History A 53-year-old female with low back pain and acute foot drop presented to the Emergency Department (ED). She was a housekeeper by profession and was physically active. The patient had a medical history of psoriasis and inflammatory arthritis , currently controlled by sulfasalazine medication. She also had a history of smoking for 20 pack-years . When she presented at the ED, her major complaint was pain in her lower back that spread to both legs .
The pain was present for over a year. However, the pain had aggravated for one week before her ED visit. The patient also reported a sensation of heaviness in the RT leg as well as weakness of the foot dorsiflexors for 48 hours prior to ED visit. Results of a lumbar computed tomography (CT) performed a few months before her ED visit revealed a protruded L5-S1 disc . Examination Red flag questions including fever, sweating, trauma,…
