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Pelvic
fracture and nerve damage (LL pain) after pelvic bone
graft for cervical disc operation |
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This
is a long story, but I'll try to keep it short. Five months
ago, I had neck surgery for 3 degenerated discs in my
neck. The surgeon took bone from my pelvis to insert between
the discs in my neck. The day after surgery when I stood
on my feet, I suffered a fractured pelvis - the bone broke
off from where the donor bone had been taken. The next
day, the surgeon operated again and tried to put the bone
back in place with a plate and screws. A week later, the
hardware came apart. After consulting with a pelvic specialist,
I underwent a third surgery, where the bone was taken
off completely and the ligaments involved were reattached.
After much pain and much struggle, I am walking with a
cane. However, I am now suffering with severe nerve pain
in the knee to thigh area. The stinging severe pain with
bouts of searing stabbing sharp pains are starting to
get to me. I have undergone PT and I exercise daily at
the gym. Of course the only way I can do this is because
I am taking the pain medication Vicodin. I also have been
diagnosed with stenosis and I have osteoarthritis. I have
also suffered with muscle and joint pain for the last
ten years. All I needed was damaged nerves in my leg to
add to the misery. Can you tell me if this nerve pain
will go away in time or should I see a neurologist. Thanks.
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Answer |
My
best advice to you is to see a neurologist because if
the nerve pain is due to nerve damage (you have had many
manipulations to that area), it is not likely to go away
on its own.
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Loss
of sexual competency after pelvic surgery |
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I
had a total hysterectomy a year ago. I am 45 years old.
I was extremely sexual active, etc. Since the surgery,
I seem to have lost desire and stimulation sexually. I
am taking hormones and testosterone. No luck, No thrills,
Nothing. I am wondering could I have experienced nerve
damage during my surgery and this could be the reason
why I feel dead everywhere. Can nerve conduction restore
any damage in this area, the pelvic region... |
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Answer |
To
answer the EMG question, Nerve conductions WILL NOT restore
damaged nerve, they are purely diagnostic in nature and
have no therapeutic effects. The other question is more
the domain of ob/gyn specialists but certainly nerves
can be damaged during surgery in this area causing symptoms
similar to yours
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Post
laparoscopic hernia operation leg pain |
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I
have had leg pain for 3.5 years. It started just after
laparoscopic surgery for my hernia. The first 18 months
left me crippled. The pain is less now but still persists
in the hamstring area. I recently saw a local neurologist
and he thought the leg pain and hernia surgery were unrelated
and he did not think an EMG was appropriate (I disagreed).
Question: In your travels, have you ever heard a story
like mine, & what do you think? Thanks |
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Answer |
Pain
after surgery could be due to injury during the surgery
or to the position of the patient during the procedure.
When the symptoms improve, it means that the nerve is
slowly growing back. What patients may be left with is
some unusual posturing which they used to put themselves
in to relieve the pain but which is no longer needed.
These types of postures respond very well to physical
therapy.
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Femoral
Nerve entrapment |
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Would
complex repetitive discharges at L3-L4 and a H-reflex
latency of 32.4 msec on the right side be possible evidence
or indication of femoral nerve entrapment, especially
5 months post op for femoral hernioplasty ? |
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Answer |
The involvement
of L3-4 paraspinals and a prolonged tibial H-reflex provide
no information about the integrity of the Femoral nerve.
If you meant L3-4 Femoral muscle was involved (Quadriceps)
and H reflex in the Quadriceps was that prolonged, then
indeed Femoral neuropathy is present.
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Post
discotomy Lumbar Radiculopathy |
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I
had a microdiscetomy on my lower lumbar L5-S1 and had
a large portion of disc removed. I had 2 EMGs that were
stated normal, and basically considered to be a malingerer
since I couldn't activate my leg like they wanted me to,
so anyways just recently I under went the 3rd this one
was stated as a abnormal study, having electrical evidence
of an old (healed ) or chronic right l5 radiculopathy,
also stated needle exam reveals mild chronic reinnervation
in a right l5 distribution, here's the question What does
this mean in human terms |
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Answer |
In human
terms, this is like having scar tissue on your nerve which
can be detected by the needle inside the muscle. These
findings are likely scar tissues from your previous surgeries,
not evidence of a new nerve injury
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EMG
in Hamstring pain |
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The
muscles (I think it's the muscles) in the back of my left
leg from my gluteuss maximus to my ankle has been hurting
since November. I've seen my doctor and she prescribed
Motrin and heat. That didn't seem to work. I thought it
was a strained/pulled muscle but I know by now it would've
gotten better and it hasn't. My doctor thought that's
what it was too. I went to an orthopedic and he examined
me too. My appointment for an EMG test is tomorrow and
I've wanted to know what they do? Does it hurt? What could
it be? Please tell all. |
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Answer |
It sounds
like your doctor is suspecting a pinched nerve and an
EMG will be very useful in showing it or ruling it out.
It is an uncomfortable test, where the doctor uses electrical
shocks to study the nerves and needle probes to study
the muscles, but does not last too long and is usually
quite useful for conditions like yours.
