Cant stand on tip toes and calf muscle atrophy

[Blackfire]

Cant stand on tip toes and calf muscle atrophy

I'm numb from my crotch down the back of my leg to my foot, but noticed in the past 2 weeks or so my right calf muscle was feeling very tight, never paid much attention but over the past few days I noticed I cant tippy toe on that foot and it scares the hell outta me!!

I had severe sciatica last feb (08) lasted for about 10 weeks. Was on Naproxen, Co-Codamol 30-500's and Tramadol for the pain, one day my back went and couldnt walk for about 8 hours, after that it got gradually better (as in pain was less) but developed the numbness now the wasting calf muscle!!

Can anyone help me on this, what I need to do, exercises etc to rebuild the muscle or lessen the numbness.

Does anyone know if the numbness has replaced my severe sciatic pain?
Jon

[bazer1650]

Hi I can recognise what you are all saying and have been unable to stand on tip toes since an S1-L5 back fusion in 1992.  No problems before the fusion afterwards the deficit has got slowly worse.  I have had a spinal decompression (laparoscopic)  and another "open" fusion at L4-L5 (2013) with no extra problems.  The latter operation went very well and I am back to the gym an off pain meds for back pain.  However, still having the same problems from the first op.

My calf muscles have atrophied over the years and I have seen a bunch of physios, podiatrists and  consultants re this condition but no one to date has spelt out exactly what's has been happing and what if anything I can do to be able to manage this condition (due to lack of exercise I am a type 2 diabetic).  However, my last consultant have given me the results of a motor NCS and Needle EMG that was performed and it all now fits together.  Basically my right and left gastrocnemius  and Tibialis anterior have been denervated  due to the first operation and build up of scar tissue over the years.  After 23 years there is no way back on this and the only way of getting the muscle mass back is to use estim to artificially stimulate the muscles.  There are positives to this and some draw backs the major one being that the increased muscle mass is lost after stopping estim and that it does not help with walking and standing on your toes as you are reliant on estim to enable the muscles to work.

In the gym I do most exercises but for cardio rely on the cross trainer as running is very difficult.  I try calf raises but do this with 20Kg and 25Kg on my right and left calf (no body weight).  Walking and standing still cause me a lot of pain in my calf muscles principally because I overuse the ones that still work and get severe cramp etc.  Really annoying as I used to be an active mountaineer and rock climber.  

One of the issues with walking and running is that (a) my gait is basically heel to heel with no push up from the front of my foot and (b) I walk with very flat feet again as I don't push off with my toes.  I have found good trainers with heel pads help as do orthotics with arch supports.  However my ankles are suffering and I am trying out some combined ankle and arch supports  from air-cast to assist in minimizing any damage I do from walking and manage any foot pain.

In summary my advice is to get a NCS/EMG study done as soon as possible after the back operation if you get these symptoms.  The longer it is left the less you will get back in the future.  It may well recover after the operation as my first surgeon suggested it would but it may not.

If you are stuck with it the NCS/EMG study should enable you and your medic to monitor the situation and to suggest the best ways for you to manage the condition in the longer term especially if your condition leaves you a medium level of long-term disability.


Barry

[cmaqueda]

Cant stand on tip toes and calf muscle atrophy.
I had a herniated L5 disc that was impinching my S1 nerve.  I went for about 12 months with that condition before opting for a discectomy on February 2013 I was numb down the back of my leg to my foot, but noticed my right calf muscle was feeling very tight,  after my surgery and I cant tippy toe on that foot and it scares the hell outta me!! after 45 days my leg feel better but still I can't tippy toe.

Can anyone help me on this, what I need to do, exercises etc to rebuild the muscle or lessen the numbness and be able to tip toe


Carlos

[GiantElfen1]

Hope you're doing better.
I've had severe back & leg problems for about 18 years now.
6 years ago I went in for a lamenectomy to relieve severe spinal stenosis in the L3, L4, L5, & S1 area of my lower back.  As it turned out the stuff that forms in the spinal column that wraps itself around the spinal chord & strangles it causing the stenosis didn't wrap itself around my spinal chord but went through it instead!  The neuro surgeon told me afterward that she ended up spending 3 extra hours in there snipping & pulling & snipping & pulling little bits out from betwen the twining nerves that make up your spinal chord and it's nerve branches.
Well, as it turned out I have spinal chord damage.  After all the therapy I could still only stand for a minute or so & walk maybe 50' but then there better be somewhere for me to st down or my legs would literally go out from under me.
Then I got a spinal chord stimulator put inside of me.  And it was definitely better.
For about 2 years.  Now I'm worse than I was before the stimulator.  About 20' is a long walk!
But I also noticed my left leg was much worse & I began to notice it getting smaller.  My thigh muscle is atrophying & my calf muscles in both legs stay hard as a rock.  And if I try to massage them they want to charley horse on me.  So that's HOW I found this site!  Looking for help.
So I hope the posts keep on coming.
The only thing I can add is Aquatic Therapy.  I had about 7 weeks of Aquatic therapy twice a week & it really helped but then the Medicare money ran out so I had to quit.  In about a week I went back to how I was but it told me I need that warm almost hot water to work out in.
So my wife & I are betting the farm.  We're refinancing to build a poolhouse & put in a heated swimming pool to excersize in.  There's actually an underwater walker you can get for your pool!
Hope that helps!

