@annie1
I had L3-L5 decompression and fusion on 8/2/2024 due to congenital spinal stenosis, DDD and neurogenic claudication. Some of my stenosis is foraminal and definitely had central stenosis. Prior to surgery, I had pain, weakness and numbness in my lower back, hips, buttocks, legs and feet. It may have contributed to my getting bilateral gluteal tendinopathy and bilateral hamstring tears. Some symptoms have been relieved after surgery but I now have nerve pain/weakness in my hip flexors which makes it hard to go up stairs or stand/walk for long. My hope is this will heal over time and that PT (starting next week) will help me stretch/strengthen my muscles and improve blood flow to help with healing. I try to walk my dog 2 times daily but it is hard some days to walk far/for long due to the hip flexor nerve pain.

My surgeon’s PA said it takes 3 month to heal from surgery and a full year to know the effects post surgery. My hope is my nerves in my hips are regenerating which is causing the new nerve pain and that it will get better over time. I have had lumbar stenosis for 12 years and it got really bad the last 4 years (worked a desk job over 30 years). My L4-L5 level was so bad you could not see any space at all around my spinal cord due to severe compression.