I have a herniation @ l5 s1. i am having pain top of my foot. i thought i had a stress fracture but x-ray=wnl. my sock/foot felt wet? should i f/u?

Yes: Could have some radiculopathy from the L5 S1. An early stress fracture though would be very hard to see on an xray. If symptoms are bothering you I would definitely follow up.

Varies : The pain you are having could be definitely coming from your back. The L5 nerve root can be compressed by a L5-S1 disc herniation and it does supply the top of the foot. The other possibility is a problem with the foot itself; it is not uncommon for a stress fracture to not show up on X-ray. A physical exam alone can usually distinguish between a foot and a spine problem; an esi can also help.