I'm currently choosing between ADR and fusion at L5/S1. The problem, besides the obvious, is that there is nothing on the MRI, CAT, XRay, to indicate a problem besides a grade V tear at L5/S1. Definitely hurt on the discogram.
The thing that has us scratching our heads is that I have a numbness down both legs, particularly when I walk and no one can say for sure if that's caused by the tear.
It sounds like something mechanical but my discs aren't bulging and all the nerves, stem to stern, are hunkus dorus, undisturbed. The theory du jour is that the oozing nucleus is annoying the neighboring nerves but everyone concedes that it should
probably play out to pain, not numbness.
So my question is:
Have any of you had a simple tear (albeit large) with no other overt problem and had accompanying leg numbness? I'd hate to go after the wrong spot; the pain certainly isn't fun but it's really the numbness/weakness that's driving me to the operating table.
I know my question is a long shot but what the heck, it's only bandwidth. And you never know!
