weakness in legs from 2 herniated thoracic disks. fell twice down stairs.?

Question

im sick of hospitals its xmas should i hold off till appt friday with neurosurgeon fri the 22nd of dec or go to er...could this be really serious and not know it...legs weak, tail bone bruised again. back aches....hurt allover..first time 3 steps i fell down..last night 8..my foot gave out on me..what do i do when u have had it with hospitals/

Answer 1

It's interesting because HNPs of the Thoracic Spine are rare, and are not near the tailbone. HNPs of the Thoracic Spine also would not cause weakness in the legs unless they are pressing on the spinal cord - and that would be causing more than just weakness in the legs. You should be experiencing bilateral numbness and bowel/bladder dysfunction as well. If this is the case, then a hospital is where you need to be.

If, in fact, the HNPs are actually in your LUMBAR spine (which is directly above the tailbone) then they could be pressing on the lumbar nerve roots, causing weakness in the legs. Again - if it is serious you may need surgery. If surgery is not necessary then you probably will need to keep seeing your doctor, a pain specialist, and/or a physical therapist for recovery.