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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Spinal injury. Symptoms: Orthopedic or Neurologist Consults? Or both?
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Spinal injury. Symptoms: Orthopedic or Neurologist Consults? Or both?
by cammie, Jan 22, 2000 12:00AM
I was injured 9 days ago while assisting to transfer a patient. I have continous pain in the lumbar area of my back. Like forced pressure. Often I have sharp shooting pains that radiate to my hips and down my left leg to the knee area. None past there. Once while waiting to be seen at the closest E.R., on my 2nd visit, my left leg became numb and when I stood up I had to have assistance walking. This occured once after that visit. I am able to stand, walk slowly. I am unable to stand or sit for periods over 10-15 minutes at longest due to increasing pressure & pain felt in my lower back. If I continue either of these activities longer it leads to the shooting sharp pains. As if they are firing one after the other bringing me to tears. During the visit to an orthopedic physician, I was able to slowly get to a supine position, raise the right leg fairly well. But when lifting the left leg caused great pain, sharp and increased pressure. Standing I was able to lean to the right about 65-70 degrees, to the left only about 45 degrees..both resulting in pain, yet worse with the left. No nausea at that time. I say this because I have been asked by each physician I have seen that question. I was told he suspected torn muscles or torn ligaments from the spine, placed on steroids and talwin for pain. Several hours after the visit I had a strange moderately painful headache and stomach queasiness*. No vomiting. It passed away after a while. Later, after dinner,and taking the new medicines for the first time, I noted another the strange headache again, nausea that ultimately led to copious vomiting. Almost immediately after emptying the contents of my stomach the headache was gone. These headaches were unlike any I experienced before. Not migraines and not just irritations.
I am an RN, not that that matters in this case. But I know a little. I personally feel I need to see a Neurologist and am becoming more concerned about this headache and nausea I am feeling as I type this. If you please, could you in some way shed some light on this. I haven't taken anymore of the medicine since the regurgitation episode and my food was prepared as it should have been. Other family members didn't experience this either. Could these S/S be related to the spinal injury? Could this injury be more than just torn muscles & ligaments?
Sincerely in need,
Cammie
I am an RN, not that that matters in this case. But I know a little. I personally feel I need to see a Neurologist and am becoming more concerned about this headache and nausea I am feeling as I type this. If you please, could you in some way shed some light on this. I haven't taken anymore of the medicine since the regurgitation episode and my food was prepared as it should have been. Other family members didn't experience this either. Could these S/S be related to the spinal injury? Could this injury be more than just torn muscles & ligaments?
Sincerely in need,
Cammie
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS, Jan 22, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Cammie:
Sorry to hear about your back problems. I think you need to see a neurologist. I think what your symptoms and your head are telling you is that you may have injured your spine. It sounds like your having radicular pain, especially when you tell me it radiates down you leg (sounds very sciatic nerve-like). Does the radiating pain happen when you cough or sneeze? Anyway, you need to see a neurologist (also neurosurgeon) and get an MRI of your lumbar spine. Do not get an open MRI but the usual closed MRI. Your vomiting is likely medication induced.
Let us know what happens.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Sorry to hear about your back problems. I think you need to see a neurologist. I think what your symptoms and your head are telling you is that you may have injured your spine. It sounds like your having radicular pain, especially when you tell me it radiates down you leg (sounds very sciatic nerve-like). Does the radiating pain happen when you cough or sneeze? Anyway, you need to see a neurologist (also neurosurgeon) and get an MRI of your lumbar spine. Do not get an open MRI but the usual closed MRI. Your vomiting is likely medication induced.
Let us know what happens.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Thanks, Ann
The symptoms you describe are usually the reason given for having decompression procedure of a Chiari I malformation in the first place. To be having them status post surgery might indicate instability of the surgical procedure. I would call your neurosurgeon and tell him/her about the symptoms.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
in a lot of pain,
Cathy
Sorry your in pain. I can't tell you about why 2 MRI's would give different results because MRI will only show anatomy. The reader of the films differ and that may be the source of the differences. Your description of the MRI indicate that changes have occured in the lumbar part of your spine. These would not give you neck pain. The radiation of pain down your leg might come from the L5 area of spondylosis, especially if the cord was compromised. I would ask your neurologist or neurosurgeon to go over the MRI films with you. I have never heard of "rids", so I can't make a comment on that finding.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
I would see your neurologist, without an examination I am alittle uncertain of why the back pain. The normal