Leg pain and numbness post surgery

[tjtaurus]

I am a 58 yro male. I recently had Lumbar Spine surgery to remove a Synovial Cyst at the L4/L5. The cyst had develped to the point that it was blocking the nerve that pass thru it. This resulted with my having great pain in my right leg, from the buttock down to the calf.

It has been two weeks since the surgery and I am now having not only the same pains, but, now experience numbness in my feet and hands. The doctor tells me to give it six weeks. However, prior to the surgery, he felt there would be immediate freedom from these symptoms.

Has anyone here had this type of surgery. If so, what if any symptoms did you experience after the surgery. I would greatly appreciate hearing from anyone on this matter. As it is not so much the pain to deal with, but, the depression. Thanks

[1kopakaw]

I've just had the same surgery. Although I see this post was posted 2009, I'm curious did your symptoms go away. It has been 2 weeks, I feel a huge pressure now under my big toe. My leg is restless, like a constant rubber band. Doctor gives me same advice, wait 6 weeks, physical therapy, what your feeling is rare but not unheard of, blah blah, I want to shake him and say you said it would be gone. I'm  so frustrated.  

[ggreg]

I have not had such an operation, but you wanted to hear from anyone, and since I have a bad back from a car wreck, I am interested in such things.  I personally think they ought to be giving you sufficient pain control, to include not only better meds, but also shots to the spine, you should today get in to see your doc on an emergency basis and suggest these things.  

Also, it is probably swelling that is doing this to you, which is why the doc suggested waiting it out, therefore perhaps cold packs to the operation site might give you temporary relief.  I think they should also go ahead and scan your lumbar spine and see what exactly is at work here, to make your legs be like they are, to either put your mind at rest or to push your doc into new action.  You may even wish to get a second opinion, but that may take a while to get an appointment, but if this thing doesn't improve as the doc thinks, you may wish you had gone ahead and done that.  

For your depression, this is anger and fear turned inwards, so you need to find a way to release the tension that is building up in your body from frustration and discomfort, for example upper body stretching, sitting outside on the porch, watching some good movies on TV, eating really good meals, especially stuff with B and C vitamins in it, all of those things release endorphins, great mood elevators.  Also, moderate treatment like professional massage and acupuncture help people with blocked energy fields and knotted-up muscles, another way to release tension.

All I am giving you is a bandaid.  But hopefully it will get your thought process moving forward in a positive way, so as to resolve this to a better degree of satisfaction than you've got now.  I know exactly how you feel, it is devastating to have a back problem, affects your life in its entirety, so hang in, I and others are in the same boat.