[MelissaG30]

I am 30 years old and 5 weeks post-surgery for what was classified as "severe spinal stenosis" caused by a herniation in the L4-L5 disc.  I, like you, began with issues in my left leg first.  Basically, if I lifted anything heavier than 15 lbs, I would feel pins and needles in my left leg instantly until I put the weight down.  

I was not in pain, but I was concerned after it didn't go away. I went to see my family doctor and he sent me for a CT scan and was referred to physio.  A few weeks later, before I could even be scheduled for physio, I woke up with the worst pain I have ever felt in my life radiating from the right side of my back down my right leg.  I had to crawl on hands and knees just to get to the bathroom.  12 hours later my right leg was completely numb and I was experiencing fasticulations from my lower back right down to my foot on the right side.  It was like there was an alien under my skin.  

I went to the ER, where I was sent home with the expectation that I would be contacted for emergency surgery in a hospital 4 hours away, which was where the nearest neurosurgeon was located.  The ER doctor did what he could, but my family physician didn't seem very concerned.

I went to see my family physician 2 days later.  I had an MRI done which showed the seriousness of my condition.  Other than beginning physio (where I was told straight out by the physiotherapist that he was not going to be able to help me, although he would continue with me until the doctors figured out what they were going to do) Nothing was done for 5 weeks until the local neurosurgeon came back from vacation on august 28/12.  For 5 weeks, I experienced severe back pain, complete numbness/tingling in my right leg, and foot drop.  I was dragging my foot behind me like quasimodo so I wouoldn't trip over my own toes as I had no control over the muscles in my ankle and foot.  The local neurosurgeon asked me "why I waited so long".  I was immediately sent to the ER for tests to check the strength of the muscles that controlled my bladder, which turned out to be functioning well.  I was scheduled for surgery on Sept 10/12.

After the surgery 5 weeks ago, I have regained control of my ankle muscles and am no longer experiencing foot drop.  I have feeling in my big toe and the arch of my foot, but the rest of my foot is completely numb.  i am experiencing numbness in the back of my thigh, the back and right side of my right calf as well as the outside of my foot.  I can move all of my toes, and walk with a slight limp if I sit for too long or if I sit on a soft surface like a couch, which disappears after I walk on the leg for a few minutes.  I cannot stand on my tiptoes, but I can flex the muscles in my calf as long as my body weight is not on it.

Sometimes the calf muscle feels really tight, like there is a knot in it, and I occasionally experience a burning/tingling/electrical shock feeling in my right foot. I have been taking gabapentin which helps ease it some.  I am fearful that the feeling in my foot will never return.  I can jog without a limp  although I haven't tested it out on long distance yet, but I cannot run at the moment.

Also, I am a woman and I can't wear high heels without going over on my ankle, which is a total bummer.

I go for my post-op check up with the neurosurgeon in 4 days.  Hopefully he will clear me for physiotheraphy and I can begin rebuilding my strength in my back and legs.  Once again, I am hoping the feeling will someday return to my foot, though I realize it could take years.

Have you experienced any improvement since your last post?

[SteveSolid]

Dear Colleagues

In July 2007, I underwent surgery inclusive of two {2} TOTAL DISC REPLACEMENTS in L4/L5 and L5/S1/

The original bodily discs were replaced with titanium discs and after 12 years of pain, in which the final 3 years prior were chronic, my severe pain was no longer.  I mean I was totally pain free.  The only let down was the noticeable atrophy in my right calf muscle.  My left calf muscle radius measured 36cm and my righ a mere 25cm.  Now it is obvious the reasons why the muscle withered but now I am more interested in rebuilding the damaged calf.  I notie that when I consistently do caly raises, it needs to be done in the following manner to begin to get benefits.  I start by perfmring raises on my strong left leg to fatigue it.  By doing this, the right and weaker leg compensates by picking up the load.  I then go ahead and perform 300 calf raises in 3 x 100 sets with no extra weight other than my own body.  The toeher trick is to take a time ratio of 1 to 4 seconds for the complete movement of exercise.  That is, raise your leg and if it takes 1 second then you MUST lower your leg over 4 seconds to work the muscle on release.

trust me this works, even if the progress in minimal.  remember, the nerve needs time to recuperate and for me it has now been 5 years since my surgery and no pain.  My calf is getting slightly better and it is painfully slow however; I has wastage occuring over 12 years so I must be patient.  Doing nothing will ojnly add to the demise of your current condition.  We need to train the brain to become more adept to out bodily function.  Doing nothing requires no action from the brain, through the damaged nerve/s. to action movement.

Cheers.

[uwgbnick]

so are these side effects common, or are we just the unlucky few. I'm only 3 weeks outside of an emergency microdicectomy where my entire right leg was so numb and in so much pain I was at the emergency room and 2 days later I had surgery.  I however can't make a muscle with my right leg and I'm worried that the dr won't let me drive if I can't push down with my right calf. I'm walking with a limp. My balance is bad, my legs are weak. steps are terrible.  Again I'm only 3 weeks out from surgery though.  the funny thing is my hernated disc was pushing on my left side nerve originally and that's where all the pain and weakness was originally.  the bulge was so big it hooked itslef around and impacted my right side worse than my left side was impacted.  After reading these comments, I'm getting pretty nervous.  

[Circusgirl1]

Are you better now? I'm two weeks out of L5/S1 Disectomy. Pain was originally in buttocks and numbness same area. However since coming out of surgery I now have pain in my leg behind my knee and I can't actually stand on my tip toes or do a heel raise!! Have you improved?