#1 ·
I’m posting this on behalf of my dad because we’re kind of stuck and could really use some perspective. 🙂
About three weeks ago, he ended up in the ER with what turned out to be sciatica—specifically a herniated disc pressing on L3-L4 and the sacrum. His right leg was basically useless, just constant tingling and intense cramping. He jumped straight into electrotherapy and stretching, which actually helped quite a bit. He’s even back to walking short distances and driving occasionally, though he still struggles with coordination in his right leg and knee. The physiotherapist told him strictly to stay active by walking, but to avoid any specific exercises.
Then, two days ago, he took a bad step and ended up back at the clinic. An X-ray confirmed he broke one of the toes near his big toe, so now he’s stuck in a full foot splint that goes up past his ankle. The orthopedic surgeon gave us the exact opposite advice: stay off the foot entirely, don't walk, and just rest with the leg elevated.
Now we’ve hit a massive wall. With that right leg immobilized in the splint, his thigh muscles have already started wasting away; the right thigh is visibly smaller than the left. It’s pretty obvious he needs movement to prevent more atrophy, but he isn't getting that splint off for another two or three weeks.
What’s the move here? We feel like we're caught in an impossible bind. Should he follow the ortho's orders and stay still, or try to push through the movement to save his muscle mass? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
About three weeks ago, he ended up in the ER with what turned out to be sciatica—specifically a herniated disc pressing on L3-L4 and the sacrum. His right leg was basically useless, just constant tingling and intense cramping. He jumped straight into electrotherapy and stretching, which actually helped quite a bit. He’s even back to walking short distances and driving occasionally, though he still struggles with coordination in his right leg and knee. The physiotherapist told him strictly to stay active by walking, but to avoid any specific exercises.
Then, two days ago, he took a bad step and ended up back at the clinic. An X-ray confirmed he broke one of the toes near his big toe, so now he’s stuck in a full foot splint that goes up past his ankle. The orthopedic surgeon gave us the exact opposite advice: stay off the foot entirely, don't walk, and just rest with the leg elevated.
Now we’ve hit a massive wall. With that right leg immobilized in the splint, his thigh muscles have already started wasting away; the right thigh is visibly smaller than the left. It’s pretty obvious he needs movement to prevent more atrophy, but he isn't getting that splint off for another two or three weeks.
What’s the move here? We feel like we're caught in an impossible bind. Should he follow the ortho's orders and stay still, or try to push through the movement to save his muscle mass? Any thoughts would be appreciated.