Hi, I'm a 45 yo male and I was recently diagnosed with Degenerative Disk Disease. I had been experiencing lower back and neck pain for a few years but recently it has become intolerable.

I've been getting weakness/numbness in my legs and arms and have been getting headaches that won't go away. My family doc did an xray and it showed a narrow space between C5-6 and mild end-plate spondylosis. It also showed Uncovertebral Hypertrophy. The xray report failed to show any findings for my thoracic/lumbar spine. He put me on Prednisone and Ultram (50mg 3x/day) that did nothing for my symptoms. He then had me do an MRI of my Lumbar and cervical spine.

I got those results today and I would like some help deciphering them before I go see the Orthopedic back surgeon in September. I tried doing some research on the internet and have found some useful information but I would like some input as to what I might expect from my MRI findings. I'm fairly certain surgery is going to be an option and if it is, has anyone had simular MRI findings and had surgery for it? If so, what type and how have you progressed?

Here are my MRI findings. If anyone can help interpret them I would much appreciate it. I know the Ortho surgeon will discuss all my options, but I would like to go in with as much information as possible.

Thank you for any help you can provide!
Ken

Cervical Spine MRI Findings:

C4-5 Right and left posterolateral disk bulge with prominence of the posterior margins of the uncovertebral junctions. This midly narrows the lateral recesses bilaterally at C4-5. No central canal spinal stenosis is seen.

C5-6 Mild to moderate narrowing and signal loss is present. There is a moderate sized central broad based disk herniation. This is associated with moderate spondylosis and bilateral foraminal stenosis. This is in a moderate degree.

Impression:
1. Moderate narrowing and signal loss at C5-6 wih a moderate sized broad based disk herniation at C5-6 with evidence for moderate spondylosis with bilateral foraminal stenosis.
2. Right and left posterolateral annular disk bulges with prominent posterior uncovertebral joints at C4-5. This gives rise to bilateral mild to moderate foraminal narrowing.

Note: At C5-6 there is a mild central canal spinal stenosis and mild deformity of the anterior aspect of the cervical spine at this level.

Lumbar Spine MRI Findings:

T12-L1 Moderate narrowing and signal loss is present. There is a moderate posterior spondylosis. Anterior osteophytes are present. There is good preservation of the central neural canal and neural foramina.

L1-2 Mild narrowing and signal loss. No herniation or protrusion is seen.

L4-5 There is signal loss here. There is a right extra spinal disk protrusion here, which abuts and slightly displaces the exited right L4 nerve root, however no foraminal stenosis is seen.

L5-S1 Mild narrowing and signal loss present. There is a small to moderate size disk herniation, but without significant deformity of the thecal sac. Slightly more prominent left central component is noted. Mild to moderate facet arthropathy noted. The central neural canal are well maintained. No foraminal stenosis.

Impressions:
1. Small/Moderate size central disk herniation at L5-S1 with a slightly more prominent left central portion. No significant mass effect seen on the nerve roots or thecal sac. Mild facet arthropathy noted.
2. Subtle right extra spinal disk protrusion at L4-5, which abuts the exited right L4 nerve root.
3. Other degenerative findings as above.