MRI done, nothing shows????

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donna70

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Hi,
I wrote last week about severe back pain and right leg nurabness. Got my MRI order and had it done yesterday. Naturally, my pain diminished Sat and Sun so my dr just called and said the only thing that showed on the MRI yesterday was degenerative discs which would be normal for someone my age, 64. Almost cancelled the MRI because I knew even though I had been miserable Friday once I didn't have to take pain meRAB Sat or Sunday nothing would show. Anyone else have this happen? Glad that I feel better but feel like a nut getting the MRI even though the last 2 wks have been heck on wheels with pain meRAB icing etc. Haven't seen the report myself they are sending me a copy. Couldn't get thru to radiology office yesterday or I would have cancelled. Just hope it doesn't happen again because nothing will get done.
Donna70
 
Hi! I've been having severe pain in my thigh going down into my leg and is in my back at times for past 8 months. Went to the Dr. and he put me on Prednisone for inflammation and scheduled an MRI. My pain has been down since on Prednisone. Wondering if I should still MRI. They think it's a pinced nerve, sciaiatica. What's your opinion? I don't want to spend the money if nothing is going to show up. Will something wrong still show even though I'm not having the severe pain right and inflammation now due to medication?
 
Hi Donna70. I don't know if your doctor would go for this, but sometimes a CT scan will show far more then an MRI. This happened in my case. My CT scan showed severe disc and arthritic problems and the MRI showed not much of anything at all. My first doctor based everything on that MRI and so said there wasn't much wrong with me. My next doctor (who was far more experienced) said it was necessary to look at both, and the CT scan was better for determining bone issues and the MRI was better for determining soft tissue issues.

The difference was so dramatic that the CT Scan showed a collapsed disc with vacuum phenomena (meaning there is an area in the disc that is completely dessicated and filled with non-disc material) and the MRI showed a happy little disc with nothing more then mild compression. My surgery 4 weeks ago was based on what he saw in the CT scan and lo and behold, when he got in there the disc was completely collapsed on one side and I was having bone on bone impaction. No major nerve impingement, but bone on bone is extremely painful and sets up so much inflammation in the area that you may has well have direct nerve impingement.

The other thing that can fool an MRI is, exactly what you said - you had stopped hurting at that particular time. The MRI is done while you're lying down and doesn't give a true representation of what your spine looks like when you're standing up.

I'd suggest a second opinion with an orthopedic surgeon whose specialty is spinal issues. Sometimes I think orthopedists have a better sense of the limitations of MRI's versus the enhanced bone imaging of a CT scan.
 
Hi! I've been having severe pain in my thigh going down into my leg and is in my back at times for past 8 months. Went to the Dr. and he put me on Prednisone for inflammation and scheduled an MRI. My pain has been down since on Prednisone. Wondering if I should still have MRI. They think it's a pinced nerve, sciaiatica. What's your opinion? I don't want to spend the money if nothing is going to show up. Will something wrong still show even though I'm not having the severe pain right and inflammation now due to medication?
 
Hi. It could just be that.. degenerative disc(s). Dont feel bad.. this often happens just as what you are experiencing. Call it a flare-up if you will. Good days bad days. It may recur. If it does.. and it doesn't resolve itself by TLC as you have probably beeen told by your doc with this bout.. then get rechecked.

But it is true MRIs dont always show all, especially those done of the spine in a supine position.

Glad you are feeling better and I hope it continues that way for you. :)
 
Hi,
Thanks for your replies. I am happy that the pain at least most of it has gone away. If it happens again I probably will go to another dr if I can't get it to resolve. My right leg is still nurab and I know something had happened? or changed with the discs because I have had back issues but nothing like the past two weeks. thanks again for the valuable input!!!
Donna70
 
I had a mri and nothing showed my dr. Ordered a mylogram and it showed 3 bulged disc and i had to have a 3 level fusion. Do not give up just keep complaning.;)
 
Hi Donna, Can you give me some advise? My Dr. doesn't seem to solve this ongoing problem.

I have been having low back pain for about 3 years on and off. In 2007 I had an injury lifting equipment. Below are the results for my MRI from 2007.
 
Hi Donna

My specialist told me just because nothing shows it doesn't mean to say you havent got pain!

It is obviously much easier to treat something if you can see the problem.

At one time when i first had back pain my pain management specialist insinuated that because they couldn't find anything that it was all in my head!

NOT!!

Dont give up fighting for pain relief or treatment.

Your pain is real!!

Good luck.
 
Hi Rich,
Not being a dr, I don't know if I am that good of a source of info on this. My back pain eventually resolved but I sure remeraber how miserable I was at that time. The only difference in my treatment was that I was on Prednisone besides Tramadol. My MRI was similar to yours. Someone told me I think on this board that a CT scan might have been more helpful in showing what was going on. The odd thing was after being in pain for over a month, the day I had the MRI, my pain had subsided that day and I have heard from other people that can happen also. It came back several days later but not as bad. Then I was found to have a Vit D deficiency and put on several thousand Ius of that and have not had anymore severe back pain and also went into a remission of my rheumatoid arthritis. Wish I could be of more help. If you live in a big city, some hospitals have spine specialists and that might be helpful to you. good luck!!
Donna70
 
Thank you very much for your reply. Yes, I live in los Angeles and have a very good ortho. Dr. I am going to visit him today. We will see.

Thanks again Rich.
 
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