[BJ]

I usually don't post here because I never had the need to until now and hopefully this is nothing major. I usually post in the SOS or BP forums.

Anyway, I had an lumbar MRI last week and picked up the results today. I have no idea what this means and I don't see my NS until the 12th.

My symptoms are pain in my lower back and I'm having a hard time sitting for long (especially with the hours I'm putting in). I have pain down the back of my leg and "tingly feet".

I'll just skip to the "good" part.

At L4-5 there is a disc bulging with a small but broad central disc protrusion centered slightly to the right of midline. There is also mild to moderate facet hypertrophy but this is limited to the left side. The disc protrusion does contact the thecal sac but there is no apparent root impingement and no central spinal stenosis. Mild left neural foraminal narrowing is also noted.

At L5-S1 there are bilateral intraforaminal disc protrusions greater on the right side. There is also moderate facet hypertrophy bilaterally. There is intraforaminal protrusion of the L5 nerve root bilaterally as well as moderate right and mild to moderate left neural foraminal narrowing. Lateral marginal spurring greater on the right which also probably contributes to impingement of the right L5 nerve root bilaterally.

Impression: At L5-S1 there are bilateral intraforaminal disc protrusions right great than left which leads to impingement on the right then left L5 nerve roots. There is no nerve root impingement at other levels.

There are central disc protrusions at L4-L5.

Moderate facet arthropathy is noted bilaterally at L5-S1 and on the left at L4-5.

Whew!!! That's a mouthful and I hope I spelled everything right.

Any idea what all this means? Right now I need a long, hot shower and bed for me.