I have been suffering from nerve pain for 3 years. I thought it was PN except that most of the pain was on left side and abdomen. I had MRI and Dr said I had bulge on disk of spine.

Now my health records say "Thoracic or lumbar sacral neuritis or radiculitis."

Hi. I am sorry about the mri results. Did they give you a course of treatment? Hope you feel better

They did say something about steroid injections in spine. I am currently on pain meds.

I really have found this board to be helpful over the years. Mostly, it was learning about different meds.

Have you had an EMG and/or biopsy? I ask only because my lumbar MRI shows all kinds of issues and yet it is said it's not my issue. If the injections help you then that will tell you if it indeed coming from the spine.

No, have not had EMG or biopsy. I will admit you do have a point. I guess I would like to think I have something fixable. I have had pain for 3 years now. Is there any difference in pain from spine or PN in how it feels?
One Dr said he thought source was in spine because I felt better standing or laying down. Sitting gives me the most pain.
Also, MRI said I have cyst on kidney so I am scheduled for another MRI of liver and kidneys.

Well, the injections are close to the nerve roots in the spine, so if you are having lower leg/foot trouble and the injections help, it probably is a spinal issue. The EMG can tell if the peripheral nerves themselves are damaged through slowed conduction responses and/or reduced amplitude. A nerve biopsy would also show nerve damage/type, so they usually take a small section of the sural nerve by the ankle. EMG's are less invasive than the biopsy, so they would start with that.

You can definitely have pain and weakness in your foot/lower leg from damaged nerve roots in the spine. For me, it was the fact that the injections did not help whatsoever, nor did PT I did for 3 months. So then we did the EMG, which confirmed there was damage.

Not sure if I understand the question, but... PN can be characterized as either/both a condition or symptom complex comprised of other symptoms. It is damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of or trauma to the nerve or the side effects of systemic illness. So, it feels like it feels regardless of the cause, including nerve compression of/near the spine.

Doc