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How can I minimize foot pain/burning during strenuous walking?
Neuropathy | Last Active: Sep 28 3:08pm | Replies (27)Comment receiving replies
@rockon79 It's a long story. The short story is that I suffered permanent nerve damage when one of the screws (L5) in my back broke when I was on the elliptical trainer. When the screw broke, it dislodged the cadaver bone, cracked the L5 vertebra in half and severely pinched the L5 nerve down my legs, the left side worse than the right. When I had reconstructive surgery to remove all of the hardware and repeat the fusion with new hardware and brackets, the neuropathy started. That was in 2018. Today, the neuropathy is significantly worse. I've consulted with orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons at UCSF, The Mayo Clinic and Stanford Neuroscience Center. They all agree that my nerves have plenty of space from L3-S1 now. Since I have been cut open so many times now, not one surgeon wants to operate on me again unless it's 100% necessary. The neuropathy is a result of permanent nerve damage.
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@scampano3 I am a stickler to understand why something is happening to me especially with such a life-altering issue as chronic pain. At times I can be "dumb as a post" which can make this a slow process. Quoting what you said "Today, the neuropathy is significantly worse". Since that is the case "something" MUST be presently and continuingly going wrong at this moment to make things worse. Even though they consider your nerve pain "permanent" does not rule out that it's intensity and severity can't be reduced, especially since THAT CAUSE is occurring which can make plausible it's discovery and possible treatment. I do sense some loss of hope in "reading between the lines" of your posts. Even in my case with just two spinal procedures and the promise of a relatively pain free spine, with the long time of misery before treatment, the long time of painful recovery, and on and on, I still flip-flop in my outlook. Anyway, if I were in your situation that's how I would look at the situation-if for nothing else but to keep some hope in mind.