Is leg weakness permanent?

[rendean]

I have just returned from PT where the therapist confirmed the left leg weaknes I have been complaining about. She also documented areas of numbess on the thigh, exactly where I get paraesthesias. She is concerned about muscle strength and balance. This same therapist saw me in Dec. '07 for hip bursitis and noted the strength to be 4/5. Today it was 3+/5. My question is since the weakness is increasing, albeit without any exercise being done on my part,  will this pattern continue? I don't think I'm in a flare-up as I have no other new or worsening symptoms. The therapist believes that since I probably have MS that the nerve damage is permanent but that she can strengthen my leg, etc. Does this sound right?

Thanks in advance for any input,
Rendean

[Lulu54]

If it helps, my neuro tells me the weakness I have in my right leg will always be there - it gets worse when I get overheated, but the general weakness will alwaysthere.  However, all the exercise I have been doing has made it stronger - on good days it works well enough to get me up the steps without hoisting myself using the hand railing.  On bad days it doesn't have as much push to it. I wasn't able to get up the stairs hands free at all  for several months before the exercise beefed up the leg muscles.

I know that absolutely doesn't answer your question at all .... this stupid disease is so confusing.  wouldn't it be great if there were some clear cut answers  to MS? LOL

no help here,
Lulu

[rendean]

Thanks for the bump!

[essdipity]

bump

[rendean]

Thanks for sharing .. Yes, my session was an hour long torture session with wavering muscles leaving me totally exhaused now. Actually, my sis-in law is a PT and she proudly claims that PT stands for Pain and Torture :-). My situation is that my right leg is still strong 5/5 with the same lack of regular exercise as the left so it must be something to do with the nerves not the muscles.Perhaps PT just strengthens the muscles to overcome the nerve deficits?

Like you , I hope others will chime in with their histories.


Rendean

[essdipity]

Hi, Rendean. This is an excellent question, and is one I'm wondering about too. My PT has documented weakness in quite a few muscle groups. I go there twice a week for really tiring workouts that last more than an hour. I think in a few weeks she'll do a comprehensive assessment again, so I'll have more data to work with.

From the pragmatic viewpoint, I don't think insurance would pay for these sessions unless improvements were possible. Still, I've been exercising on my own for years, so why am I still weak?

I'm trying to be realistic about things, so I have to take note of the fact that we have quite a few members with weakness that seems to be permanent, and gets even worse. Maybe the PT can only more or less hold things at bay.

I hope others with a lot of weakness history will join in here.

ess