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Category: Neuropathy

Ending Restless Legs: A Heartfelt Thank You Letter from Our Patient Ella!

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A year ago, Ella was just five days out of surgery after undergoing a nerve decompression procedure, and the change in her life was already remarkable. Before the operation, she had been suffering from severe sleep deprivation, only managing around five hours of sleep a week. This level of exhaustion had become her norm, and the toll it took on her physical and mental well-being was immense. However, within just five days post-op, Ella was already experiencing significant improvements. She was finally able to sleep through the night, something she hadn’t done in years.

Now, one year later, Ella’s progress continues to astound. The nerve decompression procedure has had a lasting impact on her quality of life, restoring a sense of normalcy she hadn’t thought possible. Before, the constant pain and discomfort had severely limited her ability to rest, leading to overwhelming fatigue. However, since the surgery, Ella’s sleep has dramatically improved, and she’s been able to enjoy peaceful nights of uninterrupted rest. Not only has her sleep returned to a healthy pattern, but the nerve-related pain that once dominated her life has subsided, giving her the freedom to focus on other aspects of her health and happiness.

This follow-up story with Ella offers insight into the long-term benefits of the nerve decompression procedure. Her recovery journey highlights the procedure’s effectiveness in reducing nerve pain and improving sleep. For those considering similar treatments, Ella’s experience serves as a powerful example of the lasting relief and improved quality of life that can come from addressing nerve compression issues through surgery.

QUESTIONS? ► Call us at 1-800-866-4620 or  Restless leg Syndrome
TRAVELING FOR SURGERY? ► Traveling to anderson medical center for surgery

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Judy’s Story: Finally, Relief from Neuropathy

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Judy Schmidt was at the end of her rope. After more than 20 years of debilitating neuropathy, countless doctors’ appointments, and pain that just wouldn’t let up, she was ready to quit. Finally, she found hope for her neuropathic pain.

Life Before Neuropathy

Judy was a woman with a life. She had run a successful business for more than 30 years, and had no plans to stop. She was a wife and a mother, and had a very active social life. She walked five miles every night, and loved to dance with her husband. Life was good as she experienced no symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

A Devastating Diagnosis

Suddenly, Judy started to feel burning in her feet. “It just kept getting worse and worse. I went to the doctor, and he said I had neuropathy, or tarsal tunnel syndrome,” Judy says.

“The pain was getting so bad that I couldn’t sleep at night, and I had to go on narcotics. I eventually had to end my career five years earlier than I wanted to because the pain was so severe.”

In a Wheelchair

“I ended up in a wheelchair because I just couldn’t walk any more. I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t go to the store. And, I couldn’t feel my feet anymore, yet I was in excruciating pain 24/7,” Judy says.

She tried everything. Acupuncture, chiropractic care, medication. “They recommended that to reduce the pain we put a pain pump in my stomach to release medicine constantly in my system, and I refused,” says Judy.

She was ready to travel across the country for treatment. “I tried to get into several major hospitals, but they said there was nothing they could do for me.”

Ready to Give Up

“I became a recluse,” Judy recalls, “I didn’t go out with friends anymore, because I couldn’t walk and keep up with the social activities.”

After two nervous breakdowns from being in nonstop pain, and a diminished quality of life, Judy was ready to give up on her nervous system and peripheral nerves. “I’m not that kind of person, I always try to stay very positive and think there’s someone out there who has it worse than me. But, the pain wears you down mentally, and I just got to the point I didn’t want to live anymore.”

A Daughter Steps In

Judy’s daughter Tammy saw that her mom was on a downward spiral. “I felt that I was losing my mom and it was time to do something,” Tammy says. As a nurse who had spent 20+ years in the medical field, Tammy was determined to find a solution.

She went online, did her research, found Dr. Anderson, and made an appointment.

Finally, Joy

Both of Judy’s daughters made the trip from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins to take Judy to see Dr. Anderson, and they finally felt like they had a solution. “They believed in him immediately, and they were dancing in the exam room,” Judy says.

Dr. James Anderson, DPM, says “Judy was suffering from severe neuropathy and nerve pain, and was a great candidate for nerve decompression surgery in both legs.”

Nerve decompression surgery takes less than an hour, patients can walk the next day, and most patients experience little to no pain during recovery.

