In 1994, I made a round picnic table for my family while we lived in Japan (Osaka at the time). I made it in the garage which was at street level, but the house and yard was 12 feet higher on top of the hill. I picked up the table like an oversized tire, lifted it chest high and leaned back and carried it up the steps to ground level of the house. I heard something pop and tremendous pain. I went to three doctors in Japan, (One a British doctor in Tokyo) I asked each one to X-ray my back to see if I broke a bone in my back. EACH doctor asked "Is your leg numb?" I told each one, it could be but I can't feel it because the pain is so bad in my lower back. No X-ray in spite of my begging each one of them.
I learned to live with it, and took 4 OTC Ibuprophens almost every morning and evening for 18 years. 18 years after that happened - I was helping build a church back home in the USA, and I was up about 4 ft off the ground on a ladder holding a board at head high, the carpenter kept pushing me to lean an inch more, an inch more again, and just one more inch. Gravity got me and I fell. Jammed my knees. I went to an orthopedic and got some X-rays of my knees. I asked if they would X-Ray my back too. They did. The doctor came in and asked what I did to my back around 20 years earlier? I told him what had happened and what the doctors had said. He said 'Well most of the time, leg numbness is what we go by, but 1 time out of a thousand in back accidents like that, leg numbness doesn't happen. The best thing to do is go into the appointment and talk LOUD and scream as bad as it hurts!"
THAT doctor said he could not help me but he "could have" if I had come in when it happened. Anyway, a year later, I found a doctor that did a series of nerve blocks and stopped the pain. Wow, 20 years of pain gone in a matter of weeks! What Relief! - FOR a while!
I have had a few days or so every couple of years with some pain, but it went away . . . until last summer and fall (2025), it began to come back and especially around November and December. Two weeks ago, I made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor that did the nerve block 12 years ago. I went yesterday (Thursday). He wanted me to go to physical therapy for a few weeks and then come back and discuss the nerve block. TODAY, I went to the PT. I explained the history with the PT lady and also mentioned that I had bypass surgery two years ago in January and full left knee replacement in January of last year. After telling her that, I mentioned that ever since the Knee replacement, my walking gait has felt a bit off.
She asked me to walk to the counter about 30 feet away, and then walk back. Then she said, Your left leg with the knee replacement looks to be about 1/4" longer than the right one. She got a 1/4" shoe lift and put it in my right shoe. That made my walking suddenly feel normal!
No Wonder my gait is off and I walk somewhat wobbly! No wonder my back is contorted and hurting again. She said the right exercises can help, but there is no way to know at this stage if PT will totally help, or if I will need another nerve block.
I know some people have one leg longer than the other and live with it without pain - or at least they don't complain about it verbally. But in my case, that seems to a part of the problem. At least I am finding some answers!
I learned to live with it, and took 4 OTC Ibuprophens almost every morning and evening for 18 years. 18 years after that happened - I was helping build a church back home in the USA, and I was up about 4 ft off the ground on a ladder holding a board at head high, the carpenter kept pushing me to lean an inch more, an inch more again, and just one more inch. Gravity got me and I fell. Jammed my knees. I went to an orthopedic and got some X-rays of my knees. I asked if they would X-Ray my back too. They did. The doctor came in and asked what I did to my back around 20 years earlier? I told him what had happened and what the doctors had said. He said 'Well most of the time, leg numbness is what we go by, but 1 time out of a thousand in back accidents like that, leg numbness doesn't happen. The best thing to do is go into the appointment and talk LOUD and scream as bad as it hurts!"
THAT doctor said he could not help me but he "could have" if I had come in when it happened. Anyway, a year later, I found a doctor that did a series of nerve blocks and stopped the pain. Wow, 20 years of pain gone in a matter of weeks! What Relief! - FOR a while!I have had a few days or so every couple of years with some pain, but it went away . . . until last summer and fall (2025), it began to come back and especially around November and December. Two weeks ago, I made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor that did the nerve block 12 years ago. I went yesterday (Thursday). He wanted me to go to physical therapy for a few weeks and then come back and discuss the nerve block. TODAY, I went to the PT. I explained the history with the PT lady and also mentioned that I had bypass surgery two years ago in January and full left knee replacement in January of last year. After telling her that, I mentioned that ever since the Knee replacement, my walking gait has felt a bit off.
She asked me to walk to the counter about 30 feet away, and then walk back. Then she said, Your left leg with the knee replacement looks to be about 1/4" longer than the right one. She got a 1/4" shoe lift and put it in my right shoe. That made my walking suddenly feel normal!
No Wonder my gait is off and I walk somewhat wobbly! No wonder my back is contorted and hurting again. She said the right exercises can help, but there is no way to know at this stage if PT will totally help, or if I will need another nerve block.
I know some people have one leg longer than the other and live with it without pain - or at least they don't complain about it verbally. But in my case, that seems to a part of the problem. At least I am finding some answers!
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