Bill’s Case Study

Meet Bill,

I had bilateral L4-5 diskectomies and right L4 foraminotomy for removal of far lateral disc herniation about nine years ago.

I feel tight on the sides of the waist most of the time. When this tightness gets worse then it spreads all the way around the waist level.

Sitting long periods / riding in a car is the biggest trigger.

Then the glutes get extremely tight making hard to take a step.

With this I get strange feeling in left or right foot sometimes even in lower legs.

The strange feeling I am talking about is not numbness  because I can still wiggle toes and have control of foot. I guess may be it is one level below numbness feeling but this feeling does get worse and even then I don`t think it is numbness.

I do get tingling the odd time in lower leg and very rarely sharp pain in left toe only.

Pain is for split second and makes me fall on floor.

What triggers the whole cycle is the tightness that starts on the sides of the waist.

The self test for tight hip lying on table and lowering one leg did not feel tight. (modified Thomas)

I do seated hip stretch, piriforimus the glute area rolling with travel roller and tennis ball and lunges.

My biggest struggle is on the sides of the waist and the glutes. I feel so tight in those areas and week in the glutes.

I have not worked for almost ten years . I have other issues as well but these are the ones cause biggest challenge.

Thanks

Bill

Below is when I caught him during an “episode” after a ride into town and a stressful morning.

We are addressing stress / belief patterns with awareness of self talk and re-training thoughts with more positive affirmative statements.  See dark red below.

Dr. Steve,

You were  probably wondering what happened  to me  all pumped up then no answer.  I had been on the computer since  5 this  morning trying to make videos  then uploading.

I got every thing ready  then started to make direct internet connection vs wireless  so that we did not have same headache like we did before. But doesn`t matter how much Bill thinks ahead of the struggles to come something has to go wrong.  

As I reached behind TV  to unhook the long cable that I could use downstairs for internet   I twisted something a little twich at waist.     I felt my right foot turn numb  as I finished hooking up downstairs .

Turned the computer on no internet connection. I probably didnt hook up right too many cable  modem router .

As I walked my foot was quite numb.  I was shocked.  didnt want to walk up the stairs to hook up again so at least I could tell you what happened.

 My nephew came home now and hooked up the internet upstairs   now the wireless working downstairs. This is not an accident just today. That`s  Bill`s  usual life over the last 10 years. Thanks for you email and  sorry I didn`t get back to you. Thanks

Bill

Video below shows twitchy activation of upper hams and also notice the lowering of the right foot and uncoordinated and jerky movements of right leg as it goes in and out.

Video below shows some upper quarter dysfunction..notice right side overactivity with external rotation band exercise.