Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
Bilateral foot numbness/paresthesias and bilateral calf fasiculations
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury.
Bilateral foot numbness/paresthesias and bilateral calf fasiculations
by Laurie__0__0, Nov 11, 1998 12:00AM
I am 44 yr old. In the evening of Oct 26 98 (after having jogged and doing stretching/bending exercises of spine), I noticed marked numbness/paresthesias of left and right toes and soles of feet. The next day I also noticed fasciculations of calf muscles (bilaterally). Neurosurg exam suggest hyperreflexia of knee reflexes and right ankle refles. The left ankle reflex is down, however.
There is no weakness.
MRI revealed the following: There is a diffuse disk bulge with small bilateral paracentral disk protrusions which contact without displacing the traversing S1 nerve roots. The central canal is widely patent. The subarticular recesses are widely patent. The neural foramina are mildly to moderately stenotic on the left and mildly stenotic on the right.
At T4-T5, there is a small, central disk protrusion which approaches and may contact the spinal cord. There is very mild flattening of the anterior aspect of the spinal cord at that level.
If the discs resolve (shrink) will I regain the sensation in my toes? I.e. how permanent is sensory nerve damage from disc compression?
My main question and concern is: what does the fasciculations of the calves mean? Does it mean. Does it mean that the motor neurons are being compressed and that I will develop atrophy of those muscles?
And, if the upper or lower motor neurons are being compressed, how permanent is damage to upper and lower motor neurons from disc compression?
===========================================================================
Dear Laurie:
I am not sure that the MRI abnormalities that you mention are related to the symptoms that you describe. Disc bulges like yours are quite common in the normal or asymptomatic population.
If you have not already had one, a neurologist's opinion may be valuable. A neurologist is less likely to blame symptoms and signs on minor MRI abnormalities, and more likely to look for another (non-compressive) cause. One of the considerations in your case, for instance, is MS.
No inference of prognosis can be made without a firm diagnosis.
Good luck!
