Any Peroneal Nerve recovery stories?

[j_smi001]

Andre gives good advice.  I am starting a walking aid collection!  I started off in a wheel chair (now dispensed with, thankfully), have elbow crutches, walking sticks - both of which are mostly redundant except for those serious shopping trips around big malls but AFO wise I have three, a Swiss AFO (most commonly used splint for foot drop), a night/resting splint that I use at night to keep the foot in a dorsiflexion position, otherwise the inevitable trip ensues with a now extremely floppy foot for that first dash to the loo in the morning and a new toe-off splint that allows me to use some of the dorsiflexion I have in my foot.  Please be careful with the foot first thing as I have also woken up and forgotten my situation and then quickly reminded.
I had hydro today and alls going well - Andre, can you go onto your toes and hold it there?  I have been trying to do this with the water taking alot of the weight but it is proving near impossible at the moment.  Have you asked your OS re the toe-off splint?  I know I am being given mine as I think they see this as a permanent solution to my foot drop (Umm we will see!)  I asked my OS about a silicon AFO that is much more descreet and most importantly can be worn in water but I was not a suitable candidate as I still have swelling issues.  I think it is definately worth discussing, I think the SAFO site was something like www.dorset-ortho.com.  I can now do ten minutes on the cross trainer and 10 minutes on the rower.  I am getting back to some sort of fitness and it feels so good to be able to go fast and long enough to work up a sweat!  Next step a little jog and perhaps low impact aerobics...............  Jak

[amdre]

Andre gives good advice.  I am starting a walking aid collection!  I started off in a wheel chair (now dispensed with, thankfully), have elbow crutches, walking sticks - both of which are mostly redundant except for those serious shopping trips around big malls but AFO wise I have three, a Swiss AFO (most commonly used splint for foot drop), a night/resting splint that I use at night to keep the foot in a dorsiflexion position, otherwise the inevitable trip ensues with a now extremely floppy foot for that first dash to the loo in the morning and a new toe-off splint that allows me to use some of the dorsiflexion I have in my foot.  Please be careful with the foot first thing as I have also woken up and forgotten my situation and then quickly reminded.
I had hydro today and alls going well - Andre, can you go onto your toes and hold it there?  I have been trying to do this with the water taking alot of the weight but it is proving near impossible at the moment.  Have you asked your OS re the toe-off splint?  I know I am being given mine as I think they see this as a permanent solution to my foot drop (Umm we will see!)  I asked my OS about a silicon AFO that is much more descreet and most importantly can be worn in water but I was not a suitable candidate as I still have swelling issues.  I think it is definately worth discussing, I think the SAFO site was something like www.dorset-ortho.com.  I can now do ten minutes on the cross trainer and 10 minutes on the rower.  I am getting back to some sort of fitness and it feels so good to be able to go fast and long enough to work up a sweat!  Next step a little jog and perhaps low impact aerobics...............  Jak

Hey Jak

Man going up on your toes looks and sounds sooooo easy but it has been annoying the hell out of me....lol...we never tried it in the water...(which i think would have been the better route).they are having me do it as a part of my calve raises exercise. i can't seem to get on my toes and my right leg seems to be carrying most of the load.....i can feel the muscles in my foot trying to respond its just not there yet. i have this thing i do to try and pin point te muscle to activate ...not sure if it works but to me i feel its been helping.....i close my eyes.....and try to invision the pathways of the signals i am trying to send to my foot.i try and become the pathway..looking the signal from the brain down the spinal cord down the leg to the foot....lol i dont know ...might be alittle desprate thinkning i guess but i feel that it has made some change so might as well past it on...is there anything that you do to keep your self focused? .....I know exactly how you feel about being able to workout and getting  your body active again ....that is impressive and a good sign of hard work and determination.things will start to come along better when your body is active...(i believe) just seems like when your body works together it regenerates together as well. Man i cant wait to hear about you jogging...that would be pretty cool. This Injury has had alot of good things come out of it for me.......besides the pain and the self pity...you learn alot about yourself and alot about how to deal with the "impossible". you have stepped up to the impossible and bringing the old cliche "Impossible is nothing" into real life. No matter what happens keep focusing on how you will feel once you have recovered...if it is a feeling your truly  want then you will do it...hard work is already what you do.

