Co-ordination in legs

PollySid

I have OA in my spine, and in most of my leg joints on the left side, plus toes and knee on the right side (but not as bad). The pain clinic said they thought I had some spinal stenosis too.

Does anyone else get problems with their legs not working properly, as if the messages are not getting to them in the correct order.
Mine started doing this occasionally a year or so ago. I found it quite strange that some days at work I could walk smoothly and normally and then I would have a day where my legs seemed all jerky and unco-ordinated.
Since the OA has kicked in permanently this seems to also be permanent. The Cocodamol dampens the pains I get but not the difficulty in movement.

I have spent time walking up and down my hall at varying speeds trying to walk 'normally'. I tried consciously relaxing as I walked, but then my leg gave way, I walked faster and found my legs all over the place to the point that if I had been out in the open I would have fallen over. Plus if I try to walk faster my back and hip hurts more.
I can control it a bit better and walk faster if I use my stick I have found.

I am still trying to come to terms with this slowing down, and struggling to do anything at such a slow pace. I worry that I am becoming depressed as I have been a bit weepy lately, but apart from the not knowing what is happening with work I have no other problems.

This blasted OA is beginning to affect so much of my life, I even struggled to make sausage rolls today. I never knew making pastry could be so painful on the thumbs, and afterwards I had to take extra tablets for my neck and shoulders. Some days I feel guilty at not being at work but when something as simple as making pastry causes so much discomfort I know why I am off.
Oh well, just the Christmas cake left to ice and the rest of the presents to wrap then I am finished for Christmas.
Daughter and Grandsons are over for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I will have some help in the kitchen for Christmas Dinner.
I hope you all have a relaxing time and have help too with the preparations.

Polly

elnafinn

Hi Polly

I am sorry to read your story. I too started to notice that I was not walking at all well and also had pins and needles/numbness in my hands.

I have since had a spinal operation (neck end) as the MRI found two vertebrae were touching my spinal cord. I have my three month post op appointment later on this afternoon. I was told there is no guarantee that I would revert back to how I used to be but that the op would prevent further symptoms occurring.

I do think that three months on my walking is improved some days better than others and I was also told that if there is to be any improvement it could take as long as 18 months. The brain hopefully trains other nerves to do the job of those that have been damaged.

That is my story and so I can really sympathise with what you are going through at this time.

Look after yourself,

Elna x

valval

hi do you suffer from stiffness of the joints some days i wobble and feet do not move correctly causing toes to catch the ground hence the wobble from side to side to make sure do not trip but other days it smooth and no problem the bad days are my tin man days the others heaven who knows which will be which lol but enjoy the good sorry you are in so much pain val

PollySid

My back and left leg are always stiff Val, although some days worse than others. I too stumble because my feet do not always lift as high as I think they are going to and I tip to one side due to the bend in my spine which can cause me to nearly topple over at times and bang into door frames (that hurts).
It doesn't take much, I once caught my heel on a stand at work and fell backwards into the standard lamps breaking 2 of them. Luckily I didn't hurt myself, only my pride . Another time I knocked something over and it fell onto a stand of large vases. I broke 4 of those that time, they weren't selling well so I think I did them a favour .
Now if the manager hears a clatter from the other side of the shop he says "What's Pauline breaking now?" I think they will probably be pleased to see the back of me .
I regularly catch my foot going up stairs (not that I use stairs much now as we have a bungalow) so take it very steady and hang on to the bannister rail. I have learnt that it hurts if you stumble up some stairs and bang your bad knee!

dreamdaisy

If you find that things improve when you use a stick then use that stick, it does help balance, stability and confidence. If doing without a stick leads to falls etc then the risk of injury is suddenly very present and surely that is not a good thing. I don't lift my legs as high as I think, I have to do stairs like a three year old but so what? I can still get up them and down them (and this house has a lot of them!) but the style of so-doing is immaterial. Arthritis leads to compromises - all made by us, the impatient patients but they have to be made for the sake of our safety, dignity and security. I empathise on the painful hands bit - our Christmas cards were very brief this year, just our names!

Adjusting to the demands of this foul disease is not easy, PollySid, far from it, but one does, over time, learn how to manage things better for oneself. It is a steep learning curve though, there is no doubt about that. I wish you well. DD

hileena111

Hi
I stagger when I walk out side sometimes...especially if I'm in a crowd ...like this time of year....It seemed to happen after my THR which was almost years ago.....If you find any kind of walking aid helpful please do use it.....dont take the chance of falling
Love
Hileena

totoes

Hi Pollysid, since my back "went" 2yrs last August ago, I've walked with a now permanent limp despite spinal surgery. I was fine the first few months, 70% back to normal. As time has gone by, my walking has gone worse. After roughly a 100yds both of my legs feel rubbery and I resemble Bambi on ice lol! My neck jumped into the mix and I don't know if that's what's causing my leg issues or if it's post-op scarring. Either way, like you, I find many days really annoying that I can't do simple tasks I've always taken for granted.

Like others have said, we find other ways of getting around things. It all takes time & a little ingenuity, like joining this forum & gaining remarkable ideas on how to make life easier!

Take care of yourself Pollysid x

skezier

Hi Polly,

i am so sorry that this spine thing it doing that to you. i walk like a drunk on a good day and like a drunken gorilla on a bad. i aim for the door and have to really concentrate on getting to it.. the legs just don;t respond as they should at times.

if the pain clinic thing there is some sternosis that could be the problem? Mine was surgically sorted during the decompression i had but the nerve damage i had sustained it permanent and flower your right to keep trying in your hall to get the legs to work the way you want them to i think.

after the op they gave me i had a lot of walking practice and flower even though walking becomes a conscious thing the more you try to get it 'right' helps i think..... it certainly was what they made me practice after the op.

saying that it was years ago now and hat may have changed.

have you asked the pain doc if there are exercises you could be doing? mine tell me to do as i am already dong no but she said she wouldn't say that years back when it wasn't as far gone.

might be worth asking what you should do re your legs? i keep trying to get mine to work in the way they are meant to and Polly i just so wish you didn't know how it feels.

hang in there and maybe run this one past the pain doc when you next see them? have you got a follow up appointment with them?

i love the example of Bambie... much more 'posh' than my drunken gorilla hang in there flower and i believe wholeheartedly in keeping on trying but promise me you you will make sure thats what you should before=doing with a medic.

interesting you saying could it be scare tissue.... i sometimes wonder with mine.

hope you have a good Christmas and take care f your self but keep trying i think. Cris xx