What is the treatment for lower back pain leading to difficulty in leg movement after an injury?
Patient: My 55 year old husband fell off of a ladder from a height of approximately 12 feet and landed on his back (not directly) but slightly to the left. He landed on the asphalt driveway. He broke two ribs and punctured a lung as well as fracturing his L5 vertebrae. He spent 5 days in a trauma center. His ribs seem to be healing well but he has low back pain that is causing him a lot of pain. He has problems lifting his left leg and has started to "swing" his leg forward in order to walk. The limp is extremely evident. The accident happened exactly 4 weeks ago. What is our first step in finding the appropriate help for him? Doctor: Hi, thanks for writing to HCM.As your husband had sustained a fall with fracture of L5 vertebra, I suspect that there could be an associated disc protrusion causing pressure over the nerve roots that is causing some weakness in the muscles leading to the limp and altered gait.I suggest an MRI scan of the Lumbar spine which clearly dipicts the severity of the disc protrusion,spinal cord compression and any other soft tissue pathology in the spine. Nerve conduction studies may also be needed to establish any neurological injury in the leg.Management depends on the condition diagnosed.Hope this information is helpful. Good day