Any Peroneal Nerve recovery stories?

[Debbie B]

Finding a doctor who would actually listen to me was the hardest part of getting fixed.  The orthopedic surgeon just blew me off - told me to learn to live with the disability and to give up my sports.  He had no clue about how debilitating a drop foot is.  That was after sending me for months of rehab which made me worse instead of better!  Finally the PT told me that I needed the surgeon's clearnace to continue but even then he never, and I mean NEVER, took me seriously.  The first useful information I got was from the neurologist but I had to beg, plead, and basically harrass the surgeon's office into a referral.  The neurologist did the initial testing to confirm the nerve entrapment then I had to wait three months to be retested to "be sure' I wasn't going to recover on my own. 

The real help for me came from the foot surgeon - he watched me take three steps and knew exactly what was wrong, asked me if I had seen a neurologist and what the results were.  Since I was so sick and tired of being painful and having a floppy foot, I took copies of all my test results with me.  As soon as I had the follow up nerve testing, the foot surgeon got me scheduled for surgery.  Of course it took over a month to get in for the correct surgery, there is no sense of urgency in the human medical profession.  And because it took so long to get the proper diagnosis, rehabilitation took much longer.  It was only thru my persistence that I got correctly diagnosed and treated.

Your son will probably have to see both a neurologist and a neurosurgeon or foot surgeon.  My advice is to keep pushing to get him seen because it is quite easy for him to slip thru the cracksr.  If you do not push and become his advocate, no one will - I learned that the hard way.  Don't give up.

Debbie B.

[Michellex]

Hi! My name is Michelle and I am 16 years old, in April i broke my tibia and fibula in my right skiing! My nerve either got injured in the surgery i had ( where they put a metal pin in my leg)  or possibly when i broke my leg. It is my peroneal nerve that has been damaged so I now have foot drop so i cannot move my foot up and I normally where a brace to walk, is there anything anyone could recommend to help my nerve heal!! please anything??? I really want it to get better!!!
thankss!!

[chrisindfw]

I want to say thanks to whoever started this thread!

While I have not suffered the typical foot drop, I have suffered tremendous pain after walking for a few minutes. I finally had enough and decided to see my favorite doctor for some advice. In both legs, after a short amount of walking, I get a burning pain and then almost like I cannot lift my foot.

I got to the doctors office and we immediately did a nerve test to see how they were reacting. Nothing out of the ordinary there. I then went to his treadmill and walked for about five minutes. My legs were on fire! We ran to the room and performed the same test and were amazed at the results. The test actually showed that the nerve on the lower leg was slower after the exercise.

What I was diagnosed with was that after exercising, my calf swells up. That swelling puts pressure on the nerve and it causes the pain.

So my options are to suck it up, or have the surgery to relieve the pressure. I appreciate everyones responses on here and I was wondering if anyone had something similar to what I had instead of the normal foot drop symptom?

Thanks! And I appreciate your time!

PS. I also had both legs worked on with a Tibial Ostectomy. If anyone would like any stories on that, I have some!

[missmyknee]

Hi

You might want to see Dr A. Lee Dellon of, The Dellon Institute Of Peripheral Nerve Surgery, in Baltimore. He is a world reknown peripheral nerve surgeon. He is professor of neurosurgery and plastic surgery at John's Hopkins. Foot drop is one of his specialties. Although I do not have foot drop, I've had extensive nerve damage and recurring neuromas ( 10 ) of my knee and lower leg from excessive scar tissue from leg fractures and 17 surgeries. I had surgery with him last November. BTW, I traveled from Kansas to see him. Here is what he did:

Neurolysis of the sciatic nerve, common and peroneal nerve at the knee, denervation of the proximal tibiofibular joint, neurolysis of the superficial peroneal nerve, fasciotomy of the anterolateral compartments of the leg ( for compartment syndrome of the left anterior and lateral compartments), resection of the deep peroneal nerve, resection of the saphenous nerve in the thigh and implantation of the nerve into the adductor muscle group, resection of the medial cutaneous nerve of the thigh and implantation if the nerve into the vastus medialis, resection neuroma of the medial retinacular nerve and implantation of the nerve into the vastus medialis and denervating the sinus tarsi.

I had 4 incisions that were 3-4 inches long.

I need additional surgery to my distal saphenous nerve and work across the top of the foot.