My 3 weeks post -op will be tomorrow tuesday the 17th october/06
today mon the 16th i have reached my goal of riding the stationary bike at the lowest setting number 1( 1 is a really tough push, 5 is a comfortable ride)
swelling is almost out...but after activity like the bike it tends to flare up again.
Therapists  have now added leg press 1 set of 10   (no sinlge leg press) to go along with the rest of the routine.
have not checked the flexion again since usually get it down on at the end of the week. dorsi flexion is the same and 4 toes excluding the big toe are responding still a very weak signal...still working at it.

Take care and talk to you soon

[amberjade]

Hi Amdre, I do have an air walker boot is that same thing? Getting more stable but still no movement having results next weel Measured ankle its lost 2 inches in 5 weeks!! Hope u ok Amber ps are uk or states

[amdre]

Hi Amdre, I do have an air walker boot is that same thing? Getting more stable but still no movement having results next weel Measured ankle its lost 2 inches in 5 weeks!! Hope u ok Amber ps are uk or states

Hey Amberjade

Hows everything going and are you feeling and doing better? i remeber you said you cant drive and there was alot of unfortunate things going on so i am hoping that things are seeming to get better. The Air Walker Boot Depending on the type you have is mostly for Protection i believe...they are much heavier and they control your range of motion...some with levels and angle adjustments and some just stationary at 90 degrees. The AFO(ankle foot orthotic) or the S(Silicon)AFO which Jak just sent me a site for(above post) are not used for protection in the same sense as the air walker.....they are used mainly for full wieght bearing patients that need assitance in dorsi -flexion due to the foot drop. An AFO is light weight and slides right into your shoe with a strap around the calve area. and the SAFO from what it looks like on the site itlooks to be almost like a silicon sleeve that inherits your foots natural position....Jak could probably better explain it...i have only seen what it looks like on the site.
Its good to hear you are getting more stable .....what kind of test or tests will you be going for and ...i know from experience don't let anything discourage you from recovery...get your test done to see where you are at now and then let time and the will to recover help you progress and heal.
Keep in touch and keep us posted with your recovery ......ps and i am from neither the states or uk i am from canada...where are you from if you dont mind me asking?


Take care and hope all is well
Andre

[amdre]

Hey Jak

Awesome news today.....we tried again ...stimulating the EHL from its lumbar location (L5,S1) and its motor point just beneath the Tib Ant. the problem before was the pad placement and the pad size......before we used to large pads to try and lessen our chance of missing the proper nerve....but by doing that we also decreased the amount of voltage (i guess i call it that) we would be sending once the nerve was located. so what we did was we used a smaller and more concentrated pad on the lumbar location and used a large pad on the motor point....and Voila!!!!!!!!!!! i started to get some spark in the toe and the pathway to the toe...it felt like i could raise it up but i couldnt .....but the fact that i felt like i could raise the toe was the hugest change. Still have a long way to go with this i believe but things or on a more positive note with this approach. cross your fingers.

Take care ....and talk to ya soon.

[j_smi001]

Woow, Amdre that is fantastic news and that feeling must be great.  I am so pleased that they are trying this stimulation with you.  I asked about it but was told that they don't have the necessary equipment to try it.  I am very fortunate to have a caring and professional team that has really made a difference in the last 6 months.  I can't add anything to your summary of AFO's and SAFO's and think you have done a good job in explaining them.  You take care.

[amdre]

Hey All

Its been 3 weeks and a day since my ACL surgery and things are going well. The main focus was flexion , extension and to get ride of swelling.this week strengthening the Qud muscles ha been put in the fore front and will most likely stay tat way since i have experienced alot of atrophy. i have also experienced atrophy in the left glute and hip flexor has been working over time....so a muscle in balance is definately occuring. this week they have made a small introduction of Core exercises to correct this.

