The Toes Knows

I returned to the pain management clinic Tuesday to discuss back treatment options. But first they had me take off my socks.
They wanted to see how much spine damage they were dealing with, so they hooked me up to a Neurometer, attaching electrodes to my my big, middle, and little toes, and then zapping me like a psychology student. This was to establish my Current Perception Threshold, as the tester turned the dial down to imperceptible levels, then back up so I could barely feel it -- basically a hearing test for my toes. The test determined that I have a back injury.
Huh.
The nerve root around the L4 and L5 region of the spine is still irritated, now 4 years removed from my surgery. They have recommended physical therapy involving hydromassage, spine-pulling traction, and back-strengthening exercise. It's a 20-session/five week program that is meant to be strictly followed once begun, so I'm not going to start until the new year, after I'm back (har!) from Christmas break.