Any Peroneal Nerve recovery stories?

[amberjade]

Hi all Amber here, thanks for your supportive messages.Went to see consultant today not met him before so insisted!! His opening words were " dont know why you are under my care I deal with arms!  This was after 3 hour wait to see him, he did not even look at my leg, said I can get some improvement in pos 2 years , said to have pysio but I feel I need help such as occupational therapy to help with practical things to keep me safe at home. Oh and EDB is a muscle!! Left voicemail with differant departments  when I got home but in morning I am definately going to get on phone and ask to see someone who will tell me whats what! Thing I want to know is do I have hope of driving my normal car or is that the bit that wont get better. Take care all

[Hamish9]

Hi Amdre,

From your recent posts it looks like you are doing well after your ACL reconstruction. Tell me are you still wearing a brace or have you got rid of that now. My rehab from the PLC recontruction is going pretty well and I am now able to walk without crutches and am going to the gym twice a day. Its only 5 monutes walk from my house so its very convenient. I still have to wear my brace all the time and feel a bit of a freak at the gym. I am doing leg presses, albeit with very little weight loaded, and have managed this week to pedal properly on the static bike. My leg looks horrible as it is very skinny but I can feel the strength building all the time.

I have been doing the toe bends to keep the Tibialas Anterior muscle active as you suggested. My foot is still numb and with no dorsiflexion and eversion. You started to get something back after 5 months so it will be a while yet before I hopefully see something. Still getting the nerve pain in my foot. I see my OS on 22nd November so will find out them when they plan to do my ACL recon and I want to get more info on the nerve damage as I have not had any test to see if the nerve is doing anything.

Cheers
Hamish

hey there Hamish

Our injuries are some what very similar. even the approach the doctors took in repairing my damaged knee. although mine doc didnt want to do the ACL until there was sign of Nerve muscle response. mainly for the reason that if my nerve didnt come back i would have now need for an ACL. docotors logic and less work for him i guess. it was very painful at the begining stages of the injury.....from reading up on pherphrial nerve damage the shocks and tingling are supposed to be a part of the degeneration process. you be very hyper sensetive to the point that another person can shock you by just laying there hands over your injured nerve. hows your recovery coming ? i just started to get my functions back i jan-feb....i started to get eversion back(5months after injury)
then in july august  i started to regain my dorsi flexion and now have 85 degrees of flexion compared to 103 on my good foot. my last input was wrong for my good foot.
the main thing is to keep your Tibialas Anterior muscle awake by stimulating it with a neuro muscle stim. and just practice using your your bodies natural retractiong phase as a tool for pulling your foot and toes up. what i mean by this is ....if you already know then exuse the rest of this. when you pull your toes down past its original or natrual position it automatically retracts when you release.once you release try and pull up like you normally would using your bodies natural retraction.

Keep your head up and stay focused Good luck in the Recovery
Amdre

[amdre]

Hi all Amber here, thanks for your supportive messages.Went to see consultant today not met him before so insisted!! His opening words were " dont know why you are under my care I deal with arms!  This was after 3 hour wait to see him, he did not even look at my leg, said I can get some improvement in pos 2 years , said to have pysio but I feel I need help such as occupational therapy to help with practical things to keep me safe at home. Oh and EDB is a muscle!! Left voicemail with differant departments  when I got home but in morning I am definately going to get on phone and ask to see someone who will tell me whats what! Thing I want to know is do I have hope of driving my normal car or is that the bit that wont get better. Take care all

Hey Amberjade,

Good to hear from you again....Dont be discouaged with the Doctors and there approach to your condition....you and speaking for myself ...we have both had negative responses from the docs. the way i look at it is you can use it in either to ways....let them get to you and feel you have no hope or use there negativity as motivation to help ignite a positive recovery for yourself......is the muscle (EDB) extensor digitorum/Brevis? those muscles assist in dorsi flexsion of the toes and foot...just wondering. also in answer to your question about driving ....Do you feel you can or will be able to Drive again? if you dont believe you can do it then chances are you probably wont....but if you believe and have the will to work hard at your beliefs then your chances increase drammaticaly.Good to hear from you again and i wish a strong and healthy recovery...and keep being informed and informing yourself..at the end of all this you should be so informed that you could probably get a degree in the anatomy of te knee...lol.

[j_smi001]

Hello All to the foot drop thread,

I agree with Amdre, a positive mind helps wonders.  I continually talk to my foot and visualise it working normally.  This is a long process and there appears to be long peroids of no progress then all of a sudden something you couldn't do becomes manageable.  I am now getting used to my new splint.  I have recently bought a scooter to get about on but find that my foot can move towards the edge of the foot plate, especially when going round a right hand bend, so I have fitted a a little stay to keep my foot safe.  Hope you are all doing OK and having a good weekend.

