Foot pain after spinal fusion

[dimples1945]

Numbness/electrical sensations in foot after spinal fusion
by dimples1945


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dimples1945
Female
Member since Dec 2007  



, 2 hours ago
I had spinal fusion surgery 1 1/2 years ago in L3-4,L4-5, and L5-S1. About three months after surgery, I began having stange sensations in my left foot. Although my foot is numb, I feel needles/pins, electrical impulses, and feelings of burning in my acheles, left side of foot and little toe. My PA said that when you have surgery in the S-1 area, the nerves are moved in order to get the cage in. I assume that nerves were damaged or cut in my back during surgery. My doctor said it might take a few months for the feeling to come back. What causes the pain and problem that I am still having and what can be done for it? At this point, I don't really feel like the numbness will go away and the pain stop. My surgeon said he can't imagine what is causing the problem, because there is NOT a  nerve that goes from the back to the foot (I am not having pains in my legs). However, a pain management doctor gave me a diagram of the L5 and S1 nerve, showing they split off. He also said in spinal fusion, this is more often than not the outcome. I would like your honest opinion, because I don't feel my doctor has been honest with me. Nor did he tell me before the surgery of the endless possiblities of residual pain.
Thank you very much,
dimples1945

[QUILL145]

Hi all, I am 3 months + 18!days lost op for posterior lumbar fusion L4-l5-S1.  I had the surgery under urgent circumstances when suddenly broke vertebrae and could not stand or sit for more than 2 minutes due to severe pain down left leg.  No amount of pain killers helped at all.  Spondyliothesis also.  Recovery was going well when 3 weeks post op I started getting horrible pain in my right leg and foot.  Nerve pain shooting inside like nothing I’ve ever felt. I was out in gabapentin and Lyrica which seemed to help reduce the pain to be only now in the foot.  Calf is still not fully normal in feeling but no pain.  Foot was so painful I couldn’t touch it but now I can wear a sock or shoe for a little bit of time.  MRI shows a large area of fluid at the surgical site but they say it isn’t causing it.  At this point I think this pain is permanent and very depressed.  Still on oxy & Lyrica which is horrid but so is the nerve pain if I miss a dose of either!  PT is needling and working on scar tissue even though dr says there is none.  I think it helped a little but not any more.   Sounds like this is common with all these comments.  So discouraging.  

[1HopefulFuture]

I am experiencing almost exactly what you are saying but in the left foot, after S1 L5 lumbar fusion.  It started a couple weeks post surgery and now affects me so much I can’t seem to focus on anything else.  I am losing work as I can’t work like this and my poor wife and kids are dealing with a guy who is no longer himself.  I am on Percocet and nerve pain (gabapentin) which only give me a short period of some relief.  Today when I explained it to my surgeon it was met with some surprise, as if it might be caused by me taking pain meds…as if some how my brain and body are creating the pain so as to signal to my brain I need more pain meds.  This stance seems ridiculous to me and relieves him of taking any consideration that perhaps it could be a result of something going wrong or new development, post surgery.  Strangely enough this excruciating foot, needle burning pain, only developed two weeks after surgery.  Anyway, I don’t 100 percent care the cause (aside from having or my doctor having the reason so they know how to fix it).  As long as I can get it fixed.  I can’t imagine living like this, under this current pain.  I can’t work/provide for my wife and two young kids in my current situation.  My question is, have any of you successfully got this issue fixed? Or know someone who has?  

[Klewis8000]

I had fusion at the C4-C7.  The pain I have now in my neck is about a 4 (in a scale of 1 being none and 10 being "please help me God!").  Every so often it gets a bit worse BUT, MY FEET!  It started with the left one.  My heel hurts so bad.  I went to a podiatrist who said its nothing to do with the fusion but I never had feet problems before.  Now, not only is my heal hurting but the top of my foot is starting to hurt as well and my right heel is starting to hurt too.  Do any of you have same issues?  Are feet problems a side effect to spinal fusion?

[Pnelly]

Hi there. I had S1/L5 anterior fusion 7 weeks ago and the pain in my feet is driving me crazy. It started in my left heel, which I had before the surgery. Now it is in both heels and the bottom of my feet ache so quickly after just short spells of walking or standing. I saw my surgeon this week, who said that I have 'hot foot' and my feet have stopped sweating. He told me to moisturize them and that it will calm down. It is so so painful! I'm sure it's all going to be ok but it is worrying me and normal everyday activities are becoming difficult.

