Why is my daughter losing grip strength with pain?

Question

Hello doctor,

My daughter has been experiencing severe back pain, arm stiffness with grip loss, shooting pains down her legs when the heel is put to the floor, and vision blurring when sitting in the car for long periods, for over two years following spinal anesthesia for C-section. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans show nothing, and she is taking a maximum dosage of Endone.

She now has vascular issues with bilateral inflammation and swelling in her lower legs. She has been to a pain specialist and a neurologist who have no answers. She is losing hope and trying to care for four children. Can you please offer us some answers?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern and would explain that her symptoms (especially the grip loss in her arms and blurred vision) are not related to a lumbar spine disorder. A brain disorder (intracranial hypotension) or a cervical myelopathy could explain some of her symptoms. Intracranial hypotension could be a complication of local anesthesia, but you should know that it usually leads to a headache, blurred vision, or nausea when standing up or sitting, and the symptoms usually improve with lying down.

So, it seems that her symptoms are not typical of this disorder either. Coming to this point, it is necessary to perform a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study and a cervical spine MRI study. The bilateral inflammation and swelling in her legs do not seem to be related to any neurological disorder.

For this reason, it is important to perform inflammation tests (complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate) and a Doppler ultrasound of the leg vessels to investigate for chronic venous insufficiency. A cardiac ultrasound is necessary to exclude possible heart failure as a cause of increased fluid retention.

Hope you will find this answer helpful.

Kindly revert in case of further queries.

Thank you.