Seeking education on "drop foot" caused by bulged disc

Posted by maldrichm @maldrichm, 1 day ago

Hello. I am new here. 58 year old male who was diagnosed with:

L4-5: There is a circumferential disc bulge with a superimposed
central disc protrusion. There is severe bilateral facet
osteoarthritis. There is probable subchondral cystic change in the
right L5 pedicle related to severe right facet arthropathy. There is
moderate spinal canal stenosis. There is severe bilateral lateral
recess narrowing. There is moderate to severe bilateral neural
foraminal narrowing.

L5-S1: There is a circumferential disc bulge with a right paracentral
disc protrusion, which severely narrows the right lateral recess and
displaces the right S1 nerve root. There is also a left paracentral
disc protrusion which narrows the left lateral recess. There is mild
facet arthropathy. There is moderate right and moderate to severe left neural foraminal narrowing.

So, I had bilateral surgery to fuse L4, L5 and S1. This surgery relieved all of the pain I had shooting down the back of my legs as well as the pain in my back when I tried to sit or standup from sitting.

However, after this initial surgery I had excruciating pain in the fronts of my thighs and shins. This pain was constant and not just when I moved. My surgeon determined that the disc between L2-L3 was bulged and putting pressure on the nerves, so I had another surgery to fuse L2-L3.

However, immediately after this surgery I have very little strength in either of my legs and have developed what they call "drop foot" in my right foot.

I am trying to educate myself on how all of this happened and why it happened. Additionally, I am trying to understand the best way for me to move forward to gain strength back in my legs and hopefully fix (even if partially) my "drop foot". Thank you to anyone willing to read all of this and reply.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | 9 hours ago

Hi, @maldrichm - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It sounds like you've been through quite a bit with the surgeries and now the drop foot after the surgery to fuse L2-L3. I, too, would want to know how to better that situation, as walking is important.

I'm tagging some others from this site who have mentioned drop foot who may have some input for you. Please meet @rhondavon @gilkesl @luamiller @dadcue @marymargaret0501. @jenniferhunter also may have some thoughts for you on where to go from here. They may know something about the connection between what may have occurred in surgery or otherwise to explain why this happened and how to move forward from here to address the foot drop.

You may also want to check out what studies have been published on drop foot, especially after a surgery like yours, maldrichm, and how it's being treated by doing a search for published studies on Google Scholar.

maldrichm - are you finding getting around doing your normal life activities is doable or really tough with the drop foot? Are you able to exercise? If so, what kind?

maldrichm | @maldrichm | 7 hours ago

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @maldrichm - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. It sounds like you've been through quite a..." + (show)

@lisalucier thank you for your message as well as the introductions. I need to preface anything I say with the fact that my bilateral surgery was only recently completed on 3/30-3/31/2026. My Laminectomy was performed on 5/19/2026 and I am still in the care of my surgeon. Sadly, my next scheduled follow-up visit isn't until 6/8/2026.

I am posting because I was not made aware of the possibility of the L2-L3 bulge issue prior to my first surgery, nor was I made aware of the possibility of drop foot and the tremendous muscle pain in my thighs causing weakness. While I may live a fairly sedentary lifestyle, losing some of my independence is a big problem for me.

I will admit that after doing some Googling, my drop foot is not very severe. It forces me to walk with a strange gait and I just automatically lift my right foot higher than necessary while walking or going up a stair. For me, the pain and weakness in my thighs combined with the drop foot, have taken the simplest tasks and turned them into painful and arduous chores and I want to best understand what happened and what I can do (starting yesterday!) to get back in control of my body. I am hopeful that my surgeon will send me for physical therapy as a way to strengthen my thigh muscles and also to hopefully alleviate the pain in them, but since I have no clue how or why this happened, I am really at a loss. Again, thank you for your response and I will take all of the help I can get. Mike

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | 6 hours ago

@maldrichm You have been through a lot. One thing to remember is that after surgery, there is a lot of inflammation and that may last awhile, perhaps months. If this was a recent surgery, perhaps time will improve things. Another possibility is scar tissue caused by the surgical path. If you are a few months out and the vertebrae are considered fused, a physical therapist doing myofascial release may help relieve some of the tight tissue. I periodically need to stretch out my own surgical scar tissue to loosen it and stop pain and restore range of motion.

I am a cervical spine surgery patient, and I did have drop foot right after the whiplash I had from a traffic accident. It also gave me a bulging disc which I think might be L2 L3. It took a couple of months right after the accident for the drop foot to get better, and that level cracks a lot especially on rotation. Sometimes it gets stuck and has sent some pain down my leg before. I have not had surgery on my back and I have been able to manage with physical therapy stretches and mobilizing my spine. I know from imaging that my disc heights in my back are well preserved. I know that's not your situation. When I was recovering from a cervical fusion, I had pain for 6 weeks straight, and then it started getting better suddenly. It took more months of physical therapy after the fusion was set at 3 months.

I have done a lot of myofascial release therapy and it has helped me a lot. Here is our discussion about it where you may learn more.

-- Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
This link has a search for practitioners:
-- MFR Therapists: https://mfrtherapists.com/

maldrichm | @maldrichm | 5 hours ago

In reply to @jenniferhunter "@maldrichm You have been through a lot. One thing to remember is that after surgery, there..." + (show)

@jenniferhunter thank you very much for your message.

As I had to clarify with @lisalucier above, I am very recent with my surgeries. I need to preface anything I say with the fact that my bilateral surgery was only recently completed on 3/30-3/31/2026. My Laminectomy was performed on 5/19/2026 and I am still in the care of my surgeon.

As I Google more, along with your personal experience, it is beginning to set in that I may be rushing things a bit. However, I had to go to the emergency room on three separate occasions following my initial bilateral surgery as the pain in my legs was simply too much to bear. Yet another problem that my surgeon did not warn me about prior.

This past month and a half have certainly been a struggle, and due to my recovery issues, so much has fallen into my wife's lap to handle as I physically cannot. As a previously fairly healthy 6'4 250lb man, I am not accustomed to losing my independence and relying on others for support.

Thank you for the link for MFR. I will have MUCH to discuss with my surgeon at my follow up visit on 6/8, and MFR is now added to my growing list. Thank you again and I hope only the best for your continued non-surgical prognosis.

tsch | @tsch | 5 hours ago

@maldrichm
When I had a herniated disc, I was told to do foot exercises to help prevent or minimize drop foot. While I am bad at exercising, I was good at these and I do not have a drop foot as a result. Ask your doc if appropriate for you

Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | 5 hours ago

In reply to @maldrichm "@jenniferhunter thank you very much for your message. As I had to clarify with @lisalucier above,..." + (show)

@maldrichm I understand. Independence is valuable and difficult when you loose it and need to rely on someone else. I really went through that when I broke my ankle. All of this healing takes patience and the will to keep healing and maintaining your hope that you can do it. Pain is a tough one, but you can use your mental abilities to overcome some of that too. I did a lot with deep breathing and listening to relaxing music that I loved. I used this tactic anytime I was at an appointment and needed to calm my nerves or was in a lot f pain. I had practiced it so much that I could do this in my head anywhere and replay the music from memory in my head. Being upset or scared will increase pain and sometimes by a lot. If you learn to control your response to this type of situation it can help. If you need the emergency room, you need it and should accept medical help. You can use this relaxing method to compliment anything you are experiencing.

It sounds like you are prepared for a productive conversation with your surgeon. Good for you!