S1 Nerve Entrapment Muscle Twitches
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I've been having problems with leg tingling now for a while, my MRI showed I have degeneration of L5/S1 with a circumference disc bulge & facet joint degeneration. I've seen a few doctors and am now seeing a neurolagist, lately I've developed some concerning symptoms that is pushing my anxiety through the roof, mainly down the outside of my foot which I believe is along the S1 nerve path I'm getting muscle spasms, I can visible see my skin move and I really only get it when sitting, when standing I'm fine, I also get them in the calf but they are mainly in the foot, is this normal for L5/S1 compression?
Regards David
2 likes, 11 replies
Anonymous111 Jameses
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Jameses Anonymous111
Posted
Anonymous111 Jameses
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Twitches are normal - everyone gets twitches - they're called physiological fasciculations.
However increased frequency of twitching could be pathologic and that is the correct distribution for an S1 LMN injury.
Why are you seeing a neurologist? I doubt they're going to be able to do anything. Have you seen a spinal orthopaedic surgeon?
Jameses Anonymous111
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I started getting tingling about 2 years ago, I saw my own doctor many times then got sent for a scan which showed some problems in my back, the Doctor then sent me to physio which didn't really help so got referred back then my doctor he then sent me to a pain specialist even though I wasn't in any pain, I just had this annoying tingling sensation, we did an MRI and found There is degeneration of the L5/S1 disc with a circumferential disc bulge.
There is bilateral facet joint degeneration at L4-5 and L5/S1 more pronounced on the left at the latter. Got sent back to physio which didn't help then got referred back to my doctor, the doctor sent me to the neurologist as I was having odd sensations, she prescribed me Pregabalin then ordered blood tests, MRI & nerve conduction test, I've had the blood test, the MRI is on the 3rd of Dec and still awaiting the nerve test. These involuntary muscle twitches are really annoying and worrying.
David
Anonymous111 Jameses
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The initial scan of your back - what type of scan was that?
Has Pregabalin got rid of the tingling?
Jameses Anonymous111
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joann72 Jameses
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i have the same condition. Does pregablin work and stop fasciculations?
Jameses
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Its works to lessen them but they don't really disappear. I no longer use medication and have grown to accept them. If you change to non caffeine products and watch your stress/anxiety levels you should see an improvement, but they wont go completely.
David
john8844 Jameses
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James
How are you doing now. I am getting the same exact symptoms as you and I am deathly afraid I have ALS. I have even received and EMG that was clear but the twitching is driving me mad.
Thank You
joshuapryce1987 Jameses
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Anxiety will make these issues worse. You need to work on putting your mind at ease.
clem1995 Jameses
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James, your initial description matched mine almost exactly. tingling in lower legs (worse on left side). this was 2014. coincidentally, i also had L5-S1 spondylolisthesis (pretty bad slippage of the back bones) causing bulging and compression on the nerve roots. the tingling led me to getting it checked out. I saw the neurologist first who wasn't convinced it was back related. he noticed the fasciculations during the appointment and worked me up with an EMG and bloodwork. all came back normal, 3 years later (2017), i went back complaining of worsening, and so he did skin biopsy, and did conclude at least that i had SFN (Small fiber neuropathy). this still doesn't explain the fasciculations, spasms, cramps in my lower legs, so we continue to try to track the cause. he is convinced it is Antibody related and it is labeled idiopathic polyneuropathy (just means they don't know the cause). I did end up having L5-S1 fusion in 2019 on my back and that didn't make the lower leg/feet symptoms any better (but my back felt a lot better!).
My question is that did you ever conclude your condition is back related? are you still having fasciculations and tingling in your lower leg/foot?
I have a sneaky suspicion that my symptoms have a combo of both back and auto-immune antibodies (sort of like a "double crush" scenario). i think the back is contributing to the fascicualtions when the nerves are already irritated by the immune system). but i'm very curious to know what you found out.