Judy’s Life Today

Just a few weeks after surgery, Judy came back to see Dr. Anderson, and this time, she was crying tears of joy.

“I moved my toes for the first time in twenty years. I felt the pedal of the car, and carpet under my toes, and I can walk!”

Judy is back to living: walking, driving, grocery shopping, and of course, spending time with her daughters. She is building up her strength again after so many years of not being able to stand and walk.

“To me, this is a miracle,” Judy says, “ I feel like I have my life back, and I am so grateful to Dr. Anderson. My husband and I are going to be dancing again by the end of the year.”

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Don’t wait any longer to see if we can help you make your Neuropathy a thing of the past!

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Sherrie’s Anderson Podiatry Center Experience with Dropfoot

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Sherrie’s experience with Anderson Podiatry was wonderful from the moment she placed her call to the second she was in the chair talking to Dr. Anderson. Sherrie was treated for a condition called drop toot, which is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part off the foot. It is caused by weakness of the muscles that lift the front part of the foot. Sherrie’s drop foot was in her left leg and caused by neuropathy, which made her ankle tilt forward and diluted her strength.

When strength is an issue, walking is obviously effected. You may not be able to push of the ground with your feet as well or lift your feet off the ground if you are experiencing drop foot. In fact, falls also become more probable which puts people’s safety at great risk.

Dr. Anderson performed surgery on three spots and untangled the nerves in her leg- and to Sherrie’s delight, the surgery corrected her problem! The best aspect of the outcome of Sherrie’s surgery is that her drop foot is gone; she can walk normally and has regained great strength and stability. Allowing her to live her life normally again without having to consider the risk of falling.

Sherrie would absolutely recommend her friends and family to Anderson Podiatry Center. She found that the Anderson Podiatry crew worked as a team to help each other, with the goal of putting patients first. Anderson Podiatry’s compassionate, friendly doctors are skilled at finding the root of foot, ankle, and lower leg problems.

Jacque/tarsal tunnel, drop foot, neuropathy, mortons foot

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Jacque’s experience at Anderson Podiatry was wonderful; she felt welcomed and safe, especially during the time of her surgery. According to Jacque, everyone was incredibly kind and she felt well taken care of as all of her questions were answered.

Jacque was treated for tarsal tunnel, and along with that she developed drop foot, neuropathy, mortons foot. The Anderson Podiatry team performed the surgery to release some of the nerves, and Jacque is now healing up very nicely.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is described as ankle pain due to a compressed nerve. If you have muscle weakness, twitching, tingling, loss of balance, numbness, burning, prickling sensations, and/or nerve pain in your legs or feet, you might be experiencing neuropathy, or nerve damage. Neuropathy can have many causes, like diabetes, infections, injury,, and cancers, and can worsen over time.

The trained specialists at Anderson Podiatry Center know what it’s like to experience neuropathy: which is why we were the first doctors in the Rocky Mountain region to offer nerve decompression treatment that offers long-lasting relief. Our world-renowned podiatrists use the latest technology to reveal the exact stage of the neuropathy and determine the most appropriate actions to take. Our varied and affordable treatment options for neuropathy include, a non-invasive, conservative treatment package that includes diagnostic testing, MLS® Laser Therapy, Electrical Nerve Stimulation (ESTIM), and nutritional counseling, as well as revolutionary nerve decompression surgery

The best aspect of the surgery has been that the neuropathy is basically gone, she does not have the drop foot anymore. It is the best outcome she could imagine since she could feel that her leg and foot have not dropped since the surgery.

Jacque would absolutely recommend Anderson Podiatry to her friends and family, and in fact- she already has!

Neuropathy 101: Part 3 (Real Patients, Real Stories)

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Welcome to Part 3 of our blog, Neuropathy 101. We’ve discussed the signs and symptoms in Part 1, and advanced treatment options in Part 2.

And, of course, we saved the best part for last. If you or someone you love is suffering from neuropathy, the most important thing for you to know is that there is hope. You don’t have to suffer and let neuropathy take over your life.

Today, I want to share with you the stories of three patients who came to see us with different symptoms, frustrations and needs. And after treatment, they are all experiencing the improved quality of life they were hoping for. After practicing for more than 35 years, there is still nothing more rewarding to me than hearing patients come in and tell me how their life has changed for the better since treatment. Here are their stories.

