Severe back pain after sugery

[taterbaby]

Hi! I am experiencing terrible pain 4 months after a microdicectomy on two herniated disks. I had the surgery as an emergency to relieve pressure on the nerve which was causing me to have foot drop. So far I have no improvement in the foot drop and my pain and numbness are becoming worse. My most recent MRI shows scar tissue around the nerve root but I have read that this is pretty common. I used to get some relief before my foot drop from walking and exercise but now I am unable to walk more than half a mile at a time even with a leg brace and my leg foot and ankle swell quite a lot. I am considering "manual physical therapy" and possibly steriod injections. Has anyone had similar problems or any success with treatments other than another surgery. Also interested to know if anyone has had a similar experience with foot drop due to disk herniation and how that progressed.
I would love any info since I am very bewildered and don't know at all what to do about this. Doctors don't seem to have very definative answers.

[kcore]

i appreciate the comments. i have had a similar surgery (l4) to yours. i am 3 months out of surgery. the pain has increased incredibly. there was another mri done, it showed that the disc has serious inflamation, it has collapsed patially causing it to bulg out again.it also shows a tear in the L5. my doctor wants to fuse the L4 & L5. what are your thoughts ?

[jelly69]

I had a lama/diskectomy in 2000,now i have a brace for foot drop.The only thing that can help with the foot drop is a tendon transfer wich is not 100% that it will work. From my brace I had to have a bunionectomy and a callious removed the size of a waulnut from the back of my foot. I have neuropathy as a result of all the nerve damage in my foot. I have been getting injections the only help for a week or two and have taken a number of pain pills, and still in so much pain after seven years.

[pofdog]

I have been through it.  I had my micrdisectomy in 93. I was in terrible pain even for months.  As it got better, I had to learn my backs new limits because I would find myself moving or bending like I used too, then being in major pain. I had problems through the years where I thought I had herniated the disks again, but to find out it WAS the scar tissue swelling. After a few days of rest  I would be better. Sometimes steroids would also help.
    Funny thing though. The microdysectomy is supposed to be less invasive than the laminectomy.  The pain after my laminectomy was NOTHING compared to the pain I experienced with the micro.  
     Just learn your new limits even though it will take time. Sometimes it might feel just like another herniated disc but don't freak yet. Mine normally went away in a few days of rest.  A good thing to try is to keep some pain pills stashed for those times to help you get through the days. If the pains do not subside within a week, it might be a recurrent herniated disc. I went throught that also.  Good luck, be patient.