Neuropathy from lumbar stenosis?

I just live with it since doctors tests etc waste of time. Find you relief..........

I have been reading the evolving thread on neuropathy and lumbar stenosis with particular interest. I have idiopathic sensory-motor PN, giving me terrible balance and difficulty walking, even the shortest distances. In March 2022, I was diagnosed with cervical stenosis (“critical stenosis centrally at C4-C5, C5-C6 without cord signal change”: my neurosurgeon’s note). I had had no cervical-area symptoms then; I had been looking for an answer to my lower-body PN. That I had cervical stenosis came as a surprise. The neurosurgeon offered cervical surgery but cautioned that even a positive outcome might have no effect on my bad balance and walking difficulty. We decided on –– and are continuing with –– a wait-and-see approach to my cervical stenosis. Reading about others’ experiences with PN and lumbar surgeries has me wondering if any of you have ever had cervical stenosis surgery, only to be pleasantly surprised to find that it helped reduce or even eliminate your lower-body PN symptoms.

I have been reading the evolving thread on neuropathy and lumbar stenosis with particular interest. I have idiopathic sensory-motor PN, giving me terrible balance and difficulty walking, even the shortest distances. In March 2022, I was diagnosed with cervical stenosis (“critical stenosis centrally at C4-C5, C5-C6 without cord signal change”: my neurosurgeon’s note). I had had no cervical-area symptoms then; I had been looking for an answer to my lower-body PN. That I had cervical stenosis came as a surprise. The neurosurgeon offered cervical surgery but cautioned that even a positive outcome might have no effect on my bad balance and walking difficulty. We decided on –– and are continuing with –– a wait-and-see approach to my cervical stenosis. Reading about others’ experiences with PN and lumbar surgeries has me wondering if any of you have ever had cervical stenosis surgery, only to be pleasantly surprised to find that it helped reduce or even eliminate your lower-body PN symptoms.

I have been reading the evolving thread on neuropathy and lumbar stenosis with particular interest. I have idiopathic sensory-motor PN, giving me terrible balance and difficulty walking, even the shortest distances. In March 2022, I was diagnosed with cervical stenosis (“critical stenosis centrally at C4-C5, C5-C6 without cord signal change”: my neurosurgeon’s note). I had had no cervical-area symptoms then; I had been looking for an answer to my lower-body PN. That I had cervical stenosis came as a surprise. The neurosurgeon offered cervical surgery but cautioned that even a positive outcome might have no effect on my bad balance and walking difficulty. We decided on –– and are continuing with –– a wait-and-see approach to my cervical stenosis. Reading about others’ experiences with PN and lumbar surgeries has me wondering if any of you have ever had cervical stenosis surgery, only to be pleasantly surprised to find that it helped reduce or even eliminate your lower-body PN symptoms.

I had AC/DC surgery this spring and my condition has improved

A spine surgeon examined me about 4 years ago and showed me an MRI image my stenosis in my neck . He said the disc between 3 and 4 was pressing on my spinal cord and may be contributing to my problems. He said he would operate on me but said I was welcome to get a second opinion

I saw. A neurologist who said the spine surgeon didn’t know what he was talking about. So I declined the surgery

My condition continued to worsen and regressed to a wheel chair

I went back to the spine surgeon who agreed to operate

The operation was very helpful. Improving balance, feeling returning to arm, hands , legs, and feet, better bowel movements.

I’m 81 years old and will never be young again but I’m out of the wheel chair and can walk short distances

I have no pain

Where are you from? Who did your spine surgery? So glad it was worth it and doing much better. What were your symptoms due to neck stenosis?

I had cervical surgery. Mine did not take. The neurosurgeon said the doctor that performed that the acdf cervical fusion should have never been done. They should have done a laminectomy. That's what they did on my lower back. I had severe axonal sensorimotor peripherial polyneuropathy/ cardiac autonomic neuropathy/small fiber way before the stenosis. The problem they did not tell me about is I have to have my esophagus ballooned open every six months otherwise it closes off and you choke. It will not change the neuropathy problems. Motor neuropathy causes tremors in hands/arms/legs. It says movement disorders. I had to go to Boston to put two and two together. They kept calling it essential tremors but that is one sided. Now I am being tested for CIDP. Peripheral neuropathy caused by diabetes, autoimmune, chemotherapy, some medications ( on the insert it does not say neuropathy it says pins and needles) and idiopathic. Mine is autoimmune and I test negative for everything almost. I tested 13 for rheumatoid arthritis and you have to test 14. Strong family history. I posted all the labs that I had to have done in order to see a research neurologist based out of Boston. I live in Texas. These are the doctors she recommended that I have. Immunologist,
Neuromuscular neurologist and Neuromusclar physical therapist. I get severe muscle spasms, tremors (can't hold a glass or cut up my food. Sometimes my husband holds my glass and if I can't get the food to my mouth he feeds me. I can't feel my hands so I constantly cut them needing stitches, bladder problems) I think the worst is the muscle spasms and tremors. Nerve pain wakes me up every morning at 230 am. The surgeries for my cervical and lumbar made no differences for me. Instead, it caused more problems. My cervical was done due to injury from a seizure. I could not hold a empty glass. I would drop it. I fractured T7 due to a seizure. I have spinal bifida also in my lower back causing problems.You can get seizures from neuropathy just an fyi.

I have been reading the evolving thread on neuropathy and lumbar stenosis with particular interest. I have idiopathic sensory-motor PN, giving me terrible balance and difficulty walking, even the shortest distances. In March 2022, I was diagnosed with cervical stenosis (“critical stenosis centrally at C4-C5, C5-C6 without cord signal change”: my neurosurgeon’s note). I had had no cervical-area symptoms then; I had been looking for an answer to my lower-body PN. That I had cervical stenosis came as a surprise. The neurosurgeon offered cervical surgery but cautioned that even a positive outcome might have no effect on my bad balance and walking difficulty. We decided on –– and are continuing with –– a wait-and-see approach to my cervical stenosis. Reading about others’ experiences with PN and lumbar surgeries has me wondering if any of you have ever had cervical stenosis surgery, only to be pleasantly surprised to find that it helped reduce or even eliminate your lower-body PN symptoms.

Where are you from? Who did your spine surgery? So glad it was worth it and doing much better. What were your symptoms due to neck stenosis?

@jchet
I had C5C6 stenosis and spinal cord flattening due to disc bulge/herniation and bone spurs. My symptoms included neck pain/stiffness, daily headaches, arm/hand weakness which caused me to drop things and made handwriting worse, loss of bladder control/leakage, and feeling like legs/feet were in cement boots making walking very difficult. I was diagnosed with cervical spondylitic myelopathy which is injury to spinal cord and ACDF surgery on C5C6 was necessary to relieve pressure from spinal cord and prevent further progression and worsening of symptoms. After surgery, I was relieved of some of my symptoms which I was glad because the surgeon said that some do not fully regain function because damage to spinal cord is permanent and irreversible.

I live in RI and went to OrthoRI and had Dr. Ian Madom do my surgery. He had many good ratings online which made me choose him. I have no regret having the surgery and wish other doctors diagnosed me sooner so I could have had the surgery sooner (was not properly diagnosed for 5 years). I am currently 54 years old and female.