[Davebsp]

I had a spinal fusion over 30 years ago.  It absolutely relieved the extreme pain I felt in my lower back.  The problem is the after effects.  The left half lower body from my hip to my foot felt numb.  I,ve lived with the effects of the fusion for over 30 years and now the pain is getting worse.  My left foot has claw toe (curled toes) and the bottom of my left foot is mostly numb but occasionally I get severe pain in the heel of my foot when I'm walking (feels like an electrical shock).  I got up today at 2:00 a.m. because I couldn't sleep.  My left food hurt so bad that I had to get out of bed to see if that would help.  It's been over 3 hours now and the pain has lessened (in bed it felt like I had a broken foot.  I have found that if I lay flat on the bed and bend my left leg and bring it towards my upper body it stretches the piriformus muscle so that I can get some temporary relief from the constant back pain that I have.  If I knew what I know now I never would have had the spinal fusion, but would have had the ruptured discs in my back removed and gone into a regimented exercise routine.  Constant pain is very life altering.  I would have chosen minimally invasive surgery if it were available.  I hope future doctors have a better understanding of what the best procedures are for the long term effects of  analyzing and repairing back problems.  

[Captain7242]

I feel your pain. Had fusion with cage July 2012. L3 thru S1. Started having pain in left foot. Had surgery for neuroma. 3 more foot surgeries later, someone finally asked if I had back problems. MRI showed herniated and degenerated discs. Nerves were pinched between L5-S1. Pressure relieved, horrible pain in both feet. Neurologist said I have permanent nerve damage. I refuse to take class 2 narcotics. I finally went with a spinal stimulater implant. Helps me sleep. That's about it. In a nut shell, this *****. Glad I can look back at all the things I did that got me in this condition.

[KiwiNZ001]

Hi people - I know this is an old post, but I have only recently had the fusion (l4/s1) with cage and rods n screws etc. (10 June 2014)

For a week after surgery I was thinking I was going to get a dream run - then the foot pain kicked in and lower leg - it has been agonising and kept me awake for 10 days with very little sleep. I know we all suffer symptoms to varied degrees, but I absolutely relate to these stories here.

Anyway - breakthrough (for me any way) - Yesterday morning I was laying in bed and my 14cm scar which is healing well  was itchy. - I scratched it lightly and knocked the top off a small area - possibly where the drain had been after surgery.

About 300 - 400 mls of straw coloured fluid streamed out under pressure.

I thought I was bleeding - but when I realised what it was I allowed the site to drain properly then showered and re-dressed the wound.

The thing is - as soon as that had happened - all the pressure came off my leg/foot - and for first time - I was able to sleep well.

So - check to see your wound may need draining to release the pressure on nerves which I believe was causing that problem - the same problems you are all describing here.

When I rang my surgeon prior to this happening - to complain about the pressure in my foot and the tingling and not being able to feel my toes.....I got told to be patient and it would pass!!!! - Unbelievable.  

Hope this helps you people and anyone else reading this

[monurse34]

I had a fusion of my L4 L5 and S1 on February 13th of this year. After my surgery my surgeon went to update my husband and told him that I had a nerve that was so compressed it was discolored. I didn't have the numbness or tingling in my left foot until a week or so after surgery. I too feel the sharp pains almost like stepping on a needle, electrical sensations and the top of my foot is very sensitive, even to the point that wearing shoes is very painful. I have complained of this to my surgeon and feel like he is making light of the situation and all I get from him is to "hang in there". I finally have went to my family doctor and was given neutontin with no relief after titrating it up to 1800 mg, then was switched to Lyrica this week and so far no relief. My surgeon also had me to an ultrasound of my left leg to make sure there wasn't a blood clot hiding somewhere, there wasn't and I was grateful for that. I feel like I gave up one evil for another.......

[lrobertsmalone]

I've had 2 spinal surgeries in 6 weeks. I never had pain in my back, just my right leg and foot. After the first microdisceromy I had relief for about 2 weeks. Week 6 my discs l4 and l5 ruptured and had the fusion with the cage. I'm 3 weeks and one day out and the pain in my leg is a 7-10. I'm on Percocet with little relief. I've had some dark thoughts because I've basically been in pain for 9 weeks. I can no longer work and have missed several important events in my kids' life. I just feel so hopeless.

