Development of neuropathic symptoms after spinal fusion surgery

Welcome @kotya2025, Sorry to hear that you are having neuropathy pain following your spinal fusion surgery last year. While you wait for members with similar experience to respond, I thought you might like to scan through the discussions and comments from member who have posted similar symptoms. Here's a link that lists the discussions and comments when searching for "neuropathy after fusion surgery" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/

I am a retired/ disabled healthcare worker. This was not my area of expertise but I still read the occasional study. It’s my impression (which may be wrong) that as time goes on we are discovering that adults have much more neuroplasticity than was previously thought. I tried going to google scholar to find a good article but they all required a fee to read. I’m not sure if it’s known to be applicable in the acute post op setting, but there’s no harm in assuming so. So given this, there may be justification for high intensity physical therapy (assuming there is no surgical option) to help with the weakness. I would recommend being your own best advocate to aggressively pursue insurance to pay for as much focused PT at a dedicated spinal cord center as you can get and to safely use your weak leg as much as possible, preferably after a safety evaluation. The studies I recall aren’t exactly applicable. But in musicians the brain actually changes after 10,000 hours of practice. None of this is gospel, just a hint at something to dig into.

Also, I am a quadriplegic. Originally I had no use of my triceps muscles . I was told that after a year, what motor function I had wouldn’t improve. Well, three years later I had 4/5 strength in my triceps! Nerves can take a long time to heal.

So don’t give up!

@kotya2025
What levels did you have spinal
fusion? I had L3-L5 decompressed and fused in August 2024 and have hip/buttock/hip flexor nerve pain and muscle weakness. I had some of this before surgery but the buttock/hip/hip flexor nerve pain bilaterally seems worse now. The numbness from low back to feet has improved but now replaced with pain. I don’t know if long term compression and severe stenosis has caused permanent damage or if there was surgical injury or scar tissue formation causing the pain now.

@dlydailyhope
I had L4-L5 decompressed and fused. The reason for the surgery was my right side sciatica pain. I had bad stenosis and few different bad diagnoses in my spine.
The surgeon could not completely open my spinal channel, but the bad sciatica pain has gone after the surgery. Instead I got problems with my left leg. The nerve pain almost gone, but my both legs are weak and I barely can walk 15-20 minutes with walker. My legs get tired and painful. I wonder if someone or something can help to get my damaged nerve back to normal. The surgeon said it’s impossible.
Do you know if your nerve was damaged during the surgery?
Did doctor say what to do about the pain you experience?

I had a spinal fusion surgery in 2021 c5-c7, and still have neuropathy issues. I have burning in my arms and altered sensations from the waist down. Which also causes digestive issues.
My surgeon said when he did my surgery it was to keep my issues from getting worse not to fix any of it 😒.
I feel like some things got much better like I can drive now with out my legs twitching and possibly causing an accident and i dont feel like im going to fall over my own feet. But sometimes I feel like my feet stick to the floor like kinda of a hiccup in my walking lol.
I hope your nerves heal and some of your issues go away and you dont end up with life long issues

@mykatz01 are you walking with any assistive devices i.e. cane, walker, etc? Are you doing any home exercises to keep yourself flexible and maintain your muscles?

@jenatsky
No im not using any assistive devices. I dont really have weakness in my legs just a constant tingling and numbness.

I was referencing your statement that your feet hiccuped sort of as you walked. I don’t know your age but a fall after age 65 can be a deadly encounter. Stay safe.

@jenatsky im only 39 which is pretty young. the "hiccups" is just the best way i can think of explain it. It like my foot sticks to the floor. I haven't really noticed it except when im at home in the evening but that is also when I have a lot more of my other symptoms. But I contributed it to being tired but could be very wrong.
By the time I get to 65 I probably will have to use an assistance device if this doesn't get better.

@mykatz01 you may be having nerve or muscle issues regarding your leg? I’ve got osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and chronic pain syndrome and sometimes when I’m tired or I have walked a distance slowly I develop a similar symptom. It has caused me to fall a few times over the years and thankfully I haven’t injured myself yet. Oddly these falls have been very intermittent, a year between falls as an example. I fell twice while on vacation pulling my wife down with me once. I used a cane for three months until my left shoulder and neck became painful. Have you had your back checked?