Here is his website and one of his free booklets. He responds very well to emails and very personable Doctor.

www.dellon.com

http://dellon.com/publications/ipns.brochure.3.05-2010.update.2pp.pdf

Pam

[jes3287]

It's nice to see the support you've all offered each other.
I have peroneal nerve damage as well, but not from a knee injury, but from a back injury.  I had a massive herniation at the L4/L5 level that caused my entire leg to go numb.  After surgery everything came back, except part of my peroneal nerve is completely unresponsive.  I am lucky that I can raise my foot some, but when I do my toes all curl down.....so I can't lift my toes.  In addition, I have no ankle stability to the outside of my ankle and am constantly rolling it over.  It's been 14 months and I've seen little improvement.
Just an FYI, there are some tools that can make getting around easier.  There is a brace called a ToeOff which is made of carbon fiber and will help you walk.  Also a PT recommended trying wearing shape-up shoes in an effort to improve gait and strengthen the foot and ankle.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, as all of you are, that in time I'll regain most function.

Good luck everyone.

[AaronL1984]

Hello All,

Im Aaron and I'm 24 - I've just found this forum and it's good to hear so many positive stories from a rubbish situation. I too suffererd direct trauma to my right knee resulting in snapping my ACL & PCL, also resulting in peroneal nerve damage ending in complete foot drop of my right foot. The orthopaedic surgeon was positive and still remains hopeful after 17 months, I remain hopeful but i'm prepared for the worst.

I done mine playing football in May 2009 and have took the doctors advice and waited for the nerve to re generate and heal on it's own. Being very sporty it has had a major impact on my life, but I guess being positive has really got me used to the fact and i've tried to turn all negatives into positives. I wasn't going to let a small disability not get in the way of things I enjoy doing. I've replaced running with cycling, football with golf and generally remain as active as I was - so be it doing different things - Change is as good as the rest. The thing I've struggled with mostly is on Holiday or when we get warm weather (which isn't to ofter lol) when you have to wear shorts, I bought a spring developed brace on line which was invented by a guy who had footdrop in both feet. It is certainly good for wearing shorts, still walk abit daft but combatable and re creates the dorsi flex motion. I wear a standard carbon fibre AFO for everyday activities & work.

Debbie B - Your doctor needs sacked, that’s the last thing you needed to be told. How did you sustain the injury and how long after sustaining it did you visit the Neurologist?

There is a guy based in Texas (Dr Nath) who has developed a new nerve transfer surgery which he believes is excellent, where they take nerve from your good knee and re channel your injured nerve (advised to be done within 4 months of injury). I'm English so flying to the states would be expensive and would have to pay for treatment. I'm considering a consultation tho to see what options there are nevertheless.

If anyone know of any recovery stories where people have regained function of their foot following direct impact injuries (stretching the nerve), would be hugely grateful for you to share.

Be positive everyone as there are people much worse off 

Cheers,

Aaron

[injuredeasy]

OMGOSH Amdre,
I have exactly, and I mean exactly the same thing wrong with me. I dislocated my knee on July 3, 2009 running too fast downhill and tore my pcl acl and mcl, destroyed my nerve and tore up my meniscus. It has been almost 14 months and I have absolutely nothing regained. My doctor repaired my acl, pcl reattached itself and he let the mcl heal, but my lcl was stretched too far so he gave me a new one. He cleaned up my scar tissue on my nerve but still nothing. This surgery was done in January and not one thing has repaired. I know its kinda morbid but its nice to know exactly how you feel. I was riding a quad and pushing it down a hill trying to pop start it, I will never be able to run again, or anything without a knee brace and an afo. I am sorry to hear you have to suffer the same thing but its also nice. There is a page on Facebook called people with foot drop, I recommend it! It has helped me a lot during these trying times.

Brandy

[Debbie B]

Hi Andre,

I had a blow to my leg from a stupid, out of control dog (not my own) in June of 2008.   I had slow bleeding into the anterior tibial muscle and it slowly got more swollen and painful.  Had an MRI in late July and was diagnosed with compratment syndrome, the fasciotomy was done the following day.  While it helped some of the pain initially, there was no improvement in nerve function and it steadiy deteriorated until I had no peroneal nerve function in November.  I began my quest to see a neurologist in early October since I was getting worse but did not get in to see one until December despite my best efforts to convince the surgeon - I begged and pleaded with him to facilitate a referral, but he just blew me off.  I contacted the practice manager who finally helped out, I think she just wanted me to leave them alone.  The surgeon told me to quit all my dog sports - I run agility and do obedience with my own dogs for fun.  Because I was very, very persistent to the point of being a pain in the butt, they finally helped me with a referral.  Once I saw the neurologist, I had to wait another 3 weeks to get the diagnostics done, then wait another 3 months to see if I improved.

