Can someone please help me understand my MRI results?

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startinover41

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Hi,
I'm new here and was wondering whether anyone could help me understand my MRI results. This is what the report says:

"Findings:
Normal lurabar lordosis. Vertebral bodies demonstrates normal hieght.There are scattered foci of T1 and T2 hypersensitivity throughout the vertebral bodies. Marrow signal is moderately heterogeneous. There is disc desiccation and disc bulge at L5-S1. There is assoiated intervertebral disc space narrowing.

L1-2: Unremarkable

L2-3: Unremarkable

L3-4: Unremarkable

L4-5: Unremarkable

L5-S1: There is intervertebral disc space narrowing. There is a focal right paracentral disc protrussion measuring aproximally 1.6 cm. This extenRAB into the subarticular recess and contacts the traversing right S1 nerve root. There is mild bilateral facet arthropathy. There is narrowing of the central canal and the right neural foramen.

Impression:

Right paracentral protrusion at L5-S1, extending into the subarticular recess and contacting the transversing rightS1 nerve root."

Thanks in advance to anyone who can put this in English to me!
 
Ugh! I wrote you a huge response and then it somehow got deleted before I posted it! Okay...sigh...the quick and dirty of it this time. You can pretty much ignore everything except the Impressions part. Here is where they say "this is the only thing that we found that may be considered somewhat abnormal"

Right paracentral protrusion at L5-S1, extending into the subarticular recess and contacting the transversing rightS1 nerve root."

Right paracentral protrusion means you have a little "bubble" of disc that's sticking out from where it should be, and it's just to the right of the center. I had the same exact thing. The bubble is sticking out into the "subarticular recess" which means it's just out in a specific area that they call that, sub-below, articular-joint, recess-like a hole or cave, like a recess in a room. The PROBLEM is that this little bubble is rubbing against your S1 nerve root. The sciatic nerve runs (as you can probably tell from your pain) through your glutes, down the back of your leg, and across the bottom of your foot. This is what causes the pain. The nerve gets rubbed and rubbed or compressed in one area and the whole thing lights up like Christmas!

It doesn't say it's an extrusion (rupture) so I wouldn't do surgery yet. Try spinal decompression and *PT*!!!. (Do your press ups.) Sometimes people can work that bubble back in and the disc can heal somewhat. If you are in extreme pain they will probably recommend an X-ray guided epidural injection. Things about this: if they're not doing the injection with an x-ray or fluroscope - don't do it. It's like that blind folded bow and arrow apple on the head thing. Not that they'll hurt you (although they could) but they won't effectively be able to pin point the inflammed nerve. I had two of these xray guided epidural injections and they both did absolutely nothing. If that happens with you, PLEASE ask for a CT guided selective S1 nerve root block. With the CT scanner they can live time place a needle half a millimeter away from your nerve and really give it a good steroid shower. I had that one and was great for about 3 weeks! I did eventually have surgery because my disc ruptured and I had two fragments impinging my S1 nerve. Alot of times people have little fragments if a disc extrudes. I've seen alot of 2mm fragment stories on here. Mine was almost a centimeter...and it had been there so long that it was calcifying (like turning to bone). If you get to a point where you have an extrusion - just do your research, find a good surgeon, and through all of this (MRIs, injections, the pain) BE POSITIVE! You will heal so much faster. My husband is a doctor and sees every day people who should die live just because they were so positive and determined, and he sees people who just give up because they can't be positive. You're not even near death, but you're probably in pain. Try SO hard for your sake (and a spouse, children, family), try to be positive. Because as loving as family is, they will get sick of you being in pain too. It's hard to go through this. Good luck
 
Thanks for your response, Campiana! You hit the nail on the head describing my pain! I have been going to PT for almost 2 months now and after each session, I find temporary (about 2 hours) relief. Before the intial episode of excruciating pain, I was very physically active...participated in step aerobics 4 times a week, rollerbladed daily, as well as riding my bike. Now, I find it hard just getting up after sitting for 10 minutes! I don't want to have the surgery, but doc says with a 1.8cm protrusion, I may have no other choice...UGH! My daughter is a leukemia survior so I am in complete agreement about positive attitude! Attitude is definately more than half the battle! The fact that I have to move within the next month is really testing my attitude, but I am strong and know I will somehow get through this! Again thanks for putting my results in English for me!
 
no major spine issues some narrowing and that happens with age but it eppears your spine is ok. i take it you are having pain? it could be then nervem mineral or muscle related. even stress if the bones look ok.
 
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