Spontaneous Recovery in Complete Foot Drop in a Case of Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Neurological Surprise

Abstract

Lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse has been associated with radiculopathy and the sensory and motor changes that occur as the result of neural compression. The most important motor symptom is foot drop. Occurrence of foot drop in lumber protrusion of intervertebral disc prompts for the surgical treatment of the condition. Here, we report a case of a 32-year-male presented with unilateral foot drop, diagnosed as lumbar protrusion of intervertebral disc and recovered significantly without surgery. The good neurological outcome of the conservative management, in this case, puts the surgeon in a quandary whether to offer surgical management or not. A clinician should always remember this outcome before choosing the management plan for lumbar protrusion of intervertebral disc although rare.