[tdouglas]

Hi, everyone. I started a post last year about a severely herniated disc in my lumbar spine. I got some pretty great advice, so I'm back for more!

I ended up getting a microdiscectomy to fix the herniated disc, and that's all well and good. But I was having pain in my thoracic spine, too, so I asked the doc to order up an MRI, just to be sure it wasn't another big issue. Well, after getting the MRI and visiting the doctor again, he told me that everything was fine, and I took him at his word.

Months later, however, the pain in my thoracic spine is still there, so I decided to go get the results and have a look. Here's what I found:

"There is mild disc desiccation in the mid thoracic spine. There is mild multilevel facet osteoarthritis throughout the thoracic spine. No significant central canal stenosis or neuroforaminal stenosis."

My first thought is that I'm glad the word severe doesn't pop up, and my second thought is that I'm glad there is no stenosis. But my third thought is why didn't the doctor tell me about this stuff? Is a mild disc desiccation and mild multilevel facet osteoarthritis not worth mentioning? Should he have said everything is normal when the MRI says otherwise, or am I overreacting? What do these "mild" problems mean for me?

[Jomar]

If it was a surgeon that said that, maybe he meant it as no surgery needed/ required at this time??
Who knows what drs think.

But he could have mentioned these just so you know ..

I'd take the image/report to another independent dr or even a highly skilled chiro, they are trained to understand these reports too.
Many chiros will do a free or low fee evaluation, hoping to get business of course, but you don't have to let them adjust you ..it might be worth trying it and see what they say..


Can you describe the T spine pain?
Is it any specific place , like a vertebra level, or possibly a muscle/trigger point issue?
Sometimes it helps for us to have the symptoms described as well as the report info.

[tdouglas]

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

If it was a surgeon that said that, maybe he meant it as no surgery needed/ required at this time??
Who knows what drs think.

But he could have mentioned these just so you know ..

I'd take the image/report to another independent dr or even a highly skilled chiro, they are trained to understand these reports too.
Many chiros will do a free or low fee evaluation, hoping to get business of course, but you don't have to let them adjust you ..it might be worth trying it and see what they say..


Can you describe the T spine pain?
Is it any specific place , like a vertebra level, or possibly a muscle/trigger point issue?
Sometimes it helps for us to have the symptoms described as well as the report info.

Yeah, I was thinking about seeing someone else. But what's crazy is that this doctor is one of the best I've ever had, especially at explaining things and relieving my worries, so that's why I'm really surprised he never brought this up.

The pain in my thoracic spine is like a dull, achy pain, right on the spine. Bending my head down (chin to chest) causes tightness and pain, and if I tilt my head left or right from that position, it shoots pain through the opposite shoulder blade.

Originally Posted by Hopeless

Docs do react differently. I had one doc tell me I needed surgery based on my MRI and I did not. (Mild lumbar herniation that healed on its own.) Then years later, I had a doc tell me that my MRI had some abnormalities but nothing that he would not expect for someone of my age and that the abnormalities were nothing of any real concern. He gave me a copy of the MRI results after he had discussed it with me.

Personally, I think the doc should have told you something similar to what my doc told me after MRI, abnormal but insignificant. To not notify you of ANY abnormality is probably because he did not want to have to discuss it with you since he seems to have considered it insignificant.

The question is........ Are you experiencing pain or problems? If you have NO symptoms, he probably thought it of no significance.

I now have moderate thoracic herniations, multi-level facet osteoarthritis, degenerative discs, and a few other things that I can't remember at the moment.

I would ask him to give you a detailed explanation of why he stated your MRI was "normal" or did he mean that it is insignificant.

I've had the pain steadily for over a year, so the pain is there. My next visit isn't for another six months, however.

[Hopeless]

I am too impatient to wait for answers. Can you see the doc or call about his comments on your MRI before your next appt. in 6 months?

Chronic pain has made me impatient, irritable, and someone different than my former self. I have difficulty forming my sentences lately. Things do not come out on paper like I intend.

I hope someone will give you the straight scoop on your MRI.

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by Hopeless

Chronic pain has made me impatient, irritable, and someone different than my former self. I have difficulty forming my sentences lately. Things do not come out on paper like I intend.

A-MEN!

Doc

[tdouglas]

@Hopeless

I will definitely call him before then. I'm pretty sure he's going to say it's nothing, but it's worth checking out.

@Dr. Smith

I totally understand that as one ages, their body starts to break down. But I'm only 23 and I've already had one back surgery. I'm not supposed to age this fast! It just adds up to me -- pain in the area the results talk about. Plus, having studied a ton of information about reading and interpreting MRI's, I can see some disc abnormalities in the exact spot of my pain. Of course, I'm not at all qualified to make that call, but it all adds up.

I appreciate you guys taking your time to talk to me about this. Normally, I'd be Googling up a storm, but I can't find much about facet osteoarthritis. It's frustrating!

[Hopeless]

Originally Posted by tdouglas

Hi, everyone. I started a post last year about a severely herniated disc in my lumbar spine. I got some pretty great advice, so I'm back for more!

