Patient's question:
I had a lumbar nerve sheath tumor (L4-S1) benign tumor resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. One month later, I was transferred from the rehabilitation department of the medical university to the Rehabilitation Department of Guigang People's Hospital and have been there for over six months. I have been home for rehabilitation for two months.After the surgery, I injured the cauda equina nerve, resulting in loss of sensation in my left buttock, partial numbness on the outer side of my left leg, and no sensation below my left ankle. My foot droops and cannot dorsiflex, and my toes cannot move. I also have urinary and fecal incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
It has been eight months since the surgery, and my urinary and fecal functions have recovered relatively well. My left leg (which had childhood polio) has been practicing for seven months, but the progress is very slow—I still feel weak (though better than after the surgery). With a single crutch, I can walk dozens of meters, but when walking on the ground, I don’t feel any strength. With corrective shoes (to protect the foot drop) and a single crutch, I can walk, mostly relying on my right foot for support. Walking 500 meters requires me to sit down and rest, and I can walk about 3 to 4 kilometers in total—my left foot lacks the strength to continue walking. With my left leg alone [without corrective shoes], I still cannot stand; as soon as I do, my foot bends and feels weak. My right foot is normal.
Previously, the rehabilitation doctor focused on standing exercises daily. Because I couldn’t stand on my left leg alone, I had to prop my left knee against something to stand, perform single-leg weight-bearing raises straight up and down, and use a stationary bike, among other exercises. Now at home, I mainly wear corrective shoes to practice walking, covering about 3 kilometers daily, along with single-leg raises.
Doctor's answer:
Besides electrotherapy, hydrotherapy is also available. You can go to a swimming pool yourself, where you can swim or walk forward, backward, or sideways in the water.