Evelyn’s Story

Symptoms:

“When I came to see Dr. Anderson, I had so much numbness in my feet and it was so painful. My feet hurt so bad by the end of the day, I wasn’t able to wear shoes. I was ready to go stark raving mad. I could only wear sandals and I live in Wyoming. And in the winter, I will tell you I definitely did not want to be wearing sandals,” Evelyn says.

Treatment:

Evelyn had nerve decompression surgery on both legs. This is a 1-hour procedure where we go in surgically to open up the nerves that become compressed in the legs, and cause severe neuropathy symptoms.

Life Today:

Today, Evelyn says, “I have new shoes that I got a year ago and I can finally wear them all day. It was so funny because my husband thought I had gone shopping and bought all new shoes. But, I was just finally able to wear all my own shoes again! At night when I got to bed, I can actually feel the covers with my toes, which I haven’t been able to do in years. I have no pain. I can be so much more active now. I’m ready to go dancing! If you are having problems with your feet, come see him and get the help you need!”

John’s Story

Symptoms:

“Most of my symptoms were occurring on the bottom of my feet. I was having a hard time being active because it took me so long to recover. If I walked about a mile, the balls of my feet would be so sore, it would take a full day just for me to start feeling better,” John says.

Treatment:

John had the ESTIM & MLS Laser treatment we discussed in Part 2 of this blog. Because John’s symptoms were not as severe, our non-surgical treatment options were a good fit for him. The ESTIM treatment is an electrical stimulation therapy, and the laser treatment works on the cellular level. Both treatments work in harmony together to help repair and restore the damaged nerves.

Life Today:

Before he was finished with treatment, John was already reporting significant symptom improvement. “I would say I’m 70-80% better already, and that’s being conservative. I can now walk 2 miles a day, and my feet recover in about an hour. I’m very happy with my results,” John says.

Kelly’s Story

Symptoms:

“I was experiencing a lot of numbness in my feet and struggling with loss of balance. By the end of the day, I was just in excruciating pain. I am on my feet all day at work, and I tried every type of shoe and insole out there, and nothing worked. I don’t really like to take pills, so I didn’t want to get on medication for it, but I really was searching for relief,” Kelly says.

Treatment:

Kelly had nerve decompression surgery on both legs, just like our first patient Evelyn did. This is a great option for many people with severe neuropathy and pain because it’s a minimally-invasive procedure and there is very little down time. Most patients can be up and walking around the day after surgery.

Life Today:

“I don’t dread getting up in the morning anymore. Now I can get through work every day. My heel pain has resolved as well, and my balance is so much better. I feel confident in where I’m stepping and I have that “front to back” feeling of motion that I didn’t have before. I would do the surgery again, in a heartbeat,” Kelly says.

Don’t Give Up

Every day I see patients who come in and they are experiencing incredible results like these. They are back to work, to play and to the activities they love. My desire for you who are reading this is that you would be encouraged to not give up.

Come see us, we can help. To learn more about how we treat neuropathy, click here.

To make an appointment, click here.

Lisa’s Story: Restless Legs and Neuropathy

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Lisa Nelson had been suffering from Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) for years. After what seemed to be an endless search for a solution, she is finally back to sleep. Read her story here.

The Symptoms

“I had been struggling with RLS for 8-10 years,” says Lisa. “I also had neuropathy that was getting progressively worse, and edema and swelling in my feet and ankles.”

“If I got three hours of a sleep a night, that was normal. I had to stop hiking and exercising because I didn’t have any energy and I wasn’t confident in my balance.”

The Searching

“Over the years, I went to an acupuncturist, chiropractor, general practitioner, and a neurologist,” Lisa says. “No one could offer me a solution other than going on medication, which I really did not want to do.”

“There’s nothing worse than feeling like you just are not being heard,” Lisa says. “I knew that all my symptoms were somehow connected and I just wanted someone to take the time to listen to me.”

“I was constantly searching for a solution because it was not getting better. It was just getting worse. Finally, I was referred here by a friend who also had restless legs and dropfoot. He was very insistent that I come see Dr. Anderson and I’m very grateful that I did.”

