deetee857,

I encourage you to write down your symptoms on the paper in this manner:

Pain: where exactly, when, triggers, relievers.
Other symptoms: what, where, when, triggers, relievers.

For example: pain in both calves, all the time (?), worse at night, relieved by walking (?).

Describe your back, hip and calves pain separately with answers to all above questions. Also eventual other symptoms. The combination of symptoms may remind a doctor to a certain typical disorder, for example:
– sciatica, caused by DDD. Please note that DDD can be enough to cause pains in the leg, without any bulging disc been identified.
– psoas muscle syndrome
– piriformis muscle syndrome
– fibromyalgia

I believe an orthopedist should be able to give you a diagnosis. Try to tell your symptoms in a short, factual way, so the doctor won’t get an impression you are complaining about “everything”.

jodie097,

the point of the questionnaire is to read it through to help you recall all symptoms you have now or you had in the past and put them in a time line, so a doctor, when you tell him/her all your problems can think if the symptoms speak for any particular disease. If you don’t understand certain terms, just skip them. You don’t need to mention things that do not cause any pain or problems, like klicking fingers, but it is important to mention difficulty breathing at night, mucus in the throat and such.

urcrazee2004,

the nerve fibers arising from L5/S1 spinal root innervate a certain area on buttocks, on the back part of the legs, and lateral part of feet. So, if these areas are affected, a bulging/herniated disc at L5/S1 is possible. This can be confirmed by a CT or MRI. The extent of disc bulging does not necessary correlate with severity of symptoms. Anyway, they are your symptoms from which it should be decided, do you need another operation or not. Waiting that your legs will go completely numb does not seem appropriate to me. It is one nerve that innervates one part of leg, so for complete leg numbness, several nerves would needed to be pinched. A part of the skin innerrvated by one spinal root is called dermatome. Here is one picture of body dermatomes. Please, be aware that these dermatomes may overlap considerably, and they differ from person to person a bit, so it is not a good idea to have some hard fights with surgeons, when it comes to a question of centimeters. Still, roughly, distribution of symptoms among dermatomes can show which spinal root is affected. L4/L5 reherniation would cause symptoms on the front side of the leg(s) and on the inner (medial) side of the foot (feet). Like said, L4/L5 and L5/S1 dermatomes may overlap a bit, so I cannot judge from here which disc was herniated, if any, but a CT or MRI can show this.

Theoretically a permanent nerve damage after prolonged pressure on it is possible, but I believe this has not yet occured in your case. Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) would mean either an operation was not successful (complete), or some scar tissue has developed later around the operating site and is interfering with nerves. Not all detailes of eventual FBSS may be seen on the MRI, but often only during an operation. I can’t say what clicking bones mean in your case and I don’t want to guess, but a surgeon should have some idea.

So, it is possible your L5/S1 nerve root is affected by a herniated disc, so you can ask the doctor about MRI. The same MRI could show eventual disorder at L4/L5 level, but not necessary in details. It sounds like a good idea to reserve some time in advance to discuss the situation with the surgeon who has operated you, and then, after eventual MRI, to discuss options again. My personal opinion is that if you have symptoms that affect your life, there is no reason to wait further to have more symptoms. You said you have a herniated disc at L5/S1 and this will not likely just heal. It can pretty much only become worse and would likely need an operation sooner or later. If symptoms don’t seem to improve at least slowly and even not after physiotherapy, the “time” itself won’t likely help.

Your symptoms may be called “sciatica”. It would be hard for you to collect information to the extent to be able to talk with surgeons on professional level, so for you, it is important to feel – do you trust a surgeon or not. If not, find another experienced and reliable one.

So, questions for the doctor could be:
1. Do your symptoms (describe him exact areas involved) reflect a disorder at L5/S1. Would MRI be needed?
2. What can clicking bones mean?
3. If you have an operation at L5/S1 level, would a recheck of the L4/L5 during the same operation would be needed.
Be aware that doctor might not be able to answer all questions without a new MRI.

pals,

pains in the legs accompanied with lower back pain and changing with body position are probably due to a disorder in the lower back, like a bulging disc or arthritis resulting in a pinched sciatic nerves that innervate the legs. An orthopedist or neurologist can say more.

carmel smith,

tingling is a sensation like “ants crawling” or “prickling”. It occurs when your leg awakens after being fallen asleep (when you are sitting and you cross your legs, or during certain sleep positions). When it occurs in legs, it is often a symptom of a nerve disorder (like a pinched nerve in the lumbar spine), but it can be also a symptom of conditions resulting in low blood perfusion (thrombosis, low blood pressure, hypoglycemia). Tingling by itself is not dangerous, but (if persistent) can reflect a serious neurological disorder.

carmel smith