Jerry Said:

I HAD LUMBAR SURGERY ON AUG.2,2007 FOR L4,L5,S1,AND SPINAL STENOSIS. BUT NOW MY LEFT LEG IS NUMB AND DROPFOOT?

We Answered:

Fidel, you are going to have to sit down with the surgeon and ask what went wrong. There are a lot of possible answers as to why this might have happened but the only one that was in there is the surgeon. You might be suffering from scar tissue that is strangling the nerves. Was the procedure done on both sides of the vertebrae or just one? The loss of balance can be from the loss of ankle control and or from the loss of muscle control from the hips and knees both of which are higher than the areas that were operated upon. Was this a full open procedure or was this a laser procedure using minimally invasive techniques? They are most likely going to order another MRI but this time with a special contrast dye and an EMG to determine if there is a blockage at a specific level. There are other causes for this but again the only that has an intimate knowledge of what was found is the surgeon.

Ray Said:

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery (Question about Recovery)?

We Answered:

Yes, your pain SHOULD be corrected by surgery, but not immediately. In some cases, patients are better the day after surgery, but usually you will have some post op pain. You can resume normal activities in about 2 weeks, (approx) but you may not bend, lift, twist or drive for about 2 weeks. We let our patients go up and down steps right after surgery as tolerated, and you will be doing some sort of walkng daily according to your own docs recommendations. You wont be bedridden as it will make your recovery worse. As far as return to work, thats up to your doc and depends on the type of work you do. Our patients go back between 2 and 12 weeks post op depending. Hope this helps and best of luck

Lloyd Said:

Is lumbar spinal stenosis curable?

We Answered:

Spinal stenosis is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves. This is usually due to the common occurrence of spinal degeneration that occurs with aging. It can also sometimes be caused by spinal disc herniation, osteoporosis or a tumor. In the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) region it can be a congenital condition to varying degrees.
Spinal stenosis may affect the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine. In some cases, it may be present in all three places in the same patient. Lumbar spinal stenosis results in low back pain as well as pain or abnormal sensations in the legs, thighs, feet or buttocks, or loss of bladder and bowel control

Treatments to strengthen muscles, increase blood circulation and oxygen flow

•Acupuncture/ acupressure and Massage

•Chiropractic treatment

•Yoga and deep breathing

•Prescribed exercises and/or physical therapy to maintain motion of the spine, strengthen abdominal and back muscles, and build endurance, all of which help stabilize the spine. Some patients may be encouraged to try slowly progressive aerobic activity such as swimming or using exercise bicycles.

•A lumbar brace or corset to provide some support and help the patient regain mobility. This approach is sometimes used for patients with weak abdominal muscles or older patients with degeneration at several levels of the spine.

•Sugar Busters Diet

B complex vitamins, especially vitamin B12, and magnesium sulfate are worth trying, or oral vitamin C pushed to bowel tolerance doses.


Other Herbal Remedies:

• Rose hip and horsetail tea help to heal and rebuild tissue. Add 1 tsp. of herbs to 1 cup of boiling water, steep for ten minutes, strain and drink 1 cup three times daily.

• The yellow pigment of turmeric is called curcumin. In some studies it has been reported to be equally effective as cortisone without any of the associated side-effects. The usual effective dose of curcumin is 500-1,000 mg three times daily on an empty stomach for about six weeks.

Gloria Said:

Question about spinal stenosis lumbar fusion?

We Answered:

Has your doctor mentioned a physical therapy program at all or epidural steroid injections? There are other treatment options after surgery to help alleviate pain. If you're looking for a second option, I put a link in that might help you find a pain management specialist that can set you up with these kinds of programs. There is also a link to the epidural steroid injections as those can help with the pain quite a bit and you don't have the side effects the medication gives you.

Kathryn Said:

tell me about a tear of the horn of the medial meniscus of the knee? i have that do they operate for it plea?

We Answered:

Okay, there's a bunch of issues and I'll offer the best I can. Meniscectomy is performed based on how bad the MRI looks. Only your orthopaedic surgeon can determine if or how much surgery is needed in your case.

In terms of spinal stenosis and the disk herniations (bulges, protrusions), you'll need a spinal surgeon (orthopod or neurosurg.) to determine whether surgery is indicated. Generally, for a small protrusion surgery is deferred unless you're really symptomatic.

For a serious treatment of these issues, please see the link referenced below.

Emma Said:

Has anyone ever been diagnosed with or know anything about lumbar spinal stenosis?

We Answered:

Spinal Stenosis is like arthritis of the spine. It is common in anyone over 30 or very active person. I have it, with herniated disc, and nerve damage (Radiclupathy), and I was going to get surgery done for the relief of the nerve damage, a Discetomy and a Laminectomy. When they do these, they can open the disc area, that the stenosis is better, but to my knowlege, surgery isn't needed unless very serious pain and other problems!