|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
SPINAL FUSION AND
FOOT DROP Ross A. Hauser, M.D. A patient came to Caring Medical with a long history of back pain complaints. He had a discectomy and subsequent spinal fusion. He has had to wear an AFO (ankle foot orthosis) because of foot drop in the year following spinal fusion. He had an electromyographic/nerve conduction study which showed evidence of nerve damage. On physical examination there was slight movement of dorsiflexion of the foot. There was palpable muscle contraction in the muscles that raise the foot toward the head. The muscles strength could only be appreciated when gravity was eliminated. The patient was given a comprehensive natural medicine evaluation. He was placed on anabolic hormones that help get the body into the healing mode. The hormones included Human Growth Hormone, Testosterone, and DHEA. He was placed on a hypoallergenic diet. He was given exercises to do with gravity eliminated. He was told to do electrical stimulation to the dorsiflexors and other muscles that move the foot (the ones that were weak). He was also placed on supplements, and had vitamin B shots, Prolotherapy to the lower back, and Neural Therapy administered to the nerves involved. The patient continued to make improvements to the point that after 6 months he was able to discontinue wearing his orthotic. He still has some foot weakness but walks normally without an orthotic. I want to now explain why natural medicine doesn't help some people with foot drop. There are some cases in which people have nerve injury to muscles of their foot, and the muscles atrophy and are replaced by scar tissue. In some of these cases the nerve repairs, but unfortunately the person still has foot drop because there is no muscle tissue left. The important point to make is that if you get nerve injury you have to stimulate the muscles so when the nerve is regenerated there is some muscle tissue left to stimulate. In other words, anyone who has nerve injury has to use an electrical muscle stimulator everyday, sometimes for the rest of their life. If I am not sure if someone has any muscle tissue left, I will order physical therapy for electrical muscle stimulation and ask the physical therapist to see if there is any muscle contraction in the muscles that are stimulated. If there is no contraction, then nothing can be done to help the person regain muscle contraction because there is no muscle. If there is, then we continue to use electrical muscle stimulation to strengthen the muscle. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The information on this website is presented as
information only and not a self-help guide NOR AS SPECIFIC HEALTH
RECOMMENDATIONS. Never alter or change your health management or begin
any new health plans without first consulting your personal health care
provider. Some statements on this site regarding the value of
nutritional supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services 715 Lake Street Suite 600 Oak
Park IL, 60301 |
Prolotherapy
Our
Prolotherapy Books - 
POWER
OVER PAIN