7
2002 herniation of C4-5

mistyone · 09-14-2003, 05:22 PM

if you have numbness al the time n your legs i would get thee to te ER and have them do an MRI pronto.....mistyone

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sept 02 nasty car crash by drunk driver. got C5-6-7 HNP, T-7-8 bulge, 8-9, 10-11 HNP, L 5 L3 S1 lateral recess, ACDF with my hip on right side, posterior CDF w 11 screws and 4 plates, hareware has to come out in feb 04 when the bone has matured. my n/s quit her practice an not i am up the creek trying to find another n/s or orthopod to help me as they are all fearful of malpractice where the other doctor was.....not on pain meds but on xanax 1 mg and effexor 75 mgs. have torn right rotator cuff w/ some DDD thrown in for good meaure. have left hand dominant CTS and not a happy camper right now....

bdb · 09-14-2003, 11:27 PM

I agree. It sounds like you need an MRI sooner rather then later. No one took my leg numbness seriously as xrays were all negative. My lawyer got me into a private clinic and paid for a cervical MRI. After we got the results doctors started taking me more seriously.
bdb

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scottieK · 10-06-2003, 06:42 AM

Hi there, just passing thru and saw your question. I know things aren't looking to good but maybe my experience may help. I have had three fusions in the past seven years, I have experience quite a bit of numbness here there and every where. Just remember the numbness is a symptom of how the nerves are. "Patchiness" is not much of an indicator as the full numbness would have been. It tells of where the nerve could be affected tho if you can figure out just where it is. For instance if you could draw a line down your back into your bottom and down your leg you could be drawing the nerve pathway. sorry if this confuses you. If you can draw the area where the numbness is it can tell you where the problem originates from. The ball of the bottom of your foot tell the doc it is your lumbar nerves. If you can be more specific and show him it is the side of a toe then he could get more specific as well. Xrays do not always show where the injury is. MRI's will show more than other images such as CAT's. BUT then again CAT's show more problems in the bones- do not ask me why (or how)but I was told that. I know that a CAT show my "sick" disc where the MRI did not.
When the doc checks you and looks for muscle wastage and sticks pins in you, he is looking for a set of symptoms that point to the specific area. It is a good idea to mark out the path's and painful spots if you can. Becareful tho cause if you are caught in an insurance case the doc can get the idea you are trying to fool him into thinking you are worse than you are so be warned. Not all doc's are broad minded enough to think that you are just trying to get to your own problem's- funny that-
Anyway, I hope things go well and if you are really wanting to know about numbness then get ahold of a basic neurology text book and look under initial dignostic exam methods and they will (usually) show the nerve pathways. It will if nothing else this help you stop worrying about paralysis and stuff. -numbness usually does not mean you are going paralysed and it can an usually will go away if the nerve is not completely severed.good luck!

[This message has been edited by scottieK (edited 10-06-2003).]