Does impingement on neural foramen mean that there is spinal stenosis?
Thanks

Sometimes--I think I responded to you on another post regarding cyst?

Sometimes yes --if its from herinations or disc in the spine start to degenerate and make the foreman more narrow. If yours is from the cyst its not ness permanent stenosis-- like from spine disease. The neural foreman is the hole on both right and left side of a disc where the nerve passes thru -----it can get blocked from herinations or brown growth or ddd disease. I think you have impingement caused from the the cyst.

This is on other discs in my c-spine, not caused by the cyst. I have multilevel disc disease according the MRI report...but I'm not sure if that means degenerative disc disease (DDD) like you mentioned or something else.

Yes then you do have stenosis ---dont worry unless the disc press the spinal cord - stenosis also happens with age. I will say this I think you should get a few consults 2 or 3 . Are you in alot of pain ??

I will say this, I feel like there is more risk than benefits to any back surgery for me, at the moment. While I am in pain, I've been dealing with it for years. I think that one reason I went to the dr with this again is because my hubby is worried I will be holding my son one day and that I might drop him because of my arm. I don't feel that is a fair fear for my hubby to have and so I told him I would go to get my neck addressed by Drs. But yes, I am in pain, but I think the risks still outweigh the benefits when it comes to surgery.

I agree 100% i had no choice --i had acdf in 2010 on c4 thru c7 but all 4 disc were spinal cord compressed. Without surgery I was be parlyzed. I have no regrets but I also didnt feel I had a choice either --lol--kinda made it easy. What if its the cyst causing the prob --did they ever tell you the size? It may be a simple not invasive procedure to drain it but I would seek out the best neuro surgeon u could find. Seek 2-3 surgery for anything should be last resort.

The MRI in 2009 gave the measurement of the cyst to be approximately 5mm in maximal diameter. They did not however give me the measurement this time.

Here are the MRI results from 2009

c2-3 No canal or neuroforaminal narrowing
c3-4 same as above
c4-5 same as above
c5-6 mild protuberance of the posterior annulus without significant mass effect on the thecal sac or neuroforamina
c6-7 similar changes as the above level
c7-t1 canal or neurofoaminal narrowing, there is a small ovoid fluid density seen lateral to the left neuroforamen. This measures approximately 5 mm in maximal diameter. I suspect this represents a radicular cyst. A follow up exam in approximately 6 months, utilizing IV contrast, could be obtained to help confirm this impression.

On the inversion recovery weighted images, there is no significant vertebral body or paraspinous edema present.

IMPRESSION: Minimal degenerative changes as described without evidence of neurological impingement. Findings at the left c7-t1 neuroraminal likely represents a benign incidental finding of a radicular cyst, followup however may be helpful to confirm this.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, combine this with my most recent MRI which had contrast.

Actually neural foramen stenosis means that the holes that the nerves pass thru to get to the spinal cord are narrowing. It doesn't mean that the cord is narrowiing, i.e. spinal stenosis.

So when this happens, what are the most common problems that it causes for people?

When the nerves get impinged in the (lumbar) foramen, you're going to have pain, tingling, zapping, and numbness in the lower extremities.

If it starts higher up in the cord, it will effect the arms. You'll have the same, i.e. tingling, zapping, numbness & pain.

In the lumbar, I'd sometimes get an "itchy" feeling too, which felt kind of weird. LOL

Does any of this sound familiar?