Hi all I am so glad I found this sight. Hope to get some help.
First a tiny bit of history. Hurt my back in Army a long time ago, L4-L5 surg to fix. Have had no real bad prob's for almost 13 years. But over the last year every thing has changed.
Have been in so much pain that I finally went to the VA they said its just arthritis from L5 to C3. I did not think it was just arthritis so I went to family Doc and had MRI done.
Here we go, The report states ( hope all is spelled right, R hand goes numb so did not put it all down )
L2–L4 vertebral bodies, may represent angioma
L3 - L4 and L4 - L5 intervertebral disk space narrowing with extensive endplate remodeling and some ostephyte formation with Schmorl’ nodes at L4,5
L1 ,2 Minimal circumferential disk bulge same with L3,4 with flattening of anterior thecal sac and facet arthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, bilateral foraminal narrowing , traingulation of the spinal canal.
L4,5 circumferential disk bulge present with flattening of anterior thecal sac, There is superimposed central posterior disk extrusion with some extrusion into both neural foramina as well, left greater than right. Displacement of the exiting L4 nerve root. Mild spinal canal stenosis.
Sever degree of diskogenic disease at L4,5 with circumferential disk bulge and disk extrusion as well as bilateral foraminal narrowing.

There just seems to be a lot of stuff here I only hope that one or some of it will tell me why I am in so much pain. Hard to stand for any amount of time or even walk, driving my kids to there diff sports events is a killer. No position that is really pain free.
I am small framed not over weight, 41 years of age.

Any simple reads on this MRI. I have two weeks till my Doc will see me. I live in a little souther town so health care is pretty poor here. Any and I mean Any ideas on this would be so appreciated. Thanks mylou

Welcome Mylou - this is Ak kid - alias - Kim :-)

I too am a vet with a very similar experience both with my injury - I was in the Army, I injured my back after my unit went out on a FTX - I was assigned the M-60 (was the smallest person in the unit so was assigned the largest weapon) and patrolled with that hunk for three days. I spent all three days in the field - upon return my unit did a PT test - where my back went out on me - literally. A L5-S1 herniation with S1 neural formal stenosis and SI Joint injury - (after I injured my back during the situps I continued on with the run - macho woman huh....if I could do it over - after my back popped I wish I would have stopped but I didn't. That was 11 years ago - now the L5-S1 herniation turned into DDD - then I reinjured my back from a fall in 2004 - now have L5-L3 herniations, osteophytes at L5-S1, Neural Formal stenosis at L5-S1 thru L3 and now I have arthritis in my L5 thru the L3 and Osteoarthritis in both SI Joints and have to walk with a cane now. And had to have surgery on my right shoulder because of my dependence on the cane aggravated my A/C joint.

So what I am saying is.....from what your MRI is saying is that there is degeneration in your back. What was explained to me is, when there is an injury that involves some bone (because the ddd - my L5-S1 there is no more cushion and the bones rub back and forth) your body tries to fix itself, and the osteophytes that grow (bone spurs) is your body trying to do just that. What stands out to me in your MRI is the narrowing of the nerve roots at the L4-L5.

If you want to *see what is going on in your back I have a good website for you to visit. Email me and I will pass on the website.

You are in a good place here - for support whenever you need it. Welcome.

As for your pain - when is your pain at it's greatest, while walking, sitting, standing? A ice pack at your lower back will help while driving, or a pillow to hold in that place. I no longer can drive - or ride in a vehicle for that matter.

You can learn how to cope with your pain, learn your triggers and avoid them, learn about what helps and what doesn't - for me the principals of PRICE help me daily (Prevention, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation), living by the principals of a anti-inflammatory diet, stretching at least 30 minutes everyday, 8 or more glasses of water to keep my body and joints hydrated and some medications.

You will find that pain does come in flares, you will have good days and bad days, the cold weather will affect you (but ice packs help) hot baths and saunas work wonders on your body and aromatherapy and massage therapy become part of your daily life. But learn what helps you best - every individual is different, pain affects people differently - what hurts me and knocks me down may not affect you. A tens unit will help with the muscle pain that accompanies the lower back pain.

I wish you good luck - all the best wishes and hope to hear from you soon.

Kim

Thanks so much for your replay. At present I am waiting to go into see some one at the pain clinic for some epi shots. I have pretty good morn's not to much pain, but when I start walling or sit and fold laundry it set's it all off. Leg starts going numb when I walk or when I drive, and I can't walk all that far before the pain in my back and legs gets way out of control. The doc's keep pushing pain pills on me and I hate taking pain med's. I think the thing about this is that it bothers me is that it is so effecting my ability to be a active mom, every thing that I do hurts and I am so tired of saying I can't play catch because it hurts or I can't pick you up, or I am sorry that it takes me longer to walk to the field to your games. My house is a complete mess and nothing is getting done like it use to. I am putting on weight, no veg or flower garden this year, it has taken over my hole life and nothing has ever done that. I am trying to find a way to fight this and so far its winning. I still have hope that there will be some thing the surgeon or pain clinic can do. I just have to get use to the fact that it is going to take time to get in to see them and that's hard wont relief now.

Good to see that you are going to a pain clinic. I stress to my providers up here in Alaska that they need to look at me like a whole person - and to stop focusing on one area.

That is what you will find at a pain clinic - a holistic (look at the whole you) from injury to medication to counseling to physical therapy and more. I wish you all the best.

For the Epidurals - I am a vet in that area too :-) If you haven't had one yet - here is about what happens.

1. Have a support person go to the appointment with you - to be there and drive you home after the proceedure.

2. Dress in loose fitting clothes so that you do not need to bend or twist much when getting dressed.

3. Drink plenty of fluids before the proceedure - if you are told to fast - drink water up until that time.

4. Have an ipod or something with you that can distract and play music - helps to defocus from the proceedure.

5. Take a ice (freezer pack - one of those big blue ones we get for ice chests) with you and have that for your lower back - on the way home.

6. When you get home, immediately lie down and darken your room. Rest and lay on your side - prop up with pillows. When the lindocaine wears off then a hot bath will help your muscles to relax.

Drink plenty of fluids - gatorade for the salts and a red tea like raspberry or cranberry is very good relaxants -

take it easy and ease back into dealing with the kids and laundry. Take life slow.

All the best to you......

Kim