I was just looking at my collection of medical records that I saved in 2006/2007 that I took with me to my 2nd opinion for the MS.

For some reason, I dont remember ever reading some of the MRI results. I guess it's because when you skip down and read the FINDINGS, you tend to not go back and read what you've skipped over.

I was wondering what's been causing my back pain...and apparently it says it right on the MRI reports, but has been totally ignored because of the big print saying "demyelinating lesions".

I apparently have bulging of a couple of my C spine discs and there's an Xray report that I dont remember seeing that says I have a slipped disc at L5...L5 is about where a lot of my back pain is.

I guess the slipped disc and the bulging on the other vertebrae have nothing to do with the MS, so that's probably why no one ever mentioned it to me, because most doctors seem to center their attention on the MS and not anything else.

I need to put my medical records away, because now I'm getting the urge to research this stuff and that will only cause me stress and aggravation.

Yes Erin, take the advice you just gave me an hour ago. Don't research this stuff! I'm finding it is causing more worry and stress. But once you get started it's hard to stop -- it's almost like we want to punish ourselves by reading more and more grim news. I also was told that I had some bulging vertebrae in my neck (kind of arthritis like) probably from a car accident I was in a few years ago. Have you had your back looked at by anyone for non MS reasons?

I went to a chiro in 1999 who screwed my back up even more. I have had my back checked twice. Once in 2006 (the x-ray report I read that said I had a slipped disc) when I had numbness in my right thigh...and again in December of 2006 when I had numbness in my feet and back pain...got sent for an MRI to check for slipped discs and instead they found MS lesions in my spine. They were so intent on the lesions that no one ever told me anything about my back.

I asked my neuro about the back pain, and he basically just blamed the MS for it. He did say it could be from a back injury in a car accident in 1999 tho.

I'm blaming my car accident and a fall for the back pain...I dont want to blame everything that's wrong with me on the MS. Of course, the MS isnt helping it any.

and yes, I took my own advice and put my medical record binder away. I was cleaning up stuff in my room and found the binder, and I stupidly opened it and then started reading which lead me to Google. I put the binder in my closet so that it will leave me alone and not tempt me to pull out the MRI cd's.

My Neuro did tell me that, other than showing typical MS, my MRI also showed a slipped disc. It has given me some big problems in the past, but seems to have quieted down. I hope it stays that way...thank you Lord..

I hope yours quiets down too..

Ok I'll play devils advocate here-

what if .. you pull this info out and have your back specifically checked - just in case there is some treatment that can help to improve the problems from the back?

How old is the back MRI & reports?
If it's not current and the symptoms have gotten worse - maybe a new one is needed.
some reports are very precise about degrees, percentages or millimeters of the problem areas - and some are not very precise at all.
Do you have copies of the actual films?

Or you can post on our Spinal forum with the MRI wording and see what kind of treatment might be available for those problems?

Just thinking - if you can have this checked & focussed on - and if there is a treatment that could help you feel a bit better...??

But I totally understand wanting to take a break from drs and tests if you have just been through the ringer recently.

I had a wc RSI claim from 03-05 and many dumb appts, Phys Therapy {PT was good}- and still haven't felt the urge to start back up my regular check ups

The x-ray report is from May of 2006. The MRI is from December 2006, the MRI is what got me my MS diagnosis.

The back problem hasnt gotten worse, or at least not much more than it was 2yrs ago.

I'm not that worried about the slipped disc yet...I'm just surprised that when I asked directly if they figured out what was causing my back problems that they never read the reports to see what it said about the back pain.