Quote:
Originally Posted by litliwlowa
All that going on in your c-spine will certainly cause problems. Have you ever experienced trauma to your neck? like maybe a car accident with whiplash injury?
I ask as that is a lot going on with your c-spine, and yes bulging discs are problematic.
Years back when mine was like that? I was in PT for a while, traction and a few other modalities. Then home program which included traction. My issues were secondary to trauma
Have you had your followup appointment with your doctor yet? If so, what has he/she recommended?
It is good news that your brain MRI is normal. That is one aspect of considering MS as the underlying cause
Concerning all those disc bulges in your c-spine. As for interpreting the central stenosis and mild neural foraminal narrowing, that could be due to the disc bulging. I see no mention of cord effacement which is a good thing. I had that before and thankfully it was resolved with PT.
As for interpreting the significance of the findings, probably best your doctor give you the bottom line. However, the symptoms you describe line up with central stenosis, as well as mild neural foraminal narrowing.
That neural foraminal area? If you were to look at a slice of your MRI c-spine, easy to notice where the spinal cord is. Then there is what appears to be a thin space between that and where the discs for lack of a better work are around the spinal cord. That is the neural foraminal if memory serves me correctly.
When discs bulge, they can impinge on that space which in turn can cause inflammation and put pressure to a degree on some of the nerves or nerve root in the affected region.
Central stenosis is sort of related to neural foraminal narrowing. I've had some central stenosis for years, from what is called osteophyte formation - like bone spurs (actually my prior MRI description on that years ago MRI actually specified that)
The symptoms you describe can most certainly be caused by the issues in your c-spine
Is a neurologist evaluating your c-spine? When I was being assessed for MS, it was my neurologist doing the rule out this and that. My brain MRI wasn't normal though back then. My spinal tap was inconclusive.
One thing I am in the habit of doing with my doctors, when it comes to MRI findings. I get the radiology report for myself, then when I followup with the doctor, I ask he explain ALL the MRI findings mean and how concerning short term vs long term are the findings. I like details from my doctors, not the simplified lay person version. 
I'm so sorry you are going through this so young. |
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am currently just seeing a family doctor. I don't have insurance, so I haven't been able to afford to see a Neurologist yet. My family doctor is actually on vacation this week, so I haven't gotten to talk with him about the results. I know he previously believed the numbness down my right leg is causes by Piriformis Sydrome since it occurred right after the birth of my son and my lumbar MRI back in Feb. didn't show any stenosis or herniated disc, only Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy and arthritis, which wasn't causing the numbness and pain. I was rear ended several years ago and had whiplash and my neck was burning like fire, but I never went to the doctor. I also was a passenger in a vehicle in high school and we got rear ended very hard. I already had neck and back pain in high school before any of that. Before I had my son, I had started having pain in my hands, then about a year after I had him I started having the severe neck pain and it started radiating into my shoulder and turning into numbness, and then spread down my arm and into my hand. My right hand is in bad shape, sometimes I can barley use it. I also get numbness in the right side of my scalp and ear, and lately have been noticing it more and more around my mouth. That side of my face just feels so weird all the time now. I wake up every morning with the sensation that my hands and feet are swollen, but don't appear swollen and my feet have pins and needles sensation in the mornings. They also feel swollen in the evenings. For the past year I have been having horrible rib pain!!! It started in my lower right rib and has spread into both and wraps completely around my back. Sometimes all I can do is just hold my ribs and put pressure on them. My upper back pain has increased so much this year and at times my lower back about kills me too. I don't know what happened to me! I was a mostly healthy 23 year old and then BAM! had a baby and now all these issues! Right before I had my son I had a recurring case of MRSA and a miscarriage...but I don't think it is related. My pregnancy went fine until I got near the 3rd trimester and started having EXTREMELY PAINFUL right side hip pain. I couldn't get any sleep for the pain being so bad and couldn't' take anything for it. The last 2 months, I've been having right side chest pain randomly and heaviness and some pain in my lungs, like I'm smothering, but I can still breathe fine. I was convinced I probably had MS, but now I'm not so sure. I feel so old and I'm not sure people will believe a 27 year old is in such bad shape!