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EMG
in lumbar disc prolapse |
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A
friend of mine recently had and EMG with normal results.
His MRI reveals herniated discs at L4-5 and L5-S1. He
frequently has pain radiating into his legs. Is an EMG
a reliable test? Are there ever false negatives? Any feedback
would be greatly appreciated. |
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Answer |
Yes, EMGs
can be "normal" in clinically and MRI confirmed
root lesions. So if your friend has the clinical and MRI
signs, a negative EMG does not rule it out.
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Heel
pain |
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I
worked in the yard for a couple of hours on Monday morning.
that afternoon it felt like there was a golf ball under
my right heel when i walked. The next morning when I got
out of bed my right heel hurt so bad I couldn't put the
slightest weight on it. All day Wednesday and Thursday
I couldn't walk because of the worst pain I have ever
felt. (right heel) this is Friday morning and I am slightly
recovering. Could this be a sciatic nerve thing? I have
had this twice before in the last 40 years but it was
both times in the knee. I am 69. any help would be welcome. |
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Answer |
What you
describe does not sound like a sciatic nerve injury to
me. My guess is that you have a local tendinitis, perhaps
Achille's (heel) tendinitis which should improve on its
own with some rest and icing of the heel.
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Numbness
in the legs |
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My
mother is suffering from a numbness in her feet and legs
that makes it almost impossible to walk It initially started
as numbness in her feet several years ago. It has now
advanced all the way to her thighs. The original diagnosis
was Parkinson's - it's not. The Neurologist then suggested
B-12 shots-it hasn't helped. She is now scheduled for
an EMG next week. Any thoughts? Any past experiences?
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Answer |
EMG stands
for electromyography, which loosely translates into electrical
testing of the muscles and nerves. The test is a little
uncomfortable. The doctor uses electrical impulses applied
to your skin to test nerve conductions and then uses a
needle probe (without electricity) to study muscles in
your leg and back. The whole test takes 30-45 minutes.
The test is quite useful, although not a 100% fool proof,
in detecting pinched nerves and diseased muscles.
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Nerve
damage healing process |
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Upon
your advice, I went to see a neurologist and had an EMG.
The doctor told me that I had nerve damage due to the
three surgeries I had in October. He said that the nerves
would eventually regenerate and gave me a prescription
for amitriptaline. He wants me to work up to 50mg daily.
Right now I am up to 40 mg. I notice a very slight improvement
in the pain, burning, numbness, etc. Can you tell me how
long the nerves could take to repair themselves? Am I
looking at possibly a year or even more? It is the nerve
that runs from the groin down both sides of the thigh
and across the knee. Thanks for your comments. |
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Answer
1 |
Peripheral
neuropathy (among other causes) commonly present with
numbness in feet. Although we do not have all history
and examination but as a first step in case of your mother
is to rule out peripheral neuropathy by doing EMG and
nerve conduction studies. I wonder do your mother have
any symptoms in the hands? B12 deficiency is one cause
of peripheral neuropathy.
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Answer
2 |
The
symptoms you describe are commonly seen with peripheral
neuropathies, and when they go up to the thigh, it's a
pretty advanced form. Neuropathies are most commonly seen
with diabetes and alcohol (now or in the past) but there
are a slew of other conditions, which can cause them such
as (to cite only a few) toxic, occupational exposure,
metabolic and nutritional problems, thyroid disease, a
disease known as Guillain-Barre syndrome and of course
B12 deficiency, which is accompanied by anemia. The EMG
should help in finding out whether or not there is a neuropathy
and what type, but does not tell you what's causing it.
Based on the EMG results, a neurologist should be able
to order some blood tests to determine (and see if it
is possible to treat) the cause of the neuropathy.
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Numbness
along shin (anterior aspect of right leg) |
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2
months history of numbness along the shin complaint in
a 55 yr. lady with no clinical evidence of peripheral
neuropathy. No low backache, started insidiously. |
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Answer |
Numbness
along the anterior aspect of the lower leg/dorsum of foot
could be due to a superficial peroneal nerve lesion (check
out the anatomy) or a root lesion or a mononeuropathy
among others.. An EMG would be very helpful in this case
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LL
burning and weakness “p. neuropathy vs. myasthenia” |
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If a patient presented with leg burning, bilateral, and leg weakness, would not an EMG/nerve conduction study be one of the first tests a doctor might do? These were my symptons, and after two years, five neurologists, not one doctor did an EMG, until ten days ago. Diagnosis. Peripheral Neuropathy and possible Myathenis Gravis. From what I have read, it appears if the legs are burning, pain caused just by the touch of a hand, a sheet, or clothing, that an EMG should have been one of the first tests completed. What is your expert opinion? Thank you.
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Answer |
Your
symptoms are a definite indication for EMGs. The burning
feet are due to what we call a small fiber neuropathy,
usually seen in patients with Diabetes or nutritional
disorders. Symptoms of Myasthenia include fatiguability,
double vision, droopy eyelids etc. It is important to
find out how sure is the Doctor who did the study on you
of the Myasthenia diagnosis, or if he/she needs to refer
you to a specialist in this disease, because if you have
it, you need to be treated.
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