Quad ball squats 3 x 10 ball between legs and activating core on eacht rep.
Glute Bridging 3x 10 activating Core with 5 second holds at the end of te up phase.
Supermans 3 x 10 ativating Core lying flat lifting one arm and opposite leg activating muscles in proper order glutes ,hams, and then foot on injured leg.

take care
Andre

[j_smi001]

Aha, at last we are on the same regime.  I have the pleasure of these exercises at each physio session and have them as part of my home programme.  The glut bridging one became a tad easy for me last week so I had y 'good' leg pulled further forward of the oerated leg and that made it so much harder.  I am also on to a two pound ankle weight on my sitting leg raises.  Off to physio in the morning and just got back from evening ydro session.  I have atrophied quad and hamstring and this is proving most difficult to conquor.  Keep smiling and have a good weekend.

[amdre]

Aha, at last we are on the same regime.  I have the pleasure of these exercises at each physio session and have them as part of my home programme.  The glut bridging one became a tad easy for me last week so I had y 'good' leg pulled further forward of the oerated leg and that made it so much harder.  I am also on to a two pound ankle weight on my sitting leg raises.  Off to physio in the morning and just got back from evening ydro session.  I have atrophied quad and hamstring and this is proving most difficult to conquor.  Keep smiling and have a good weekend.
[/quote}

Hey Jacky,

Weekend.....what day is it in the uk...you guys on friday already? hey thats pretty cool that we got some of the same workouts ...how do they feel?...and have you felt a difference  or a change since you have been doing them.? the hardest part i think is remebering to breathe...lol...when ever i activate my core i inhale and dont exhale.....lol...i learned quickly to balance the both or youll feel like you had too much to drink.....i know what you mean about the atrophied muscles....thy will join the party soon...they just take awhile to come back to there full potiential so im told.the more i work out on the quad the better and stronger it feels so im sure it will come back strong.

Today therapy session was cut short due to family issues...although i have some of the equipment at home to do some of the procedures.
Today after a contrast bathe of hot and cold i got on the bike to loosesn up.
went through my stretching and thats it. went to see the surgeon for the first follow up since the surgery and things are looking good  range has improved to 125 compared to 135 with full extension..swelling  still sticking around was prescribed  anit inflams but i refused to take them.
 
At home worked on the standing VMO stimulation along with all lower body strengthening and range of motion.

we are still on thursday but you have a good weekend too and talk to you soon.

[amberjade]

Hi amdre , Im in south uk. Having my emg tody so bit scared but will at least get some news and will let you all kmow take care 

[amberjade]

Hi all, Amber here! Had emg done yesterday any help with some of what my results are please!! Right superficial peroneal nerve sensory 100% absent, no movement or voluntary activity in edb.... what is edb?, I have some potential but not much recovery in edb is hopeful. Have mainly neuropraxia but he said nerve intact but some fibres inside are likely to have severed, he called this neurot??? but got coffee on sheet cant read it! Said i should get recovery over next year os so but due to denervation I cant expect full recovery, cried most of day but feel better now abd seeing consultant this Friday to  discuss what I dont know will they just try and keep it safe, said cant rehab muscles served by the damaged nerve. Not sure what all this means, take care all love Amber

[j_smi001]

Amber,
So sorry to hear you have been upset.  It is fair to say that most of us on here are not medically qualified and it would be wrong and perhaps even dangerous to have a guess at what your results might mean.  I don't know what edb is and not heard of it.  In my report it talks about EHL and EDL and tibialis anterior activity.  I am no wiser what these acronyms mean either!  It is probably best for thr Doctors opinion on this one.  The good news is that the report says there will be some recovery.  In my hunble opinion I don't think there is any exact science to nerve recoveries.  I have been told anything from see how it is at 6/12/18 months or even as long as 5 years to see what recovery you may have.  I concentrate on the things I can do and think back a month and track progress, not weekly and definately not daily.  If there is no nerve signal going to the muscle it is true you can not rehab it on your own but a good physio will be able to help in keeping the muscle going through active intervention by the physio.  I can not build the muscle on the outside of the calf muscle for that reason but other muscles will try to help out and compensate where they can.   You are still very early days in respect to nerve damage and I remember when I thought I would never be able to move my foot again, but I can now evert the foot well and lift toes.  Today I got my new splint and that has put a spring on to my step - literally.  Hang in there Amber and remember we will support you in any which way we can on here.

