Help reading MRI
 

There is
loss of the normal lumbar lordosis consistent with muscular spasm. There is
dextroscoliosis of the lumbar spine centered at the L2 level. No acute fracture or
subluxation.
Normal vertebral body heights. Normal marrow signal of the vertebrae. The
conus medullaris terminates normally at mid L1 level. There is a questionable
3.1 cm in diameter left ovarian cyst. This is seen only on the scout image.
Level by level disease is present as follows:
T12-L1: Normal.
L1-L2: Normal.
L2-L3: There is a broad-based central disc protrusion and bilateral facet
arthropathy. There is a superimposed anterior disc protrusion. There is no
central canal stenosis, lateral recess stenosis or neuroforaminal narrowing.
L3-L4: There is a broad-based central disc protrusion and bilateral facet
arthropathy. There is a superimposed anterior disc protrusion. There is no central
canal stenosis or neuroforaminal narrowing. There is mild lateral recess stenosis
bilaterally.
L4-L5: There is a broad-based right lateral recess and right foraminal disc
protrusion and bilateral facet arthropathy. There is a superimposed anterior disc
protrusion. There is no central canal stenosis. There is severe lateral recess
stenosis and neuroforaminal narrowing on the right, with posterior medial
displacement of the right L5 nerve root sleeve
L5-S1: There is a broad-based central disc protrusion and bilateral facet
arthropathy. There is a superimposed anterior disc protrusion. There is no central
canal stenosis, lateral recess stenosis or neuroforaminal narrowing.
IMPRESSION :
1. DDD, L2-3 through L5-S1 without central canal stenosis.
2. There is lateral recess stenosis bilaterally at L3–4 and on the right at L4-5.
3. Lumbar dextroscoliosis.
4. Lumbar spasm.

Hello aroseindeed
 

I can help just a bit with your MRI. DDD stands for degenerative disk disease. I have it too. Most of your MRI isn't bad. You do have an issue with L4-5. This is the area of concern. There are key words in an MRI. If it says mild, or even moderate, surgery usually isn't an option. However if it states that a disk is SERIOUS in the language, you need to ask your doctor. specifically about that disk. When you have neuroforaminal narrowing that is severe, that means the nerves which run through your spine are being pushed against by the herniation. That hurts...... What has your doctor said so far about it? What treatments have you tried to date?. Please do get a second opinion no matter what. Try everything you can before you have a surgery. That really is a last resort, and of course not to be taken lightly. I will be glad to keep in touch with you. Try not to be upset, and go for that other opinion. I came to NT for the same reason you did. My own surgery turned out just fine, so if you do have to have this corrected, know that there can be a good outcome. ginnie:hug:

Thanks for writing me the doctors don't say much. They haven't even really explained anything to me. I did get a steroid injection which didn't work. The doctor then gave me gabapentin and it worked some but the side effects were too much for me. So now i am trying Lyrica so far its helping just minimum but i'm not up to the full dose yet. I get very frustrated with the pain, i have stopped doing so many things that i love to do because of the pain.
:hug:

Any phys therapy at all?
Maybe a TENS for pain signal blocking?