Radiculopathy vs Peripheral Neuropathy - weakness in calves

I have very similar symptoms. for years
They say it is from spinal stenosis in my lower back, nerve compression
I am 81 and Drs don't recommend surgery
I am taking Gabapentin at Nite. God Bless.

I have very similar symptoms. for years They say it is from spinal stenosis in my lower back, nerve surpression. I am taking Gabapentin at nite. God Bless.

Hi Mike @domiha, @centre shared some thoughts on radiculopathy vs neuropathy in another discussion here that might be helpful - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/908459/. @colleenyoung also shared some information on the topic in the same discussion here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/909696/.

I did a search on your question and found some comments where members shared their experience - "lumbar fusion for radiculopathy" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=lumbar+fusion+for+radiculopathy.

Hoping you find some answers!

Hi, @newyorknill , I am 73, and I've tried the Gabapentin AND Lyrica. Neither one did much for my feet. The ONE positive the neurologist said he could say was that peripheral neuropathy tends to worsen over time more quickly than radiculopathy. Obviously, each case is different and people react in different ways over time. The orthopedic spine surgeon who did my laminectomy said it might help if he fused L4, L5, S1. But no guarantee, of course. The neurologist I finally saw said he could not say that surgery would make a huge difference, but he's not a neurosurgeon. Have you tried compression socks? I wear those some during the daytime and they do seem to help. Best wishes! Mike

Yes, I've experienced what you've described. Sometimes I get horrible cramps in my right calf muscle. I get relief almost instantly by strapping on a copper calf belt. I buy mine at Amazon. I also use the copper belt around my waist to help my back. These things really work but they don't cure the problem. I hope you find relief soon.

Had L5-S1 fusion back in 2017 to correct spondylithesis. Did no good. I'm not even sure that I had spondylithesis. Prior MRIs did not reveal any such condition. Suddenly, this orthopedic surgeon sees it where no radiologist saw it previously? Very suspicious. Set a second opinion, even a third.

@heisenberg34 Thanks for the reply. The MRIs have shown spondylithesis and foramenal narrowing. And I have NO disc left at L5/S1. But the surgeon cannot guarantee... and not sure I want to go through another surgery if there is little certainty it will help. And the spine surgeon is not pushing me to have the fusion. I got 5 opinions before having the laminectomy... and ONE neursurgeon did say, "You need a wedge (fusion) between L5 and S1. If we don't do that, you'll be back in a year." Sorry to hear you went through the fusion with no improvement. Do you have similar symptoms of numbness/tingling/burning at times in feet? weakness in calves? I did PT for a total of about 10 months, but I can't say it helped a great deal. Take care! Mike

Maybe a MRI will give a better idea if you still have an issue with the status of your spine.

@domiha
I am a 54 year old female with cervical and lumbar severe spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease. I had ACDF surgery on c5c6 due to cervical spondylitic myelopathy and have been told I need a laminectomy L2-L5, possibly S1 included. I currently have pain that radiates from lumbar spine and have pain/weakness/numbness lower back, hips, buttocks, thighs, calves and feet/toes. It seems worse on the left side. I had burning and pins and needles start in my feet and seems to have spread (also have symptoms in arms/hands/fingers). I was diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy and started to take alpha Lipoic acid and Acetyl l carnitine supplements which helped reduce symptoms in my feet. Capsaicin/neuropathy creams helped, too. I also use Lidocaine pain patches for nerve pain (Salonpas brand is my favorite).

The weakness in your legs and calves could be from your lumbar spine or small fiber neuropathy. Have you had a recent MRI of your lumbar spine to see if anything has changed? Is your spinal cord being affected to cause your weakness? Did your neurologist confirm if you have small fiber neuropathy via the punch biopsy? That can affect blood vessels/blood flow to your legs/calves. Was there any injury to your spinal cord/nerve roots during the laminectomy?

@domiha
P.S. I was told by my orthopedic doctor I am too young to get the laminectomy surgery and they want to delay as long as possible by doing steroid injections to manage the pain. The doctor who does my injections also told me he sees a lot of post surgery patients still getting injections so surgery doesn’t always resolve all symptoms and may create new symptoms. My new neurologist said she would get the surgery while I am younger if it would make recovery easier. I am choosing to hold off as long as possible.