[amdre]

Hi Amdre,

From your recent posts it looks like you are doing well after your ACL reconstruction. Tell me are you still wearing a brace or have you got rid of that now. My rehab from the PLC recontruction is going pretty well and I am now able to walk without crutches and am going to the gym twice a day. Its only 5 monutes walk from my house so its very convenient. I still have to wear my brace all the time and feel a bit of a freak at the gym. I am doing leg presses, albeit with very little weight loaded, and have managed this week to pedal properly on the static bike. My leg looks horrible as it is very skinny but I can feel the strength building all the time.

I have been doing the toe bends to keep the Tibialas Anterior muscle active as you suggested. My foot is still numb and with no dorsiflexion and eversion. You started to get something back after 5 months so it will be a while yet before I hopefully see something. Still getting the nerve pain in my foot. I see my OS on 22nd November so will find out them when they plan to do my ACL recon and I want to get more info on the nerve damage as I have not had any test to see if the nerve is doing anything.

Cheers
Hamish

Hey Hamish,

To start its good to hear things are going well with your PCL recovery and i know exactly how feel as i have half a leg as well from the atrophy that has taken place in the quad.In answer to your question , no i dont wear any braces at the moment....as i move into the three months post-op stage i will be fitted for a knee brace for active sport. the reason for that is i chose not to wear my afo because once i go range of motion it would restrict me from goine past 90 degrees it would just keep my foot locked..and i didnt feel that i would progress so i got rid of it...and practice walking in a mirror and practice lifting it past the steppage gait on stairs.i have full ROM and i look as if i can walk normally but the foot still lacks power in the EHL(extensor hallicus longus) and the ED(extensor digitorum and brevis muscles) which we are working on with the toes and foot excersises i had listed before. You should schedule an EMG test just to see exactly how much damage has occured and get an approximate time frame. Also i think the toe bends excersise is for improving the strength in yor toes....wen i had no movment  (dorsi flexion or eversion) we used a N.E.M.S unit for stimulate the non responsive muscle.(our therapists felt that as long as it is getting a signal it will stay wake)
 and for the pain i was given a T.E.N.S unit i didnt use it much cause i didnt feel it was helping. keep us posted on your OS results and your test for nerve condutivity.
keep progressing.

Andre

[amdre]

Hey All another week has gone and i am 6weeks post-op next tuesday and things are goine well. nothing much has changed this week but monday plans are looking like a nice compliment to the daily routines. Monday we will be moving up to the 2nd phase of core excersises and once i get them i will post them. Reintroduction of Hydro therapy ...this will consist of resistance form running in the pool to help get the body in full conditioning mode and to help strengthing of th leg. we will also be working balance, meditation and relaxation in the pool.this will be done once a week and core excersises will be done daily. Other then that knee is feeling good except for extension feeling pain in the front of the knee...hopefully just still alittle sore from the recon.

Keep healing and healthy recoveries to all

[j_smi001]

ooops I have broken my new splint so back in the old one again for a while.  I don't know how I did it, I must be very heavy footed.  No real news to report and judging by the lack of posts over the last few days it is the same for everyone else too, still nerve recovery is a a slow process and there are times when here appears to be little progress.  Hope you are all still smiling at least.  take care Jak

[Hamish9]

No change with me, still got Mr Floppy Foot.

Hamish

[amberjade]

Hi Amdre and all on this thread, going to see new dr this Fri as I complained so going to see leg man!! Yes ebd thing is a muscle xx hope you all ok

[j_smi001]

Good one ya Amberjade - hope all goes well tomorrow - you will have to let us know.  I now have a new splint to replace the one I managed to break - apparently it can happen - lol.  If I break this one I will have to go into a more heavy duty one called a blue rocker - sounds like something out of the 50's!  (It might be with the state of the NHS at the moment!)  I am off to two weeks intensive rehab on my leg so hope that will make all the difference and crossing my fingers for a miricle.  Hope you are all OK - Where is Amdre?  hope he is OK as long time no hear.  You all have a good weekend and think positive thoughts.

[amdre]

