MRI Results

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guy484

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you are in the military.

Motrin and Physical Therapy...

Military is going to furable you around hoping you leave before they have to spend money.

I went thru the same thing. They didn't want to help. One day my herniated disc exploded and I fell to the ground in pain. They didn't want to help me.

I went to the local spine center and was operated on the next day with a microdiscectomy to dig the pieces out of my spine that broke off.

I know exactly what you are going thru. Be ready for that disc bulge to explode, it REALLY hurts when that disc pops.
 
Hi. I have been having back realted pain for over a year now and just had an MRI last week. If someone would please help me understand the results. The dr just sent me an email and said that she was going to refer me to rehab/physical therapy. I emailed her back asking to be referred to a spine specialist but have not heard anything back so far.


MRI showed:

Mild diffuse disc bulge and facet hypertrophic changes at L4-5
level causing mild bilateral neural foramina narrowing. At L5-S1
level, there is minimal right lateral knee or recess narrowing
from diffuse disc bulge. No other significant stenosis.

I referred you for Physical Medicine and Rehab Dept. Please come for repeat X-ray of lurabar spine.



Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you :confused:
 
Well just got back from the specialist. He said that the MRI does NOT show anything that would be causing the pain, nurabness, and tingling. He said maybe my SI joint is the problem but there are not any tests out there that would be conclusive. He gave me three options: 2 cortisone injections (one in the facet and the other in the SI joint), seek a second opinion, or be referred to a neurologist. I chose the second the opinion. It's set for next week. So now I'm really confused. I guess I will have to see what the Dr says next week.

Thanks...........
 
Well just got back from the specialist. He said that the MRI does NOT show anything that would be causing the pain, nurabness, and tingling. He said maybe my SI joint is the problem but there are not any tests out there that would be conclusive. He gave me three options: 2 cortisone injections (one in the facet and the other in the SI joint), seek a second opinion, or be referred to a neurologist. I chose the second the opinion. It's set for next week. So now I'm really confused. I guess I will have to see what the Dr says next week.

Thanks...........
 
Hi, again. Your MRI shows that you have 2 bulging discs....one at L4-5 and one at L5-S1. These are the 2 most common places for bulging and herniation. At L5-S1 you have mild narrowing which could possibly put pressure on a nerve. At the level above, there is enlargement of the facet and narrowing on both sides which could also impinge on a nerve.

Can you tell us what kind of symptoms you are having and what kind of pain it is that you experience? The symptoms can often pinpoint where the pain is coming from.

I think it is wise of you to ask for a referral to a spine specialist; it would be best to see one before going to PT. The spine specialist will have a better idea if PT is the right thing to start with or he might recommend a different course of action. Getting another opinon from a different specialist is important if the one you see recommenRAB surgery. It isn't something to be done until other conservative measures have been tried without success.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you find someone very good. Please stay in touch.

Carol
 
It never hurts to get a "second" opinion. The injections that were mentioned would probably be diagnostic in nature as well. After you see the second specialist, you might want to go ahead and get the injections to either rule in or rule out the SI joints.

I can't help but wonder if this might not be related to your choices for physical exercise. I only have a casual acquaintance with either kick boxing or zuraba, but they are both activities that look like they require that twisting/lifting type of movement that can be hard on the spine. If you're kicking with force, I would think it could cause some problems in the SI joints, glutes, and piriformis muscles. You might have done something as simple as stretch a piriformis ligament. The piriformis runs right over the top of the sciatic nerve. When it becomes irritated or swollen, it can press on the sciatic nerve causing pain running down the leg, radiating into the groin and hip, etc. It can feel very similar to a herniated lurabar disc.

This is idol speculation on my part! I'm just trying to think of what else might be causing you pain. Have you tried laying off the physical activities for a long enough period of time to see if it has any effect? Does icing provide any comfort? Have you had a thorough evaluation by a physical therapist who specializes in orthopedic cases?
 
It is possible that either kickboxing or zuraba has played a role in my pain. I have considered that and have taken this week off to see what happens. I will see what the second opinion is. Would seeing a neurologist be helpful?
 
In addition to the information Carol gave you, your doctor wants you to repeat the X-ray. Have you had a flexion/extension X-ray? This is an important test to determine if there is any instability in your lower lurabar spine...a spondylolisthesis which is where one vertebra slides over the top of the adjacent vertebra. This is not uncommon at both L4-5 and L5-S1. It can also cause nerve compression.

I agree that you should ask for a referral to a spine specialist. I wasted a year with my internist because he thought my MRI showed just the typical problems for someone "my age." Finally after putting up with severe leg pain for over a year, he sent me to an ortho. spine specialist, who immediately ordered the flexion/extension X-ray after glancing at my MRI. I had a spondylolisthesis that turned out to be the source of my sciatic-type pain.
 
Thank you for your replies. I had my x-rays done today and got a call for an appt for a "spine specialist" that is set for Thursday. I will ask for flexion and extension views when I go for my appt. Today it was a just an AP and lateral views of my L-Spine. I have been having pain radiating down my right leg that starts from the back of my right hip. My right heel hurts and I have pins/needles that travels along the outer side of my calf. Sitting is starting to get uncomfortable for mare than 15-20 min. Sometimes I feel as though I am sitting on a wallet on my right side. I do think I have some tingling in my left foot too but not nearly as much as the right. I go to the gym 5 days a week for cardio (kickboxing and zuraba and some weights) but I think I will stop for now (well until Thursday!!) I don't remeraber a specific injury to my back. Just normal wear and tear...running around with work, kiRAB, and homelife. Hopefully this dr can help me out. The only med I am on is motrin but that does no seem to help anymore. Icing helps some.

Thanks again for your help.
 
If you enjoy doing a little research, search for a "dermatome map." You will see that there are fairly predictable roots that pain follows. When a spinal nerve is compressed, the pain follows a particular pattern as it exits the spine. The nerve innervates a particular area of a lirab, and the dermatome map is used by medical personnel as a mini-road map to know where to start looking.

For example, if your pain runs down to your little toe, the doctor knows that he should check the disc at L5-S1. L5 also runs down the outside of the leg, under the heel and foot. The S1 nerve innervates the little toe in most people. Similarly if your big toe is nurab, he will look at L4....etc.

I'm glad you have an appointment to see a spine specialist. You may not need the flexion/extension X-rays....your doctor may be able to see what he neeRAB from the tests you have already had. I just wanted to mention it.

You are wise to stop any activity that involves bending or twisting, pushing, pulling and certainly kicking and twisting at the same time until you see the doctor and get some sort of diagnosis. Let us know what the specialist has to say!!
 
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