This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I am having more and more problems walking. It takes everything I've got to walk a few blocs. I remember my buddy reading my MRI of my spine eight years ago and telling me I have lumbar stenosis.

Read this article carefully:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/448310_2

My chronic back pain (upper right side), my foot drop, my difficulty walking lead me to believe that my stenosis is getting worse. Any thoughts on this?

beyondms

Hi there. Sorry to hear about your problems. Footdrop is my worst symptom. In trying to compensate I began to look quite crooked. I was referred and had a series of physiotherapist appointments with someone who does a lot of work with msers and that's probably a good starting point if you've not already tried it. I find that a 6 weekly visit to an oesteopath who crunches me about and generally straigtens me out has been a great help. Also gentle stretching and if you can manage it some core body strength exercises - starting v slowly at first.
muu

I'm not sure that it is your stenosis or your MS that is getting worse but certainly a visit to an osteopath may help. My right leg which became bad in 2004 and hasn't changed materially has certainly had an adverse effect on my back and my relatively good left leg because these are now taking twice or more of the strain. I have concluded that it is best to avoid walking and visit an osteopath regularly.

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3 years antibiotics, 06/09 bilateral jug stents at C1, 05/11 ballooning of both jug valves, 07/12 stenting of renal vein, azygos & jug valve ballooning,

Hi Beyond,

I'm sorry to hear about your problems. Obviously I haven't seen you walking but sometimes, as Muu said, the extra twisting involved when trying to compensate for foot drop can cause you more problems. Has anyone ever mentioned orthotics to you? As I understand it, you can get various shaped bits of plastic designed to overcome this. Sometimes, though, they hold your ankle rigid and get in the way, but it might be worth a try,

Dom.

Dom mentioned orthotics. I wear one and it makes a huge difference when walking. Mine was supplied by my physio and it's a rigid but very light plastic L shaped device. It fits under the foot then up the back of the calf being held in place by a plastic strap. Not beautiful but effective. The co that supplies them here in the uk is VM Orthotics International, based in Suffolk, England. There is a web site. My buddy is called the multifit achilles footdrop device.
muu

Sorry for the delayed response. Thank you for posting your comments. A buddy of mine performed a spinal MRI on me (he is a radiologist) and it turns out I have a herniated disc on my L7 which is pretty bad. I have had back pains for years but the pain recently got unbearable. I knew it can't just be my MS. Now I need to see if this herniated disc was also causing and/or contributing to my drop foot and leg weakness on my right leg.

If you suffer from back pains, make sure you do a spinal MRI (not just the brain MRI) and see if you have spinal stenosis or a herniated disc.

beyondms