I was originally sent for a Walk On carbon fiber AFO but I am very flat footed and could not use that AFO.  It rubbedmy foot raw.  And of course I could not drive with it.  The foot surgeon fitted me for a Ritchie Brace which did improve my gait quite a bit and I used it for about 3 months after the nerve was decompressed in May of 2009.

My leg would swell tremendously prior to the nerve decompression and was so painful that I could not sleep.  Two days after surgery, the swelling had resolved along with the pain and neither has recurred.  The first two months of PT was brutal, particularly the friction massage and fibular head mobilization.  It was 3-4 months after surgery before I started to get some dorsiflexion back, but once it started coming back, things went much faster.  I don't have full dorsiflexion of the big toe yet, but to be honest, you would never know.  I have about 95% of the strength that I do in the uninjured leg but I don't think anyone would notice the difference now.   I notice a discrepancy in strength when I run and turn, but it no longer prevents me from doing all the tings I did prior to the injury.

You have to keep pushing or you will be forgotten.  If I had trusted the original surgeon, I would be disabled now.

Debbie B

[momcop]

Hello, I'm new to this site, but there seems to be plenty of people with similar stories.  I am a police officer and I was in a horrible car accident, June 24th 2010, on the way to an armed robbery in progress.  The engine block landed in my lap.  I suffered a broken hip, pelvis, ribs, and tibia.  Everything is healing, but my tibia smashed pretty good.  There is a plate over my leg, just under my knee.  I have had drop foot since the accident.  I have an EMG scheduled for Oct. 5th.  I'm sure that I don't have a compressin injury.  The therapists said that I would have had something by now.  I don't have any upward movement in my foot.  No side to side, and no toe movement. My leg is numb on one side, no feeling in the top of my foot.  The nerve pain in my foot is unbearable at times. I'm getting discouraged, even though there has been a lot of improvement with the rest of my injuries. 
I looked into the FES...electric stumulation that is used for stroke victims..but now it has also been used for trauma patients who have some functional peroneal nerves.
Is there anyone out there that have one of these FES devices?
I miss being the police, I just pray one day that I will be able to get the bad guy and help the good guy again.

[arthurjv]

Hey MomCop and everyone else,

I just read your story and I can understand your frustration.  I am an infantryman in the US Army.  On August 29 2009, I had a suicide bomber detonate five feet from my position, breaking my right tibia, my right cuboid, 3 of my ribs, my ear drum and sending shrapnel through my lung, liver, diaphram, and from my legs down it looks like I went hunting with dick cheney...  I was bleeding out of my femoral artery on my left leg also and had to have both legs double tourniqueted.  Furthermore, I had double fasciotomies put on both legs and a fasciotomy put on my left thigh.  Also, I have a skin graft on my left leg.  I had over 8 debreiment surgeries to clean out shrapnel (as much as they could) and damaged muscle.  In addition, both of my knees were opened up and cleaned out.  Momcop, the hyper sensitivity in your feet is normal but it will pass...mine are still sensitive but I have been doing numerous desensitization exercises for about a year now.  I find sitting in the grass barefooted and just moving your feet over the blades of grass helps greatly.  Slowly transition to rougher surfaces, etc.  The nerve pain will be unbearable for a while, but as one servant of our nation to another, recognize that it is a process, understand that it will hurt, but push through it.  The sad fact is that your nerves have been rewired to detect all pressure as pain, no matter how light the pressure is.  It is only through continual desensitization that the nerves will relearn to feel somewhat correctly.  My sensitivity is still pretty high but it has improved enough that I can be barefoot for limited times now.  My physical therapist would often put me in a fleudotherapy machine (basically a box that you put your feet into and they blast cornmeal around at different speeds and temperatures for twenty minutes at a time.) Due to the blast, nerve trauma, shrapnel, and surguries, I also have peroneal nerve damage.  I didn't gain any movement at all in my left foot until about 3 months ago, almost 10 months since the date of injury. Initially when at Walter Reed, I was told that I would not get any recovery. Further more, I still cant feel decent sections of both legs below the knees, but it is coming back here and there.  I have started biking (clipping in so you can force your legs to work) and also doing leg workouts in the gym.  Also, About everyone doing electric nerve simulation...be careful.  My neurologist that I have been seeing (he has alot of experience with nerve regrowth) told me that there has been recent evidence that electric stimulation has been shown to sometimes retard nerve regrowth... I have not done it since.  When I had no motion I tried around with it but could not feel it/get any muscle contraction.  When he told me that I laid off of the e-stim and it was about two month later when I received nerve movement.   About the missing being police...I know, I miss my job too.  But for encouragement, I was recently cleared by my doctor to return to duty but I have a limiting profile that will be renewed annually.  My neuro doc told me that I won't ever recover 100% but that I should get close due to my diligence in working out (I try to do two a days) and stretching.  He is a firm believer that working out intensly will trigger faster nerve growth regardless of what other studies say.  And to be honest, I believe him because I am seeing it happen to me.  Momcop, just because your foot is an anchor right now, don't let it keep you from going to the gym.  Work on the stationary machines with your legs first, then work towards balance/deadlift type workouts.  Also try biking...no impact but great range of motion,muscle nerve synapse firing.

