Nerve compression

"Fixed"? What is your neurosurgeon going to do???

Hi Karen,

I'm not a medical professional but I've suffered severe back problems for many years. I can share with you my own experience and what doctors have said to me.

When I was younger, in my 40s, my lower back started hurting more and more. My general doctor attributed it to being heavy around my waist (puts strain on your back muscles, similar to what occurs in pregnancy). He would always ask me "has the pain started to radiate down into your buttocks?" And I would tell him no.

In my 50s the pain did start to show up in my upper buttocks, and slowly it extended down into my thigh, then my calf, then my foot. It started to get more and more severe. I would have episodes lasting 2-4 days that were agonizing. But interestingly enough, the actual pain in my lower back had started to diminish, and eventually disappeared.

My general doctor told me that was a common result for people with long-term back pain (for the lumbar pain to diminish and new pains to start occurring in your leg), and that it indicated my back issues were getting worse - they were transitioning from simple muscle strain and spasming in my lumbar region over towards disc compression of the nerve going down my right leg.

I went to a pain doctor for years who treated the problem with epidural shots, physical therapy and pain medications. Those therapies helped somewhat to relieve the pain but ultimately the pain kept getting worse and worse, particularly the short-term episodes of intense pain.

Finally I went to a surgeon and had a disc decompression surgery done. One thing I was told by a surgeon was that I should have come to him sooner - he said that when the pain starts spreading down your leg you only have about a 1-2 month window to get it corrected, after which you may get pain reduction but you will likely have permanent numbness and lessened motor control in your ankle and foot.

He was EXACTLY correct. The decompression surgery worked to remove the pain for about 4-5 years but I was left with permanent numbness and a slight weakness in my right foot. I wish I had had it treated sooner. I also read (and it was true for me) that in more than half of the cases treated with decompression surgery, the pain returns on average in about five years. But even five years of relief was worth it.

I don't know what your doctor means when he says "get it fixed" but I would certainly push to have your condition treated in some way - in my experience things only get worse without treatment of some sort, if you have already started feeling leg and foot pain.

Good luck...

Fix, no. Make you feel better for a few years. Once you start having back or neck surgery...seems it doesnt end. MAKE SURE you have a good doctor. Dont be afraid to ask him or her if they have had any failed surgeries. Look them up online. Being nice doesnt make a good surgeon.

I HEAR YOU SAY, HE IS GOING TO FIX IT. NOT A TERM I WILL FEEL COMFORTING IN HEARING. I DO SUGGEST THAT YOU GO SEE ANOTHER DR. BEFORE YOU GET SURGERY. FIRST. GOOD LUCK, AND DON'T BE SO QUICK TO GET CUT. THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS YOUR DR. CAN DO BEFORE, AGAIN LUCK!