The Solution

Lisa came to see Dr. James Anderson, DPM, and he recommended nerve decompression surgery. “This procedure takes about an hour, and we go in surgically to open up tight nerve tunnels in the lower leg that are causing the symptoms of RLS,” says Dr. Anderson.

Dr. Anderson performed surgery on Lisa’s left leg first. “She had so much improvement in her symptoms that she came back and we operated on her right leg just one week later,” Dr. Anderson says.

He identified three nerve tunnels that were compressed in Lisa’s legs, the superficial peroneal nerve, common peroneal nerve, and the soleal sling. In the operating room, he used an nerve monitor to verify that the nerve function was improving during her surgery.

“Before we open the tunnels, we stimulate the nerve and send messages into the muscles to get a baseline number. In Lisa’s case, one of those tunnels measured at 6,800,” Dr. Anderson explains. “Then, we test again after the tunnels are open and the pressure has been released.”

“The final number on this tunnel for Lisa was 8,600. So we knew right there in the operating room that we had a very good chance of resolving her RLS symptoms.”

Finally, the Sleep

Lisa was able to walk right away after the surgery and didn’t experience any post-operative pain. Within one week of having the surgery, she was already reporting 90% improvement in her RLS symptoms.

“Now, I sleep!” Lisa says, “I’m off all my medications, and I sleep an average of seven hours a night.”

Life Today

Lisa is planning a trip to Alaska with her friend Wade, who recommended she see Dr. Anderson. They are both very excited to be able to hike again.

To learn more about how we treat restless leg syndrome.

To make an appointment, click here.

Wade’s Story: Restless Leg Syndrome & Dropfoot

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For most people, restless leg syndrome would be overwhelming enough to deal with by itself, but Wade had restless leg syndrome and dropfoot, a condition that makes it hard to lift your toes or move your feet from side to side. Here’s his story, and how one procedure solved both of his problems.

No Sleep, No Solutions

“Every night when it was time to sleep, my legs would start twitching and jerking, and it was a violent type of jerk that would wake up my wife. I would get up and walk around and stretch. It kept both of us awake  at night.”

Like many people struggling with restless legs, Wade searched for remedies online. “I don’t like to take medications or drugs, so I tried essential oils and magnesium oil, but nothing really worked,” Wade says.

Sick and Tired

Wade had dealt with these symptoms for nearly 6 years. He was having difficulty walking at work, experiencing sleep deprivation and didn’t want it get any worse.

Finally, he had enough. “You just think you have to live with something like this and so you learn to deal with it,” Wade says. “But finally you get sick and tired of being sick and tired and just decide to find a solution.”

Two Problems, One Treatment

Wade made an appointment to see Dr. James Anderson, DPM, and was pleased to find out that both his dropfoot and restless leg syndrome could be improved with one simple procedure.

Dr. James Anderson, DPM, explains “We believe that the source of both of these conditions comes from nerves becoming compressed in the legs. We perform nerve decompression surgery, and go in and open up those nerve tunnels, and many patients find relief from their symptoms very quickly after the surgery.”

The surgery takes about 45 minutes, and patients are able to walk the day after, so downtime is minimal. “I saw Dr. Anderson on a Monday, and was scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. I was just ready to get it done,” Wade says.

Intraoperative Nerve Monitor

Dr. Anderson says “We use an intraoperative nerve monitor that monitors progress during surgery, and it allows us to see how the nerve function is actually improving.”

The surgeon takes a baseline number of the nerve function before starting the surgery, and then again once surgery is complete and the nerve tunnels are open.

“For example, in Wade’s case, his baseline number was 11,976. By the end of the surgery it was 13,539, so we were able to tell him right after the surgery that his nerve function had improved,” says Dr. Anderson.

Watch Wade’s surgery in the video above.

Life Today

6 weeks after the surgery, Wade came in for an office visit. He reported that his dropfoot symptoms had already improved by 80-85% and his restless legs had improved by 90%.

“My wife and I can sleep through the night. I’m able to go for walks again and resume my normal activities,” says Wade.

His advice for others experiencing similar symptoms is this, “Don’t wait so long to take care of this. You don’t have to suffer and let your symptoms ruin your life. This can be fixed. Just make an appointment and see what they can do for you. My experience has been wonderful.”

To learn more about how we treat restless legs, click here.

To make an appointment, click here.