[cloudswinger]

Hi,

I dislocated my R knee just before Thanksgiving(Nov 21, 2010), tearing my acl, pcl, and sustaining a Posterolateral corner injury and my peroneal nerve was injured. No surgery was performed, the orthopedic surgeon is waiting for me to regain ROM. It's been 6 weeks, and the pcl has tightened up, stabilizing the knee joint. I'm walking around with a knee brace. I just went to get fitted for a AFO, but since my insurance was changing at the beginning of the year I had to wait. I'm taking a bunch of vitamin and supplements for the ligament, bone and nerve damage - A General multivitamin, Fish oil, B complex with (b12)Methycobalamin, Gotu Kola,  Vitamin C, Calcium, Glucosamine Chondroitin, and Lions Mane Mushroom(Hericium erinaceus). I also took Yunnan Paiyao the first 2-3 weeks for healing the bruising, but it's also supposed to help with general circulatory system issues.

I don't really have much pain, the top of my foot and side of my calf has tingling sensations so I assumed that was a good sign and the orthopedic surgeon pretty much said so. My neurologist said that the nerve was reacting at about 10%, so it's not severed. And the sensory nerves seem to be fully functional, I can feel temps and touch. And I found an acupuncturist who also is an MD in China who worked in Orthopedics there. So he has been working on stimulating that nerve. He does electroacupuncture, and when the machine is on, wow, I can feel the entire nerve pulsating from my knee to the top of my foot. It's amazing.  I've only been doing it for 2 weeks, twice a week, so we'll see. He recommended 3 times a week, but I'm paying out of pocket Insurance would cover it, but only 15 sessions and we have a $5000 deductable for Out of Network which would certainly not be met. I'm hopeful though. And I've had some interesting discussions about treatment here(the US) versus China. As in all my injuries would have been repaired right away in China, as opposed to this wait and see approach. I don't know what the hell they are waiting for. It was a bad enough injury that they know it needs surgery, and I think if I had torn the popliteal artery then surgery would have been done right away. And I have a fracture of the tibial plateau on the L side, but since it's stable and not displaced, nothing was done. In China they would have wrapped it, just so it doesn't accidentally become displaced and a difficult repair. I was sent home expecting to be able to walk on the that leg with crutches, because the other was so messed up! Not even a word about being careful, since that can be a hard fracture to repair, etc.

Also, I find walking barefoot is not too bad, but some shoes seem to make my ankles wobbly. The acupuncturist said that having drop foot for too long makes the ankle weak. I assume that's because the one side doesn't have any muscles stabilizing it?

[mom444]

Hi,

I dislocated my R knee just before Thanksgiving(Nov 21, 2010), tearing my acl, pcl, and sustaining a Posterolateral corner injury and my peroneal nerve was injured. No surgery was performed, the orthopedic surgeon is waiting for me to regain ROM. It's been 6 weeks, and the pcl has tightened up, stabilizing the knee joint. I'm walking around with a knee brace. I just went to get fitted for a AFO, but since my insurance was changing at the beginning of the year I had to wait. I'm taking a bunch of vitamin and supplements for the ligament, bone and nerve damage - A General multivitamin, Fish oil, B complex with (b12)Methycobalamin, Gotu Kola,  Vitamin C, Calcium, Glucosamine Chondroitin, and Lions Mane Mushroom(Hericium erinaceus). I also took Yunnan Paiyao the first 2-3 weeks for healing the bruising, but it's also supposed to help with general circulatory system issues.