I ended up getting a microdiscectomy to fix the herniated disc, and that's all well and good. But I was having pain in my thoracic spine, too, so I asked the doc to order up an MRI, just to be sure it wasn't another big issue. Well, after getting the MRI and visiting the doctor again, he told me that everything was fine, and I took him at his word.

Months later, however, the pain in my thoracic spine is still there, so I decided to go get the results and have a look. Here's what I found:

"There is mild disc desiccation in the mid thoracic spine. There is mild multilevel facet osteoarthritis throughout the thoracic spine. No significant central canal stenosis or neuroforaminal stenosis."

My first thought is that I'm glad the word severe doesn't pop up, and my second thought is that I'm glad there is no stenosis. But my third thought is why didn't the doctor tell me about this stuff? Is a mild disc desiccation and mild multilevel facet osteoarthritis not worth mentioning? Should he have said everything is normal when the MRI says otherwise, or am I overreacting? What do these "mild" problems mean for me?

Docs do react differently. I had one doc tell me I needed surgery based on my MRI and I did not. (Mild lumbar herniation that healed on its own.) Then years later, I had a doc tell me that my MRI had some abnormalities but nothing that he would not expect for someone of my age and that the abnormalities were nothing of any real concern. He gave me a copy of the MRI results after he had discussed it with me.

Personally, I think the doc should have told you something similar to what my doc told me after MRI, abnormal but insignificant. To not notify you of ANY abnormality is probably because he did not want to have to discuss it with you since he seems to have considered it insignificant.

The question is........ Are you experiencing pain or problems? If you have NO symptoms, he probably thought it of no significance.

I now have moderate thoracic herniations, multi-level facet osteoarthritis, degenerative discs, and a few other things that I can't remember at the moment.

I would ask him to give you a detailed explanation of why he stated your MRI was "normal" or did he mean that it is insignificant.

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by Hopeless

I had a doc tell me that my MRI had some abnormalities but nothing that he would not expect for someone of my age and that the abnormalities were nothing of any real concern. He gave me a copy of the MRI results after he had discussed it with me.

Personally, I think the doc should have told you something similar to what my doc told me after MRI, abnormal but insignificant.

I agree with this. A lot of these... (I hesitate to call them 'abnormalities' because many of them are normal as we age) ...'peculiarities' are part of the price we pay for walking upright and living longer.

Originally Posted by tdouglas

Is a mild disc desiccation and mild multilevel facet osteoarthritis not worth mentioning?

Some of these guys see hundreds/thousands of these things, so they get used to the common stuff, and perhaps in his opinion it was just that--not worth mentioning (or he had an off day, or something else on his mind?), but there's no law that says you can't ask him about it. If the guy is good at explaining things, I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be candid about this. I would just do it in a matter-of-fact manner rather than confrontationally.

The issue (as I see it) is not this incident, but that you're in pain. If it were me (and I don't know that you're not already doing this) I'd call his office and ask to be put on a cancellation list for an earlier appointment, and spend some time in the interim looking for possibilities (from a symptom perspective) to ask about/discuss. YMMV.

Doc

[CampWalk48]

I too have been diagnosed by my pain center that I have two herniated disc and degenerative disc disease. I was told years I am unable to take narcotic pain pills because they cause me to have dis-urea.I have endured back pain, shoulder pain, and hip pain for years. I worked the lab in hospitals about 30 yrs. and a hair stylist in between at the hospital for 40 yrs. So I thought I was just having side effect of working hard all those years. Since the MRI, I have had 2 facet steroid injections, 2 injections in L4 and L5 of a stronger steroid I guess, and finally the nerve burning last week.
But prior to the rhizotomy, I experience this severe pain in my groin when I walk anywhere more than five minutes. When it hits me I am unable to move my left leg without severe pain. I told the pain center doctors about this over a month ago but they didn't address it because they were dealing with L4 and L5. I was told over 10 years ago that I had a problem with L4,L5, and S1. I'm not sure if I had the herniation of these disc at that time.
Last week before the procedure I asked the doctor if this procedure would stop the groin pain. He said he couldn't because the insurance wouldn't pay. So now I walk in fear of the pain hitting me. What can I expect next?

Originally Posted by Hopeless

Docs do react differently. I had one doc tell me I needed surgery based on my MRI and I did not. (Mild lumbar herniation that healed on its own.) Then years later, I had a doc tell me that my MRI had some abnormalities but nothing that he would not expect for someone of my age and that the abnormalities were nothing of any real concern. He gave me a copy of the MRI results after he had discussed it with me.

Personally, I think the doc should have told you something similar to what my doc told me after MRI, abnormal but insignificant. To not notify you of ANY abnormality is probably because he did not want to have to discuss it with you since he seems to have considered it insignificant.

The question is........ Are you experiencing pain or problems? If you have NO symptoms, he probably thought it of no significance.

I now have moderate thoracic herniations, multi-level facet osteoarthritis, degenerative discs, and a few other things that I can't remember at the moment.

I would ask him to give you a detailed explanation of why he stated your MRI was "normal" or did he mean that it is insignificant.