Hey All

Sorry for the extremely late post....been very busy with life and kids and school and its daily needs.good work Amberjade tke control of your options and get as informed s you possibly can...and dont forget to let us in on the news. Hey Jak im still kick ing ...lol just been so caught up. how r u doing ? i wish you all the best with yor intensive rehab and i know the outcome will be one that we all will be amazed by. Your a very hard worker and no matter what i sure you will do fine in the rehab.As for me things are going well i can now resist pressure with my dorsiflexion and eversion is strong as an ox. still no response with the EHL stims but hope is still alive. next tuesday will be the 7th week post-op i believe and leg is doing well full flexion and extension now and starting lateral strengthing and doing alot mor stability since i have had a very good ACL recovery. i am very pleased as it shows good health in the knee and when i return to Sport it will not play on my mind as much. I have set a another goal for myself and my rehab..this one is kind of far fetched and i see the Doc on wed to see if iam capable of succeeding this task. By March end i must perform at an elite combine if i still want a shot at a pro level ....no contact just skills....if i can becom more then the negative expectations they have already marked me as i think i will hve ashot..doc doesnt know ..due to the amount of things i have been through and thinks i need the full 9 months recovery. i want to prove him wrong again and defy the odds though i may be putting myself at risk. I feel that it is possible so it must be. Am i being ridiculous ? im only human but yet i feel that i dont fall under those approximations and estimations ...not because i believe i am better then but for the fact that i believe in my self and what i can accomplish. i know my limits and what i feel. thy only know what they have seen and have dealt with. I dont know still very up in the air....my therapists were kind of shocked as wel when i told them my goals. not sure if i am getting way ahead of myself or not....neways take care all and have a good weekend ill be on fequently.....some times things get alittle rocky in the Real World and i get detoured little from the forum but im always here.

Take Care
Andre

[Hamish9]

Hi Andre,

Good to see things are going well. Having looked at your website and seen your video of you playing you are good. I don't know much about American Football but watched a bit and you are a true athelete and a step, spin, power like yours would do very well in rugby or any sport. Adversity breads a lot of things including desire, passion and strength and you hold that over a lot of others. I have no doubt you will succeed. Good luck!

As far as my rehab is going I am now at the gym twice a day and have managed to get my wee skinny leg to 130 degrees flexion and feeling pretty strong. I have an appointment with OS on Wednesday so will find out what the next step will be. At the moment I on the bike, rowing, lots of step ups, heel raises (the hardest), quads (lowering only) and hamstrings on the multi gym, stepper (with brace on). I'm now at the end of my career but have had a pretty good innings at the age of 37 but wasn't ready to retire but still want to be as fit as I can be and working my ass off. Hate watching the guys playing!

Hamish

[amdre]

Hey Hamish,

Thank you for the support.Good to hear your flexion is doing better. you and i are on a identical workout plan it seems...lol for our skinny legs. when you see your OS ask him i it good to go in the water and run  .....we have implemented that into the program and i must say it gives you awhole new feeling of a leg workout...especially if you havent gone for a run in a very long time.....might find out you still have muscles in those skinny legs still ..haha....i couldnt move mine for a good hour or two after my first session. And i can totally relate to the burning desire to play again....i tried coaching while i was off on reserve but was not ready to make the transition from player to coach...still young minded and full of dreams that i would like to pursue in this sport. "why dream when you can do ..." i guess thats my new vehicle to recovery.
Hope everything goes well with your  os appointment...also how does it feel training with your brace.? have you gotten used to it yet ? or do you think you cold get used to it?...i get mine in the new year just wondering on some opinions.

Respectfully,
Andre

"sometimes it takes a curve in life to straighten out"

[mom444]

Hello All,

I am so glad that I found this board.  I am the mother of a 3 and a half year old daugther who had peroneal nerve damage.  She had surgery to remove scar tissue from the nerve this past July.  We are still hoping and praying for her recovery.  She is currently wearing a little AFO to support her drop foot and her physical therapist wants to start some electric muscle stimulation therapy.

We think the damage occurred when she was about 1 and a half years old.  It took a long time for a diagnosis!  We noticed when she was about a year and a half that she started walking funny but because all toddler walk funny we thought nothing of it.  Then it got to the point where it looked like her left foot was always pointed and we had a hard time putting her shoes on, but we though that is was just an idiopathic thing or that she was being just being stubborn about having her shoes put on.  We finally talked about it with her pediatricians and from there on it was a series of MRIs to check for brain or spinal damage.  It was very, very scary.  Some doctors thought it was just a "tight heel cord" but later on after we had an EMG test done it was finally diagnosed as peroneal neuropathy.

The strangest part of her situation is that we have no idea how the nerve damage happened.  She never fell or hurt herself or had any kind of major trauma that we are aware of.  The only thing we could think of was that she liked to sleep in an odd position up on her knees with her butt in the air.  That might have put pressrue on the nerve.  Also she has always been thin and I have read that often thinner people are more predisposed to injuring the peroneal nerve.

I hope all of you are doing well and are on the road to recovery yourselves.  Maybe we can share some input with each other.

[amberjade]

Hi all not been on 4 while, pc crashed and bro and daughter been ill. Saw new dr last week much better than last, same sort of stuff we all know re time but confirmed some part will never recover. I have sold car   When I first had damage where nerve went I had bright red painful swellind ouside of knee, on sat i felt pop and where damage started its sort of caved in  with this pop, so now have big dent?? Ideas lol?