I don't really have much pain, the top of my foot and side of my calf has tingling sensations so I assumed that was a good sign and the orthopedic surgeon pretty much said so. My neurologist said that the nerve was reacting at about 10%, so it's not severed. And the sensory nerves seem to be fully functional, I can feel temps and touch. And I found an acupuncturist who also is an MD in China who worked in Orthopedics there. So he has been working on stimulating that nerve. He does electroacupuncture, and when the machine is on, wow, I can feel the entire nerve pulsating from my knee to the top of my foot. It's amazing.  I've only been doing it for 2 weeks, twice a week, so we'll see. He recommended 3 times a week, but I'm paying out of pocket Insurance would cover it, but only 15 sessions and we have a $5000 deductable for Out of Network which would certainly not be met. I'm hopeful though. And I've had some interesting discussions about treatment here(the US) versus China. As in all my injuries would have been repaired right away in China, as opposed to this wait and see approach. I don't know what the hell they are waiting for. It was a bad enough injury that they know it needs surgery, and I think if I had torn the popliteal artery then surgery would have been done right away. And I have a fracture of the tibial plateau on the L side, but since it's stable and not displaced, nothing was done. In China they would have wrapped it, just so it doesn't accidentally become displaced and a difficult repair. I was sent home expecting to be able to walk on the that leg with crutches, because the other was so messed up! Not even a word about being careful, since that can be a hard fracture to repair, etc.

Also, I find walking barefoot is not too bad, but some shoes seem to make my ankles wobbly. The acupuncturist said that having drop foot for too long makes the ankle weak. I assume that's because the one side doesn't have any muscles stabilizing it?

Welcome and Happy New Year!

We wish you the best in your recovery and please keep checking in and keep posting.

For the rest of the members, KEEP THIS THREAD ALIVE.

My daughter is now 7 and a half and is bit by bit getting slightly more movement back by using surface emg therapy and overnight stim stickers.

She is an active and social second grade students with lots of friends.  Thank God she is not self conscious of her footdrop.  She does tae kwon do and ballet.

The rest of you, I hope things are still progressing and I hope you are all well.

Keep in touch!

[cloudswinger]

I have a 6 and a half year old, and I can't imagine her going through what your daughter has had to go through. It's good to see that martial arts is part of her life, since I also teach martial arts and wouldn't want to have to give it up.

I just went to the acupuncturist today, and goodness, some of the spots hurt! I think I have some return, I can move the foot out(eversion?) a little bit, the muscle is weak though. Not up yet, so he stuck a needle to help the big toe, and that was the most sparking. Then when he turned on the stimulator, the ones near the ankle were also sparklng. He had to turn it down. Up to now it's been more a comfortable throbbing/pulsating feeling. I guess it's a good sign.

[cloudswinger]

Chatting with myself here, but I've learned that there are two branches to the peroneal nerve, the deep peroneal and the superficial peroneal The superficial controls the muscles that do eversion, which turns the foot out, and also the skin on most of the top of the foot. I think, if I read it correctly, that it also affects the ability to stand on one leg. The deep peroneal controls the muscles that  lift the foot up, and also sideways like for a sidekick, and also the patch of skin between the big toe and 2nd toe. So apparently the superficial one is somewhat working now. That's the one I could feel the acupuncturist stimulating.
I'm wondering how easy/hard it is to stimulate the deep peroneal nerve with the surface emg and stim stickers. The superficial one should be easy, since it's right near the surface, but the deep one runs alongside the tibia and beneath muscle. The only superficial access to the deep peroneal is the web between the big toe and 2nd toe.

I'm wishing there was a site that told you the functions of the nerves in more laymans terms, and flowchartish, so that you could figure out where the nerve damage is from the problems you are or are not having.

[carole1]

Hi all, My name is Carole and i joined this site so that i could respond to this area. i am a RN who was injured at work in 2004. I had a "torn meniscus" and was to have surgery, but in meantime i wasnt supposed to be walking on it. Well i wont mention who i worked for but they didnt " modify" my duties and when it came to have the surgery done, the meniscus was ripped 98%. The ortho dr did a chondroplasty, menisectomy etc. After 6 weeks, when all was supposed to be better, i was in severe pain ( no one belived me). The first EMG was "normal" but i had to keep fighting for another. It was grossly abnormal ( 1/3 nerve function left) in the peroneal nerve! The pain was excuciating but i didnt have numbesss , just pain. A few days before the "peroneal nerve release", i woke up paralyzed from the knee down...complete foot drop with no movement in any toes! AFter the surgery, i did get movement back, but also more pain. I was told i had RSD/CRPS and devasted cos i was also told i wouldnt ever be able to work again. I have a SCS placed in 2007. I finally found out about Dr. Dellon when i was at STanford hospital ( CA) and he came in and said..you dont have RSD, you have 3 trapped nerves! He re-did the peroneal release ( waas gonna end up paralyzed again they looked so bad), and he also did a superficial nerve release. I am only 2 weeks post-op so not easy to tell if the pain is stilll nerve pain or incisional pain? It feels less like nerve pain ( no buring stabbing etc) and i wanted to ask "missmyknee" how her recovery went and is her pain gone??? Any input would be awesome. Dr. Dellon is amazing, wonderful doctor.
Thanks,
Carole