[amdre]

Hi all, Amber here! Had emg done yesterday any help with some of what my results are please!! Right superficial peroneal nerve sensory 100% absent, no movement or voluntary activity in edb.... what is edb?, I have some potential but not much recovery in edb is hopeful. Have mainly neuropraxia but he said nerve intact but some fibres inside are likely to have severed, he called this neurot??? but got coffee on sheet cant read it! Said i should get recovery over next year os so but due to denervation I cant expect full recovery, cried most of day but feel better now abd seeing consultant this Friday to  discuss what I dont know will they just try and keep it safe, said cant rehab muscles served by the damaged nerve. Not sure what all this means, take care all love Amber

hey amberjade

I am sorry to hear about the way you have been feeling.i too do not know what the EDB is either...but im sure you can find it on the net to get an image of what the doc is talking about. i as well did not have a good result my first time after my EMG and my Doc was not optimisic at all...and basically told me i would be lucky to walk normal again.if its not to personal ...what are some of the things upsetting you? i kinda know some of the things you maybe going through and if you are dealing with any of these issues the you need to go through this before you start getting on the road to recovery.in my experience i went thorugh self pity, depression anger and so much doubt...and this was good because we naturally need to vent these emotions.recovery is always an option  and how much you recover and can recover relies solely upon the way you approach it physically and mentally. we will be here for your support and surrounding yourself with proactive therapists and doctors will help you overcome this obstacle.Everyone on this thread has helped eachother so much ...with support understanding and most of all progresion....i dont think there is one person that has had no progresion and that is the key......you will continue to progress.try not to fall into the doctors estimation as they just use numbers and statistics...you can be a unique case because you are not just a number and you are a unique indiviual that can become more then estimate. and about the muscle inquiry...i think ...not sure but i think they are saying that you cant rehab a muscle that is unresponsive due to nerve damage. this is true but i dont think rehabing the msucle is the goal...keeping it awake so when the nerve regenerates is.i am not a doc so i will not give advice but ask questions till your blue in the face and you totally understand everything they are saying. theyre are different methods that can be used to do these sorts of things so be sure to ask.Hang in there and keep us posted on your recovery.....if you have any questions or want to compare your state with someone else who can relate with you...post it ..keep us informed. Take Care Andre

[amdre]

Hey All


Just updating....a new week has gone and a month post-op ..leg is feeling good walking is almost normal except after long sitting positions i tend to have to arm the leg up before i walk. therapy has now  introduced the step machine and alot of glute medial excersies due to compensation and atrpohy suffered.leg muscles have taken a nap for about a year and it is waking up time but they are being kinda stubborn. Four toes are starting to regain strength...re introduced the towel pull excersise to stregthen the toes and regain range of motion in them. big toe is stil not respnding and still working on getting it to flex up. swelling where it should be and hopefully with the building up of muscle around the knee swelling will eventually go away.


Take care all

[j_smi001]

Hello All,

Had physio today and had good and not so good news.  Good news is that I can bend my ankle much further today and it is beyond the 90 degree mark so stairs getting easier.  I have my new toe off splint but finding it quite difficult to get used to and been told to revert back to my old splint for walking distances as foot gets too fatigued/weak to safely maintain the toe off splint.  I have developed sores on my leg apparently from the lack of muscle movement and therefore blood flow and now have to wear a tubi-grip stocking (can I just say, 'I already know this is NOT a good look')   .   I have a great exercise in physio where a mini skateboard is attached to some theraband - stretcht stuff, and I have to pull the skateboard towards me with my foot on the board - this really works the hamstrings (which are conspicious by their absence at this moment in time).  The towel pull exercise for the toes is a nightly regime for me and I have all five toes now responding even if the big toe does so when it feels like it and never to the same degree - but getting there.  My two week intensive in-patient stay is temporarily on hold as not met my goals yet to maximise the stay there, so very disappointed at the moment.  My challenge for this next week is to stand for 5 seconds on the bad leg only unassisted - here goes.................  have a good weekend and keep smiling.