[adamk1018]

I recently had a fusion on my L5-S1, the surgery was February 19,2014. I had the procedure done in Japan. I am not sure why, but my incision is at least 10 inches long. As soon as I woke up from the surgery I woke up in level 10 pain generating not from my back, but my right foot. I'm not sure, but to me, it seemed like the compression sock was waaaaay too tight. They were also using some kind of air foot "massage" device that felt like an elephant was stepping on my right foot each time it "massaged"it... It took at least 32 hours of begging to get the compression sock off.

When the compression sock was taken off it provided a little mental relief, but not much else.. It has been 3 weeks and 1 day since the surgery now. My right foot feels like it is half dead, the top of it is burning, I can barely move the outside 3 toes, it feels like tiny needles are being driven into my foot constantly, to wear a sock is agony, I flinch every time my 1 year old son walks over to me in anticipation of agony if he touches my foot.. I think you know how I feel. I hope that some of you still monitor this comment, because I'd like to know if it will go away like my doctor says, or is this something I'll have to live with? If you found a method to help the situation what was it? If anyone reads this I will be very grateful to hear a reply.
Adam

[Bonerama]

Understand pain in foot. Had L5S1 surgery after 4 dicesctomies and one laminectomy. Got spinal meningitis from a dirty table in India. Then had fusion. Got foot drop after surgery, but it came back after 1 month. Back in good shape, no pain. But right foot very painful and numb. On lyrica and tegretol plus neurorobine. Nerve blocking drugs help, but miss a day and I'm in pain again. Fusion surgery was two years ago. Anyone know how to sort out a damage nerve from surgery?

[kellystoes]

Yeah, same here friends.  I just had a TLIF a week ago, and immediately following my procedure, I felt that wonderful little tingly, oh yeah I can't really feel my toes anymore feeling myself and guess what...yeah, I still can't.  I'm on Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Norco, Valium and some other wonder drugs temporarily and still have this issue.  I know for sure one thing, during one of my pre op procedures, the pain clinic did a Electromyogram on me and accidentally hit my sciatic nerve and that sensation, even under my sedation went all the way down my leg directly to my toes and stratightened me out like a board, similarly to the same feeling I'm having yet today from my surgery.  My Neurosurgeon said it's normal from the swelling aroulnd the incision, but by the sounds of it, you peeps still have it huh?  Good luck all..peace

[lisah38]

I can definitiely feel your pain. I had same fusion done July 13th of this year and the pain you described is exactly what I am having. OMG..is there any relief??? My ortho did a prednisone burst on me thinking that inflammation was the culprit although Flouroscopy showed some slippage of one of the screws they said it was still in the bone. I will let you know if I find the answer and you please do the same. Take care of yourself.

[Timbert]

I  had lumber fusion on 1/17  for crush vertebraes and major nerve damage. The L5 S1 nerve root vertebrae was so severely fused together the Neurosurgeon could not get into that spot. After surgery my left leg was totally paralyzed for 2 days and by the 6th days I could was able to walk on it with a wheeled walker. I was only supposed to be in the hospital for 3 days ended up being in there for 9 days. Since the surgery just about 3 months my left leg is absolutely horrible. My right leg was the problem which is why we did the surgery. Now both my legs and feet are horrible. I have severe burning, Charlie horse like spams in the thighs and calf. Burning pain on the skin as well as under the skin and severe burning painful numbness. Anyone who has this knows exactly what that feels like. Doctor says this and that but living with it just *****. I am already on social sect disability at 46 for my back so thank God I do not have to work. I cannot do much of anything. Looking back, I wish i never had this done. This is worse then what it had been before. Just Trust in God and ask for me a way to deal with it.

[Pantera2897]

Went thru the same pain as you. Had s1-l5-l4 fusions 6 weeks ago. Before surgery I could walk normally. I only had that bad burning pain and pressure type numbness in both feet. After surgery my feet were so numb that I couldn’t feel if the burning pain was gone. My right butt and calf were also numb. So after 6 weeks the burning pain which is around an 8 is now back as some of the numbness wore off. So now I have the same pain as, before the surgery and can only walk with am walker as my right leg is very week. They say it takes 3 to 6 months of all these changes before I will feel any correctness. I will keep everyone posted.