Brown-Sequard Syndrome

I suffer from Brown-Séquard Syndrome and Posterior Cord Syndrome. I know the PCS was caused by my initial injury, but it is unknown to me whether BSS was caused by my spinal cord being crushed or from the inflammation caused by staph & strep bacteria in my incision/spine. I do have to say, BSS is something I haven't heard talked about very much, and I can understand why! It is so confusing and difficult to understand that I find myself asking almost every day why my left leg gets drug around while I walk, but my right leg works fairly well. The differences in sensation in my legs are slight and would be hardly noticeable if I didn't deal with it every day.

My right leg has good temperature, touch, vibe, and pain sensation. My right leg is hypersensitive to cold and pain in parts. My left leg is mostly numb to any and all sensations, which explains my recurring bruises. (Oops!) Spasms in my left leg are rare, while they are numerous in my right leg, even with regular doses of Baclofen.

The function in my right leg is much more preserved, and I have a teeny-tiny bit of proprioception in my foot. My left leg is completely numb except for 8 inches on the top of my thigh. It responds backwards to my attempts to move it and repeatedly gets itself in trouble if I'm not constantly looking where it is or touching it with my right foot. I occasionally will use my right leg to reposition my left one.

Having BSS is one of the most frustrating things to explain to people. I have only had one person realize and diagnose me with it-- my second physical therapist, whom I worked with at the nursing home in my short time there. It was refreshing to know what was going on.

I suffer from more muscle atrophy on my left leg than my right due to my lack of function. When I walk, my left leg tends to get drug or slid along the floor.

I get confused by the fact all the info about BSS states that function is usually preserved on one side while sensation is preserved on the other. My left side seems to have gotten the short end of the stick on both counts. Who knows. SCI is a confusing thing.

Sorry for my lengthy post. Thought I would give a bit more insight about BSS. It's a bit easier to understand from someone who deals with it 24/7 than from medical Mumbo-Jumbo.

Hi Knight
Having read your post I agree with how you feel. I have Brown Sequard Syndrome after being knocked off a cycle by a car driver in 2012. The knowledge that medical staff have seems to very limited. I was rushed into hospital with a suspected stroke after my mobility decreased over a few days after the accident. I kept telling the hospital staff that I had not had a stroke but had a accident days ago. I was discharged from hospital four days later in the same condition with medication for a stoke but was told in my discharge letter that I had not had one. My Doctor who was in disbelief sent me to see a spinal surgeon and with the help of a neurologist and nerve tests I was correctly diagnosed. My symptoms are similar to your but my right arm is hypersensitive and at times excruciatingly painful as with my left leg burns hot all the time with loss of temperature sensation but with good strength and mobility. My right leg though has lost a lot of strength, drags as I walk, can be quite painful at times but the main problem I have with it is that at night and a little during the day it will go into spasm, these can continue through the night with my leg moving like a machine gun causing me to have to get up in the night and walk around. Also if I sit for any amount of time I get like a burning around my hips and groin. None of the medication I have been given by the doctors seem to help at all only sedate me which is one thing I don't wham I would rather have some sort of quality of life. Recently I have been having a lot of pain from my arm and muscles around my back due to the leg going into spasm and have been taking a drug naproxen for the pain as well as 1 25mg tablet of Lamotrigine which helps me to not have to go to the toilet urgently. Although I have taken the naproxen short term to try and quell the pain it does seem to have helped will the horrendous leg spasms. I hope any of this my help you.
Regards Barny.

Welcome barny...

Mis diagnosis seems all too common sadly and medical staff with little knowledge is typical. What the medical profession dont seem to still be inderstanding is that this little knowledge has long lasting health implications for people as yourself.. .......

On a positive ..Its real good to see sharing info on what you have found works for you. 

Thanks for sharing barny! Please feel free to share whatever you like and don't be afraid to say too much. For the most part we're all on the same boat as you so it's interesting hearing about your experiences!

I'm glad you're finding good information on here!

Hmm, well if you're refering to the same injury I don't think you can clasify one side as complete/incomplete but I know what you mean.

From what I have been told by the neurologist Knight my cord at the back has been damaged causing a lesion, interfering with the nerve signals traveling down to my legs. This has been diagnosed as BSS where I have a spastic right leg, a burning left leg with no temperature sensation and no reflexes, the reflexes and spasms in my right leg are extreme. It has also left me with burning in my groin and a burning right arm. For what I understand this is a partial injury to the spinal cord where the nerves have been basically cut but not all the way through the cord. Having looked up BSS on the internet I seem to have classical symptoms of BSS, apart from the burning arm which seems to be complexed regional pain syndrome but this can also be caused by a lesion on the cord.